Seven Against Thebes Quest #2

Lesches

Sing, goddess, of thirsty Argos, and of the glory of Hippomedon Aristomachides - sing of the folly of Adrastus, of the savagery of Tydeus and of Oedipal transgressions! Sing, O Muse, of Zeus’ designs, which even now come to fulfillment…

An Interlude

You are Eteocles Oedipodionidês, and you sit straight-backed upon your father’s throne – the throne of Thebes. It is an imposing thing – a gigantic, smoothly-hewn chair of dark stone, it has a magnetic presence within the throne room. This strikes you as fitting - it is the singular locus of power of one of the great Hellenic powers. Your fingertips drum the polished rock absentmindedly. You are dressed in the finest robes of regal purple silk, threaded with gold. They cascade softly as you shift upon the unyielding stone; their whisper of affirmation audible only to you. The embroidered silks are quite comfortable, if heavy, due to the gold - the robes are tailored to your massive frame. In your right hand, a large silver goblet is filled with well-mixed wine; an exquisite vintage you only just discovered in your father’s cellars yesterday. Taken together, the robes, the goblet, and your godlike appearance all contribute to the desired effect…

When seated upon the throne of Cadmus, which is raised on a dais – you loom over the hall like proud Zeus himself. You have learned over the past year that appearances matter greatly in the business of kings. A king is required by necessity to project strength and authority at all times, even in such quotidian affairs as this one – the public hearings that you allow once weekly, where nearly any Theban is allowed to air their concerns, provided that they are willing to queue and wait their turn to speak. Governance over the unruly and disagreeable Theban nobility has always been a delicate balance; the hearings provide a necessary mechanism for a Theban king to manage discontent. Between you and the unruly masses, your elite guard stands with spears raised – a constant reminder that a simple command could send their shades down to the realm of the Black Thunderer.

There is a middle-aged petitioner speaking to you in droning words, a rural nobleman just barely ranked above commoners. You make a show of attentiveness, even while your mind wanders. You are more concerned with the posturing of his body than the content of his plea – it is cringing and servile, as is proper. The petitioner is all but abasing himself, making yet another complaint about soil quality that you cannot bring yourself to care about. You advise the petitioner “patience”, and summon the next forward from the endless, milling crowd of needful Thebans standing in the center of the throne room. To each side, the assorted higher Theban nobility sit on rising benches, arranged at varying heights like those in an arena or theatre. The Theban nobility, brightly dressed, are splashes of color in the gloomy hall; this early in the morning, the mirrors have yet to catch the light of Helios Ηλεκτωρ to properly illuminate the interior.

Torchlight seems to add the shadows rather than the light; the silence in the room is heavy, despite the many people present. The nobles sit primly and silently with artfully concealed irritation and boredom; you have cowed them, over the last year, but not yet broken their spirit. You sup at your goblet of wine – the flickering, ruddy torchlight interacts strangely with your reflection in the wine’s rippling surface. Your duplicate’s features become distorted and shadowed in the brimming goblet; a grimacing deathmask instead of the broad and handsome face you expect to see.

Frowning, you tear your gaze away, looking for the next supplicant to step forward, but there’s some confusion amongst the crowd – you hear a man barking indistinct orders towards the entrance of the hall, but you can’t make out the words.

With no supplicant approaching, you take the moment’s respite to wrestle with your thoughts.

You’ve learned over your brief reign that despite your previous imaginings, there are no differences between being a king and becoming a king. To become a king, one must be merciless, strong, decisive, and perceptive. A king must seize power and control when given the opportunity; a lion must take the stallion in the throat in one strike, or risk trampling. To be a king simply means that you must become a king every day – the work is never done. You must hunt for weakness in yourself and crush it mercilessly before it can be exploited by others; when you find weakness in others, you must exploit it to strengthen yourself. Your eye wanders over to Creon, your maternal uncle and former regent – he sits like a vulture upon the uppermost benches, waiting for your mistake. Tiresias, that old deviant, is busy whispering with a cluster of seers towards the other end of the hall. Of all present, he does the poorest job of respecting your authority, but what can be done? The blind man’s contributions to Thebes are unassailable, and he knows it.

You regret that the elite guard must be present in the throne room and you must display your authority so brashly, but in argumentative Thebes, this is the only means to rule - this is the Cadmeian burden. When your weakling father blinded himself in shame, when he crumpled with the revelation of his crime - he discarded any pretense of respect and authority. He allowed himself to be a victim of the gods, on every level. Now you understand that he drifts through the Theban countryside like a vagrant, betraying your every childhood dream of his wisdom and fortitude. Your mother has retreated to her palace tower and has not been seen in months – you are told that she spends most days in catatonia, withering to nothing.

In those first days after the revelation – when you learned that you and your brother Polynices were products of a vile coupling between your father and his own mother (organized by the deceitful gods, no less), in your shock, you agreed to a compact – to trade the throne of Thebes every year with your brother. Your father had begged this of you, promising that such an arrangement was the only path to Theban peace and prosperity.

He was right, although not in the way that he meant. The moment of that hollow oath is seared in your mind – your younger brother, silver-tongued Polynices, with flat eyes above an ingenuine smile; the wolf promising not to consume the lamb. You had forced your own mouth into the twisted approximation of a grin; you doubt you fared any better in deceiving your brother than he you.

I must strike, you had thought in that moment, still clasping your brother’s hand, before he betrays me.

And by happy chance – pure fortune – your lot was drawn from the golden mixing bowl, and you were installed first upon the throne. Fortunate – through prompt and ruthless action, you had spared Thebes a season of bloodshed. Your brother’s tongue is dangerous – who knows how many men he might have lured to his doomed cause, before you won the succession war? Thousands of Thebans live today, because you exiled your brother into the summer night three months into your rule… Sending him scrounging into the dry countryside like a starving wolf searching for scraps. Oh, your father had wailed and gnashed his teeth – and did nothing. Creon, your uncle and former regent of the kingdom, extolled your wisdom and maturity – you didn’t believe a word of it then, and certainly not now – but you expect that would prefer to rule a kingdom and not a bloody battlefield.

And then for months – you heard nothing about your brother at all. You had wondered if he died on the road, but only a few weeks ago, you learned that he had wed Argia, daughter of King Adrastus of Argos. You were unsurprised to learn that he had managed to talk his way into a princedom, but the news was deeply unsettling. Argos is one of the great cities of Hellas – the Argives are a people twice descended by Zeus, certainly not to be trifled with. Polynices did not choose Argia at random - he means to take the throne with Argos at his back. You have been waiting for his next move - for the rumor of war from the south, but you've heard nothing as of yet.

Rolled 7, 2 - 3 = 6 (2d20 - 3)

Your reminiscences are interrupted by the parting of the petitioners – and a blonde man, travelworn and cloaked in a boar’s hide, strides forth purposefully, holding an olive branch aloft. At once, you rank him a deadly combatant and likely a man of royal heritage himself – he has the look of an angry prince… and you would know. You suspect this is your brother’s doing; the next move in the deadly game of petteia that you must now play.

A king must never show weakness. you think, and so you call out to the man, your voice pleasant and measured:

“Who do I welcome in the halls of Echion, sacred messenger? Which prince of Hellas has passed betwixt the Protides Gates to address the King of Thebes?” Your baritone rings out clearly against the walls of the throneroom – all await the response of the blonde man eagerly.
Brusquely, the man responds:

“I am Tydeus, son of King Oeneus of Caledon, and I bring you word from your blameless brother, Polynices.” The tension in the room skyrockets, and some of the more dim-witted nobility actually gasp in surprise. As for you, you quickly rack your brain - how many marriageable daughters does Adrastus of Argos have? Two? Three? You can’t recall, but this “Tydeus” has been bent to your brother’s will all the same. As you regard the man, you notice a strange resemblance – in his features, he almost has the same lean look of your family – the high cheekbones, the strong jaw. If not for his wild eyes and his coloration (blonde, pale), you might believe him to be a hidden bastard of your father’s. One difference between yourself and he – the Caledonian is always in constant motion. You know his type; he cannot stop himself from tapping a finger, shifting restlessly on his feet, his eyes darting here and there…

“Speak then, Prince Tydeus of Caledon – what message does my brother deliver?” you reply with a false smile, feigning magnanimity.
Tydeus clears his throat, clearly preparing to deliver his finest words of diplomancy…

>welcome to SATQ #2, /qst/ - give me FOUR rolls of dice+1d20+10 to determine Eteocles’ WILL to resist Tydeus’ persuasion attempt…
>Polynice is holding court in his own throne room, and enjoys a very substantial bonus to his WILL as a result

Anonymous

Rolled 9 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>5976684
By Zeus!
Now, Lesches, I have a wandering IP, should I tripfag or something?

Lesches

>>5976692

Sure I’m not opposed to players tripfagging for verification later. This is actually something of a pre-thread opener, so the registration window has actually started yet, if that matters.

Niggapolys

>>5976675
Hail Noble Lesches, conjurer of great (animations) illusions!

Anonymous

>>5976675

The speaker returns to us! His reprieve was brief, but hopefully, quite restful.

Lesches

>>5976687
>>5976692
>>5976696
>>5976723

>26 vs 4 - kek, just like the gods intended
>Polynices is unmoved, to say the least.

I'm hoping to close out this interlude with tonight's update.

Thanks for the kind words, all - it was a longer hiatus than I intended, thanks for everyone's patience.

>>5976742

<s>hahaha...no. But now that I've started SATQ, I can't stop until it's done. </s>

Anonymous

>>5976748
>Hey, Eteo-
>Shut the FUCK up, Tydeus.
Ouch.

Lesches

As Tydeus swaggers forward, unconcerned with the bronze spearpoints of your elite guard drifting in his direction, there is a moment of strange doubling – you half-remember a nightmare from several weeks ago. In the dream, a pale shade claiming to be your grandfather Laius had berated you for laziness, for doing nothing while Polynices’ wagging tongue set Argos to work. The apparition had warned you of your brother’s tricks, advised you to steel yourself, to hold Thebes – and that Olympus itself supports your claim to the throne.

You inwardly smile, now supremely confident in your position – there is no need for fear here, not when Zeus Ὑπσιστος himself has decided that you will succeed in holding your kingdom!

>Eteocles’ WILL challenge is an astounding success, and as a result, he remembers the vision of Laius!
>Eteocles' will now always AUTO-SUCCEED any WILL challenge if it pertains to surrendering the throne of Thebes! Zeus’ support is a heady thing, indeed.

Tydeus begins to speak – and you immediately see that this “diplomatic envoy” is nothing of the sort. The man seeks to provoke you on behalf of your brother, not to find common cause:

<s>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHw<wbr>JFRPFG-8</s>

“If you had an ounce of plain honesty left and cared at

all for your sworn oath, when your year was up, you’d have made damn

sure envoys went out from here to your brother, and you – on time!

smiling! – would have stripped off your robes and climbed down from your

throne

so that he, long at loose ends and exposed to dangers in strange

cities, should nonetheless succeed to the realm as agreed.

But, given your sweet love of kingship and flattery’s power,

we come to you: the swift cycle has already twirled

the starry globe round, and bare hills grow shady once more

since your brother, a penniless exile, began his sad life

in strange towns. Now it’s time for you to pass your days

under the open sky, to stretch out your limbs on the cold,

hard ground, to bow and scrape before foreign Hearth Gods.

The party’s over! Flashy in purple and gaudy with gold,

you’ve sneered long enough at your brother the pauper’s lean

year. My advice is, forget kingly fun and games!

Grin and bear it – that’s what brings the exile back home.”*

By the end of the screed, a poisonous silence has stolen over the throne room - the Theban nobility are no doubt paralyzed in terror at your potential response. Rage boils deep in your gut - the audacity of this pauper prince, to come HERE. Where is Polynices now? Cowering under the bedsheets in the Argive Royal Palace? You bite back the urge to simply have this man killed on the spot - tampering with a sacred envoy in such dramatic fashion would only hasten Zeus' retribution...

<s>* This dialogue taken straight from Jane Wilson Joyce's translation of Thebaid Book II</s>---

And so you do your best to moderate your tone, as your regal baritone washes over the shocked hall:

“Had the signs which forewarned me against my brother’s aggression

been hazy, his hatred subtle, not clearly revealed, this

proof alone would suffice! You with your vicious harangue – and all

one-sided! – you serve to herald his fury, as though

a fresh sapper had already breached our bulwarks while trumpets

roused enemy troops! Were you addressing Bistonês, bringing

word to pale Scythians from whom the sun flees, you’d have

tempered your ‘eloquence’, launched your cause with more for what’s

fair and moderate.”

This caterwauling about Polynices being penniless is both offensive and hardly true – Argos is one of the wealthiest kingdoms in all of Hellas – Thebes is impoverished in comparison! You sigh deeply – as irritating as this man is, you should not give him the satisfaction of sending you into an impotent rage. The true culprit is Polynices, the “penniless exile” who has inherited an army.

<s>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awz<wbr>eM2J3Emk</s>

”Well, I shouldn’t charge you with this mad

attack – you speak as you’ve been told to. Now…since threats fill

your entire speech, and demands for the scepter sans pledge or truce

-- and your hand tight on your hilt the while! – take these my words

(no match for yours – not so far!) back to your Argive “king”:

‘The lot that’s mine by right, the scepter I’ve been assigned
by the honor due my years – this I hold and shall long hold.
You keep the royal dowry, keep your Inachian bride’s
gift; let your Danaan riches accumulate – why should I
envy you those greater gains? May you reign over Argos
and Lerna with luck and prosperity! Dircê’s rough fields,
the shores Euboea’s seas hem in tight – those we hold,
feeling there’s no shame in the fact that our father was wretched
Oedipus. For you, wealth and nobility – the line of Pelops
and Tantalus, veins bluer than ours with Zeus’ blood, now
bound to you!
 ‘Could your queen, used to her father’s luxury,
endure this house? True, our sisters would give her her due,
carding their careworn wool; but our mother, haggard with long grief
would cause her distress – as would sounds she might chance to hear
from that old fiend in his dark lair. By now, the people are schooled
to my yoke: what a pity – for commoners and nobles both! –
to endure so much uncertainty, groaning as governance
changes and grumbling that they must serve a tyrant they doubt!
A brief reign upsets the populace. Look at them! What
Horror they feel, how dumbstruck the citizens are at our struggle!
Desert these men whose death is certain if you’re king? For
You come, kinsman, in anger.
 ‘Suppose I agree: the elders –
If I know them! Loving and grateful for favors! – they’ll not
Let me resign the reign –“

>cont

Now Tydeus, purple-faced with frenzy and pacing furiously to and fro, interrupts your kingly speech with an insane torrent of venom:

”You will give it back, you will! Not if iron ramparts surround you, not

if Amphion, heard to sign anew, should whip you up walls

triple-thick – not sword, not fire can save you: you will

pay for your brazen acts and, with your diadem captive

under our guard, you’ll claw the dust as you die – just

what you deserve! But these men I pity: you drag them away

from their wives and children to hideous fights, massacres where their

blood’s cheap, good King! O Cithaeron! How many dead will

roll down Your slopes, and into Your bloady shoals, Ismenos!

Is this piety, this your fair word?

 “Well, I’m not surprised

At crimes of your clan. Your bloodline was sired by one such,

Your forebears law in incestuous beds. But records deceive:

Oedipus had only one son – you! and that’s the reward

You get for your wicked ways, blackguard! We claim our year.

But I’m wasting my time.”

And with that, the blonde prince abruptly whirls, sprinting out of the throne room and shouldering masses of petitioners out of the way. He hurls his olive branch – the sacred sign of diplomacy guaranteeing the protection of the immortal gods – against the stone wall above the benched nobles, and it shatters into fragments. Pandemonium erupts – shouting, vile insults thrown at the Caledonian’s back as his boarskin cloak vanishes from sight. The Theban nobility themselves dissolve in quarreling bunches, arguing with each other - Tydeus' uncouth address having broken open old fissures.

You manage to restrain yourself from adding to the stream of invective, but only just… And then your eye finds a scrap of olive wood, having bounced from the far wall. It rests just before your elite guard - a splinter of the larger branch borne by Tydeus.

Ah. you think.

Now here is some weakness to crush.

End Interlude

Anonymous

LESCHES’ NOTES

Seven Against Thebes Quest is a spin-off quest related to the series of Trojan War Quests that were created first by Homer, and then hijacked by yours truly last year (to mixed results). This quest is set in Mythic Greece – a time of brazen helms and spearpoints, of demigods and Olympians, and occurs approximately twenty years prior to the events of Trojan War Quest. We will be playing as the father of the TWQ and TWQ:DS’ main characters (Nikandros and Deianira) – the legendary Hippomedon Aristomachides of Argos, near the peak of his physical ability and fame. Please note – no prior experience in the other quests or knowledge of Mythic Greece will be necessary to play this quest – this quest is meant to stand alone as a complete and self-limiting story. Unlike his children, as one of the prominent Hellenic princes of the Mythic Era, Hippomedon is already well-known in the Peloponnese as one of the prime enforcers of the Kingdom of Argos.

His actions during the upcoming events are quite important – not just to his compatriots as they struggle against the Thebans and their allies, but also for his future family. Gods, goddesses and spinners alike will be watching his actions with great interest, and unforeseen consequences are a certainty…

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Recommended Reading:

Seven Against Thebes Quest #1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2024/5934977/

Optional Reading:

Trojan War Quest #1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5579585/
Trojan War Quest #2: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5610431/
Trojan War Quest #2: Nostos: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5742360/
Trojan War Quest #3: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5827930/

Trojan War Quest: Deianira’s Sidestory #1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5644134/
Trojan War Quest: Deianira's Sidestory #2: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5687242/
Trojan War Quest: Deianira's Sidestory #2.1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.<wbr>com/qstarchive/2023/5725902

Hippomedon Aristomachides (Ἰππομέδων)

Level Three

Height: 6’8”
Weight: ~375 lbs

Kleos:: Your name has graced the lips and tongue of many Danaans – to your enemies, your name is a synonym for “death”, and to your allies, the byword for the perfect soldier. You are loved by the Argive Royal Family for your many contributions to their safety and security. +8 to Kleos checks. Deeds below.

Major:
• Victorious Argive Prince (+8). You have crushed countless bandits, raiders, Heraclids, and more in the service of your uncle, King Adrastus of Argos. There are very few living Hellenes who can say honestly that they have won more duels and personally slain more foes than you.

Timae: You are a very wealthy prince of Argos, even richer than some minor kings of Hellas – the gifts of your estates are so great that they cannot be easily measured in talents or livestock alone. +8 to Timae checks. Relevant possessions below.

• Hippomedon's Estates (+8): Many thousands of cattle, goats, and pigs are raised at your sprawling compound at the foothill of Mt. Pontinus, and your wheat fields are worked by thousands of slaves. In practice, management of the estate is autonomous, overseen by stewards.

STATS

Strength- (20/24) (+10)
Agility- (18/20) (+6)
Constitution- (17/24) (+5)
Willpower- (13/20) (+1)
Intelligence- (13/24) (+1)
Charisma- (11/20) (+0)

Regional Alignment: Argive. Argive nobility are well-adept at navigating the intricacies of Hellenic noble politics (+3 CHA). Following King Adrastus’ example, the noblemen of Argos are expected to hold fast against their enemies, never quaking or quailing, and to stand firm (+3 WILL).

Epithets:

• πελώριος: “Gigantic” or “the Mighty”, due to Hippomedon’s size and strength.
• ἀμύμονος: “Peerless”, due to Hippomedon’s genius in combat.

Traits:

• (Tier 1) Giant: You are akin in size to the famed Heracles. (+4 to strength and strength cap and +4 to constitution and constitution cap. For reference, the normal cap is 20).
• (Tier 1) Gifted Athlete: You are a gifted athlete, skilled in wrestling, boxing, pankration (unarmed combat), running, swimming, jumping, chariot-driving, horse riding, discus, shotput, archery, and javelin throwing. (+3 to strength and agility, and +3 skill in all the aforementioned).
• (Tier 1) Argive Martial Tempering: You are the product of excellent Argive soldier training (+2 to STR, AGI, +2 skill in unarmed combat, swordplay, spearplay, shielding, javelin throwing, archery, and dodging).
• (Tier 1) Strategist: Basic tenets of troop discipline, camp formation, battlefield tactics and general warfare knowledge has been imparted to you. (+3 intelligence, +2 to petteia, generalship, troop combat rolls when you are in command)
• (Tier 0) Argive Combat Training: Additional instruction with a second weapons-master, stacks with the AMT trait. Further +1 to combat skills, +1 to STR/AGI.

STATUS

HP- (13/13)

Skills:

• Petteia: +2 to the game. (Strategist)
• Command: +2 when commanding your troops personally in battle. (Strategist)
• Combat: +3 to to-hit, wound, dodge and block rolls. (Argive Martial Tempering/Argive Combat Training)
• Athletics: +3 bonus to all such contests. (Gifted Athlete)
• More skills to be uncovered as circumstances and traits necessitate.

Inventory:

• Armor of Aristomachus: Provides a mighty +4 bonus to block rolls, and additionally provides the ability to convert a battlefield unit’s failed morale roll into a success once per battle. The bronze helm is topped with triple-tiered snow-white plumes, and iron chain-mail lines the sides of the torso; the unique appearance of the armor makes you instantly recognizable.

• Royal Quality Bronze Spear (1d5+STR+SKILL), Bronze Sword (1d5+STR+SKILL) and Bronze Shield (+1 to block rolls)
• Heraclid’s Bronze: Ramshackle but functional bronze panoplia stripped from the corpse of a Heraclid raider you slew outside your home estates, this armor is of clearly Dorian manufacture and weathered through hard use. +2 to block rolls, and when donned, provides you the appearance of a raiding Heraclid from the north.
Your Forces:

• Second In Command Currently not with you: Argyros, veteran of the Second Argo-Theban war. An experienced campaigner who is utterly devoted to your family. He can be trusted to command the men in your stead but is a commoner in every other sense. When he is independently commanding your troops, they receive a +3 bonus in combat and another die. His bonus (but not the die) adds to yours when you directly command.

• Inachian Honorguard: This loyal squadron of commoner spearmen is well-seasoned in warfare and well-equipped to boot – they are Tier 3 troops, and their equipment is a cut above most Argive squadrons. Exceedingly well trained, experienced, loyal, and high morale: some of the best troops in the Argive army. (High-quality equipment – 1d4 spear damage, +2 to block rolls).

• Hippomedon’s Army: Two thousand men-at-arms recruited from the large population of your home estate; these men along with all other Argive troops, have been passed through a punishing training program. They are now Tier 2 troops and can be trusted to behave professionally on the field. They have been equipped in the standard fashion of Argive forces: good-quality linothorax, ox-hide shields, leather helms and spears that fly true. (Good quality equipment – 1d3 spear damage, +1 to block rolls)

Lesches

Whew, that's all the housekeeping.

First actual update of the thread should be out before Monday.

Feel free to engage in light shitposting and maybe some Q&A for vote verification purposes until then.

Anonymous

>>5976898
>Tydeus throws away and breaks the one thing signifying his position as an envoy
>AFTER insulting the local king to the face in full view of said king's court
Tydeus does not seem like a very smart man to me.

>>5976920
He's a bit of a schizoid. But he's handy with his spear, both of them, so everyone likes him. Even Athena.

>>5976878
>Eteocles' will now always AUTO-SUCCEED any WILL challenge if it pertains to surrendering the throne of Thebes! Zeus’ support is a heady thing, indeed.
Dangit.

>>5976920
He is obviously super unstable, base don this and on our boy Hippo's first impressions of him.

>>5976904
Good to have you back Lesches. This do be me.

>>5976748
As is tradition with TWQ dice. Also an animated intro.....how much did you pay for that?

Lesches

>>5977134

>animated intro

I actually did it myself by shamelessly stealing material from a great French series on Greek myth and then chopping it up. I don’t know anything about video editing so it was a growth opportunity for me.

Anonymous

>>5977145
Like a true hero of legend, it's yours because you took it.

>>5976945
>He is obviously super unstable
I mean there is also Amp's assessment of Tydeus which basically said the guy is an animal in the shape of a man. If the seer tells you a guy is beastly it's probably best to be wary
>>5976912
>Q&A
Do you have a mechanic for spear breaking?

>>5976687
Would have been funny had this been a critfail.

Lesches

>>5977332

Yes, I'd stolen Homer's mechanics for this:

1) Spears can break when bronze hits bronze (on a successful block or wounding).

2) Spears may break according to their general quality. Royal-quality spears have a 1/30 chance of breaking upon contact with bronze, but poor-quality spears have something like 1/10, IIRC. Spears can be repaired offscreen with no permanent change to their attributes once the battle/combat is over.

Anonymous

Posting so I get included, lmao. Wouldn’t want to miss the second part after participating in the first.

Lesches

You are Hippomedon Aristomachides, and you are satisfied with your progress, as night deepens and the stars begin to glimmer through Nyx’s shawl. You ride upon King Adrastus’ divine horse, Arion, through the Tegean countryside – a larger, finer, cleverer and faster steed you have never known. He is well-muscled, with clean proportions and a broad neck – his warm brown eyes dance with uncommon intelligence. Adrastus once claimed to hear the beast speak – a story taken seriously, given that the stallion was the product of a union between Poseidon Ἱππιος and his sister Demeter Καλλισφυρος; both were in equine form, if the myth is to be believed. Among other qualities, the god-horse is immortal, and was once gifted to Heracles himself. Before his divine ascension, Heracles had gifted the steed to your uncle, King Adrastus. From there, Adrastus has kept Hellas’ most valuable stud busy – nearly all of your uncle’s horses are descended from him in greater or lesser part. You are only of the only men of Argos who can take Arion out on loan; Adrastus was wise enough to grant your request without question.

>While riding Arion, Hippomedon enjoys a significant +4 bonus to any horse-related challenge, in addition to his regular +3 riding bonus from Gifted Athlete. WILL is the primary attribute for riding and charioteering, so Hippo’s total bonus is actually +8.

>Saddles, stirrups and other such things have not yet been invented in the LBA; mounted combat is generally not done.

Behind you rides your uncle Pronax, upon a large steed of lesser heritage, and behind him, the fifty men of your Inachian Honorguard. Yesterday, in the Trade Quarter of Argos, you had been convinced by your uncles, Mecisteus and Pronax, to conduct a cattle raid upon the estate of the southwesterly Tegean king, Agepenor. Of course, King Agapenor has been a friend to Argos for decades, and so this strike against his livelihood would normally be considered a major violation of ξενία. In most circumstances, the theft of two thousand cattle would require a prompt counter-raid from the victim, lest other unsavory Hellenes believe the victim to be too weak to sustain their holdings. In most cases, these raids and counter-raids might escalate into open war. Needless to say, Argos cannot afford a war to the southwest, not even a minor one - not while she marches on Thebes with nearly every spearman at her disposal. The raid upon Agepenor’s holdings, therefore, must be conducted with misdirection and secrecy, and upon a lesser target: the eastern estates of Agepenor’s youngest brother, Archigeiros. Among Argives, only yourself, your uncles Mecisteus and Pronax, and the men of your Inachian Honorguard know of the plot in order to provide Adrastus plausible deniability. In addition to this, you had suggested to conceal yourself as raiding Dorians, commanded by a pair of Heraclidae.

>cont

You’ve spent nearly the entire day riding southwest along with Pronax and the fifty men of your honorguard. Each of you is equipped for a cattle-raid – torches, prods, and other such gear needed to direct the livestock as appropriate, even during the night. Importantly, Pronax and yourself carry horns of brass – when blown, they can be heard for stadia in all directions, especially on a quiet night. Additionally, you had prevailed upon the craftsmen yesterday to create thrown stun-weapons…

>Hippomedon is carrying three “Argive Stunners” – these are fist-sized stones, wrapped with wool, and finally sealed inside expertly-sewn leather bags. When thrown, they do dice+1d2+(STR*1/3)+SKILL of damage (so the math is actually dice+1d2+3+3 = 1d2+6, if I'm doing my math right). It is still easy to kill a noncombatant with this, but the vast majority of noblemen warriors would be able to survive a fastball from Hippo.

Your suggestion to conceal yourselves as raiding Dorians was well-taken – your honorguard has been equipped with ramshackle gear, looking every bit the impoverished raiding party. You are wearing the Heraclidean panoplia you stripped from the shoulders of an unfortunate man you slew some months ago. Pronax, without having Heraclidean bronze at his disposal, has instead swapped out elements of his unmarked armor for mismatching components. While not obviously Heraclidean, his armor does not give off the impression that he is brother to one of the wealthiest Hellenic kings, nor does it immediately identify him as Argive. In short – your force can pass as Dorians from afar and likely even in close quarters fighting, but a clever nobleman might see through the deception if given the chance for sustained interrogation of you or your men.

As you make camp with Pronax in a shadowy fold of the Tegean plain, you review the plan of action. You are currently at the most northern edge of Archigeiros’ lands – some five thousand cattle have been verified here by Pronax’s scouts. You and Pronax had previously estimated that you might be able to abscond with two thousand tonight, if you move swiftly, and could return to Argos by morning of the third day. You must carefully weigh the benefits of speed against the security, here. The longer you tarry in the realm of Archigeiros, the greater the chances that your raid is foiled, and worse - that your true identities as Argives would be revealed. If the raid fails, it would be better to withdraw as Dorian raiders and preserve the accord between Adrastus and Agepenor.

>Please see map – red diamond = Archigeiros’ palace. Red squares – guard towers and likely sites of resistance. Brown pentagons = smaller herds of 500 cattle. Big yellow pentagon = Archigeiros’ prime cattle herd of two thousand fat cattle. This vote is the “opener” and will run for ~48 hours.

>Vote post next.

>As a united force, you will ambush the guard towers and patrols at the northwest periphery of Archigeiros’ lands, slowly cutting your way through to the western herds. Between yourself and Pronax, these ambushes are a near-guaranteed success, but this risk-averse strategy is the longest. It will take hours to work your way towards the western herds, and the longer you stay within the lands of Archigeiros, the greater the chances that he may personally arrive to foil the raid.

>You and Pronax will split the honorguard into two halves – Pronax will travel southwest and you will travel southeast. In this fashion, you will each carve a path to the smaller cattle herds on both sides, and once obtained, will retreat to this campsite before moving out as one. This plan balances speed with risk mitigation – with two smaller raids happening simultaneously, the patrols may become confused, and furthermore, this strategy provides tactical flexibility. If one party becomes endangered, the commander (yourself or Pronax) may blow your brass horn to summon assistance from your peer.

>Riding Arion, you have the capacity for very expeditious travel – over the next hour, you will travel to the southeast, finding the southeastern-most guard tower that flanks Archigeiros’ estate. There, you will kill whatever guards are present and set the tower aflame in order to draw his patrols from across his estates. Once accomplished, you will retreat further east, drawing these forces away from the estates. Pronax will take advantage of this, slipping inside Archigeiros’ lands to take the single largest herd of cattle and moving out at once, maximizing chances of escape. This plan prioritizes speed and efficiency at the expense of significant risk – you will be separated from Pronax and your honorguard for an unknown length of time, and even you could eventually fall in combat due to exhaustion.

>Some other strategy?

Anonymous

>>5977775

>Riding Arion, you have the capacity for very expeditious travel – over the next hour, you will travel to the southeast, finding the southeastern-most guard tower that flanks Archigeiros’ estate. There, you will kill whatever guards are present and set the tower aflame in order to draw his patrols from across his estates. Once accomplished, you will retreat further east, drawing these forces away from the estates. Pronax will take advantage of this, slipping inside Archigeiros’ lands to take the single largest herd of cattle and moving out at once, maximizing chances of escape. This plan prioritizes speed and efficiency at the expense of significant risk – you will be separated from Pronax and your honorguard for an unknown length of time, and even you could eventually fall in combat due to exhaustion.

>>5977775
>>You and Pronax will split the honorguard into two halves – Pronax will travel southwest and you will travel southeast. In this fashion, you will each carve a path to the smaller cattle herds on both sides, and once obtained, will retreat to this campsite before moving out as one. This plan balances speed with risk mitigation – with two smaller raids happening simultaneously, the patrols may become confused, and furthermore, this strategy provides tactical flexibility. If one party becomes endangered, the commander (yourself or Pronax) may blow your brass horn to summon assistance from your peer.

>>5977775
>You and Pronax will split the honorguard into two halves – Pronax will travel southwest and you will travel southeast. In this fashion, you will each carve a path to the smaller cattle herds on both sides, and once obtained, will retreat to this campsite before moving out as one. This plan balances speed with risk mitigation – with two smaller raids happening simultaneously, the patrols may become confused, and furthermore, this strategy provides tactical flexibility. If one party becomes endangered, the commander (yourself or Pronax) may blow your brass horn to summon assistance from your peer.

>>5977775
>Riding Arion, you have the capacity for very expeditious travel – over the next hour, you will travel to the southeast, finding the southeastern-most guard tower that flanks Archigeiros’ estate

Niggapolys

>>5977775
>HIPPOMEDON WILL RIDE LIKE THE WINDS UPON ARION'S BACK DIRECTLY TO THE SOUTHERNMOST MIDDLE TOWER, SET IT ABLAZE, THEN RIDE WEST, ALERTING THE OTHER TOWERS AS HE GOES & DRAWING THEIR MEN, HURLING INSULTS BEFITTING A MAD HERACLIDAE

>PRONAX & THE INACHIANS WILL SEIZE THE TWO EASTERN HERDS, THEN SPLIT OFF JUST ENOUGH MEN TO DRIVE THEM NORTH; THE MAINSTAY OF HIS HOPLITES & HE WILL SEIZE THE PRIZE HERD UPON SIGHTING THE BURNING TOWER

Why do the Dorians have Auroch (beef) with King Adrastus if Heracles himself gifted the old king a horsey?

Also, is the prize herd normal cows, oxen, auroch, or a mixture?

Lesches

>>5977996

>why are the Heraclidae such shitheads?

Alas, they just are. The real answer is that in the TWQverse, Arion’s gifting to Adrastus predates the Heraclidae becoming obsessed with ruling over the entire Peloponnese. I haven’t done a deep dive into the literature to confirm but that’s been my impression.

>what’s in the prize herd?

Mostly just prime cattle, but I’ll throw in some semi-divine golden aurochs becaue they’re pretty cool.

Also I’m posting a new ad for the quest tonight - if any new anons stop in, treat them as Xenia dictates, please!

Anonymous

>>5978001
>treat them as Xenia dictates, please!
>[laughs in Odysseus]

>>5977775
>You and Pronax will split the honorguard into two halves – Pronax will travel southwest and you will travel southeast. In this fashion, you will each carve a path to the smaller cattle herds on both sides, and once obtained, will retreat to this campsite before moving out as one. This plan balances speed with risk mitigation – with two smaller raids happening simultaneously, the patrols may become confused, and furthermore, this strategy provides tactical flexibility. If one party becomes endangered, the commander (yourself or Pronax) may blow your brass horn to summon assistance from your peer.
Speed is of import, so we shaln't go in a single group, plus, said single group is easier to spot.
However, I don't believe that rushing forwards single handedly and setting the tower ablaze is a good idea either, as it would both endanger us, risk us getting spotted and might have the counter-effect of alerting the guards, who might then spot our gang of cattle rustlers (we have fallen to the level of Illyrians).
In fact, if we had brought more nobles of divine heritage, I'd have argued that we should have split into even more groups of cattle rustlers, but alas, now it's late.

Is it possible for Hippo to use the god horse to just ram into people? I'd imagine the combined weight and speed could knock people over. Who knows maybe the horse is strong enough to just kick tower supports over. It is a god after all.

>>5978199
The horse can still get stabbed and hurt. As to whether or not ramming with a horse would be effective, consider that in real life a horse colliding with someone can break bones and send them skittering along the ground from the force of it, to say nothing of the trampling after they bowl a person over, a big super horse would probably outright crush a normal person to death.

Horses, as it happens, are extremely strong. Which is also why centaurs are very dangerous.

Lesches

>>5978199
>>5978230

>Can Arion be used in a ramming/trampling attack?

Absolutely, but a couple thoughts:

1) dinging up your uncle's prized lamborghini would be ill-advised. Zeus help you if you break Arion's leg... In the setting of the LBA, most of the "mounted combat" is delivered by centaurs. If Hippomedon actually wanted to charge into combat for one reason or another, I'd make you guys roll every turn of combat to keep your seat and not fall off the horse.

2) Arion can deliver extremely dangerous kicks, given that it's a god-horse. I haven't thought to draw up a stat line for Arion, but a full-contact double-kick from Arion would probably be able to one-shot an unarmored Hippomedon and most heroes running around the late LBA.

3) Arion is smart enough to follow simple orders, even when Hippomedon is unmounted.

Anonymous

>>5978307
>3) Arion is smart enough to follow simple orders, even when Hippomedon is unmounted.
LBA pokémon, if only the Arion could trash talk the enemy as well.

Lesches

Hippo: Black Ops

>>5977798
>>5977828
>>5977994 (as always, your custom votes are appreciated, anon)

Slice & Dice

>>5977805
>>5977822
>>5978148
>>5978150

---

This vote will close at 4pm EST tomorrow - any lurkers and stragglers should feel free to chime in now.

Anonymous

i dont feel strongly either way, and the winning vote is my gut choice in any case. id stay back as usual if i didnt want to register my ip<br>glad to see you back lesches

Lesches

No update tonight, unfortunately. It's only like 40% written (14 hour day today, yeesh) but I know where I'm taking it, at least.

>>5979458

Eh, least I can do is keep everyone in the loop. I still enjoy writing the quest.

On /qtg/ these quests were once summarized as "BIG MEN WITH BIG FEELINGS" and I still laugh about it sometimes.

Plus hot memes like this (>>5979027) keep me going

Anonymous

>>5979456
>14 hour day
Well, nice to know Lesches still manages to keep his enthusiasm about big sweaty muscular Greek men from his Tajikistani metalworking sweatshop,

Lesches

You sit by the campfire, which has been partly hidden under a hide tent (even in a small depression, one cannot be too careful). As the honor guard tends to the horses, Pronax sits heavily by your side, waiting for your command - he looks exhausted. Despite the long day’s ride, you feel fresh - the gift of youth sustains you.

Ultimately, division of the band seems wisest to you. A two-fold attack, with each group headed by one of the Talaides, is sure to succeed against whatever patrols and guard posts may be present. You have little concern about splitting the raid force - it is a near-certainty that Pronax and yourself are currently the deadliest men on the Tegean plain. And by splitting the force, should one of the groups be discovered, they could serve as a retreating decoy. Finally, speed is of the essence - you must infiltrate the grounds, kill any patrollers, take the cattle, and retreat without sparking a general alarm. With two groups and the blessing of Αγαθη Τυχη, daughter of Zeus, you will be well on your way to Argos by dawn. You explain your thoughts to Pronax and he sagely nods in agreement:

“A fine plan, nephew. I’ve always preferred your direct approach to such matters - this is the way of Argos,” Pronax affirms. The tented campfire causes the shadows to leap strangely. For a moment, it is your youthful father staring back at you, not his aged brother - strange to think that you will soon be older than he was at the time of his death. Your brow wrinkles in thought - you’d never discussed his death with Pronax or the other uncles, not in detail. You wonder what he knows about…

“Something amiss, Hippomedon?” Pronax inquires; again an old man past his prime, peering with concern. The moment passes - your father is vanished. You wave a broad hand and smile, ready to brush aside the question - but your curiosity lingers, stopping your hand in mid-wave.

“I wonder what Aristomachus would think of all this?” you ask, looking about you. Pronax barks a laugh.

“Think about what - this raid? Your father didn’t do much thinking, Hippomedon. Out of all us, he was strongest… and the most rash. I spent the last half of my youth containing the storm that was your father… But there’s no doubt in my mind that if he was alive, he’d be sitting right there -“ Pronax jabs a finger at an empty patch of dirt next to the tent “- stewing on some half-assed comment Adrastus made three months ago. He was quick to anger and he never forgot a grudge. But on rare days, when the sun was shining - he was as pleasant and mild as one of the Χάριτες*.”

All this you know - your father’s quicksilver moods are still the subject of drunken jests among your uncles.

<s>Graces, the goddesses of charm, beauty, kindness and other such things.</s>

But Pronax surprises you by continuing:

“But we were unkind to him, as he was the youngest son. He wasn't more foolish than any one of us had been, truly, but we were men, and he was just a boy. We made him suffer for the crime of being born last and for no other reason than because we could.” Pronax’s face grows taut - his lip compress. “I once raped one of his boyhood loves for a joke. Adrastus once killed his favorite horse to harden him.”

You’re not sure what to say - should you be angry? Is this a confession? Your uncles have never spoken of this before; these tales are not told at the feasts. Pronax continues, muttering softly, half in a dream.

“Father would say 'let the sons address these concerns as council' and would turn to other matters. And so young Aristomachus was made out to be a hapless fool; no matter his true character. But we loved him, too, Hippomedon. That is the strange thing; we loved him. There were some days where we forgot the games, and lived as brothers. What fools we were..." Pronax's face becomes shadowed, mournful.

"What he did broke our hearts.” Pronax’s eyes are shining now, and he meets your gaze frankly.

What does he speak of? a corner of your mind demands. What is this?! it continues. The question burns your tongue like a flame, and you open your mouth - but Pronax is faster:

“Don’t ask, Hippomedon.” His expression is bleak. “Don’t ask,” he warns again, and turns to stare into the fire. There is a pause - night deepens. You let the moment pass - the question dies on your tongue, a fading ember. You stand up, and make your orders known.

One hour’s rest, and the raid begins.

---

When the time comes, you and your men creep down into the estates to the southeast - the raid begins. Pronax and his men are quickly lost amongst the darkness and night-mists, heading due south for the eastern cattle-herds. They must defeat only one guard-tower on the way; you must defeat at least two. It is very quiet, as you make your approach - your Heraclidean bronze has strapped down securely to reduce the clatter; you hear only the soft hoofbeats of your party on the rich Tegean earth. Approaching the first guardtower is a simple matter - you come across no Tegeans in your brief approach.

To your expectation, the first guard-tower is lit by torchlight and tall - the wooden tower is perhaps the height of five commoner men standing atop another. Two men stand atop the structure, easily visible. A glint of brass shines from the side of one of the Tegean sentinels - a brass horn, similar to the one that you carry. He must die first, or risk spoiling the raid - the rest of the guards must die nearly as quickly to prevent too much noise. Surrounding the guard tower, there are lazily-hung tents - the discipline of these men are clearly poor. With a quick series of gestures, the horses are hidden behind vegetation, and you and your men prowl forwards for the ambush.

>cont

Rolled 20 - 7 (1d20 - 7)

A few minutes later, the Inachian Honorguard has ringed the guard-tower at a distance of about eighty strides - the trap is set.

You give the signal by hand gesture, and each man signals to the next - you clap a single time to set your honorguard on the attack; just loud enough to be heard.

You ready your spear-arm, taking aim at the Tegean hornman - it is a well-lit night, the guardtower is open-topped, and he is on eighty paces and elevated - the breeze is blowing faintly to the west. You have wisely brought an extra spear of common manufacture for exactly this purpose.

The conditions are near-perfect.

Your common spear vanishes into the dark, leaping into the night of its own accord, and there is the faint whistle of death streaking away from you. You begin sprinting towards the guardtower yourself - your feet propel you forwards like a hunting lion. A moment later - you watch the figure of the hornblower topple out of the tower, silently falling to the ground below.

>Hippomedon auto-succeeds this spear-cast on general principles!
>One Tegean guardsman is dead! 49/50 remain!

Near-simultaneously, your honorguard is leaping over the low stone wall that surrounds the guardtower, into the enemy campsite - only the faintest stirrings of alarm have reached your ears! Even though they are significantly outnumbered, the advantage of a surprise ambush by a superior force cannot be overstated - you are confident in your honorguard. As you approach, you see confused Tegean guardsmen stumble out of their tents - the majority of them appear to have been sleeping in their linothorax armor.

You grin - eviscerating these men should help put your father's death out of mind. At a full sprint, you vault the last ten strides like a ravenous tiger...

>okay /qst/, I need the following rolls!

>one roll of dice+1d20+5 for the IH's initiative. They would typically have a -3 penalty, but I'm assigning a +2 bonus due to Hippomedon's command, and another +6 context bonus for the night-time ambush. This context bonus may be reduced if things go sideways.

>I'll roll for the Tegean guardsmen - they'd typically roll at -3 but given that they are Tier 1 troops, assigning an extra -4 penalty.

>I'll need another dice+1d5+11 to see how much damage Hippomedon lays out in this first round of combat (he auto-succeeds on his regular battle-rolling too).

>Starting next battle turn, I'll be rolling a 1d6 each battle turn to see if the Tegeans manage to set off a general alarm (proc on 1).

Anonymous

Rolled 12 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5980212
Wait, is Hippo's lieutenant not here as well?

Lesches

Rolled 18, 8, 2, 8, 17, 13 - 5 = 61 (6d20 - 5)

>>5980220

No, he’s home in Argos with Mecisteus training the Argive Army as a whole. I may have mentioned this last in SATQ #1, my apologies. The logic here is that Pronax is a better combatant than Argyros and this is a spec-ops mission.

>17 vs 13 - IH win first strike!
>now I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20+-1 for IH troop performance. I’m pretty sure I’m not fucking the math up here…

>>5980221

>Hippo deals 13 damage - he kills another 2 dudes and gravely wounds a third.

Anonymous

<s>Also when are we going to slap the shit out of Pronax to force him to spill the olives?</s>

Rolled 14, 7 - 1 = 20 (2d20 - 1)

>>5980227
>meanwhile, the guy who just saw his two buddies get torn in half by a dude rocking heraclid garnishing while the third is pissing blood on the ground

Rolled 16, 17 - 1 = 32 (2d20 - 1)

>>5980227
Oh okay. Though I could've sworn that Hippo had a +13 to attacks (10 STR+2 ART+1 ACT) and +3 command (2 STRAT+1 INT)

Niggapolys

Pronax & Mecisteus strike me as such odd fellows. Perhaps they're just hard to read. Definitely hit that BIG MEN WITH BIG FEELINGS tagline on the head with that post.

Anonymous

>>5980228
As soon as we get home.

>>5980258
True. Brutal and brutish, but so sensitive and prone to moodiness.

Lesches

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>5980233

Right on both accounts, sorry about that. Will modify the outcomes accordingly.

Still need another roll of dice+1d20+-1 for consistency (although I’ll correct these rolls to +0 bonus)

>>5980403

Sorry, one more roll please? I’m phone posting while frantically running between tasks if anyone is curious why I’m fucking up so much, lol

>>5980419

Yes, thanks. I’m hoping for an update later tonight but will keep you all yodated

Rolled 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 4, 4, 1, 3, 3, 1, 3 = 30 (15d4)

>>5980227

Corrected rolls:

>18 vs 13 - IH win first strike
>Hippo deals 15 damage - 3 guys killed instead of 2

Tegean guards roll a 13,12 vs IH’s 16,17. IH damages the Tehran guard!

>>5980403
>>5980419

Turns out I didn’t need these rolls, I missed a third roll above since my life is chaos right now, lol.

Now I’ll roll for IH damage!

Anonymous

>>5978463
Reminds me of when Arion shows up in the Percy Jackson: Heroes of Olympus series and he swears like a sailor but the only one who can tell is the eponymous Percy Jackson because he can talk to horses.

>>5980468
Also, is it still verifying time?

Lesches

>>5980465
>>5980467

Basically a perfectly typical first strike, but Hippo and co have great positioning to finish the job quickly. Damage applied is ~70 so enemy health is 180/250= 72%. Additional -2 wound malus to future Tegean rolls.

Anonymous

>>5980202
Dont tell me these idiots bullied Hippo's dad into killing himself or some such shit.

>>5980633
Given he was mighty and proen to rage and they raped his childhood crush and kiled his horse, they're lucky he didn't murder all of THEM.

>>5980633
My guess
>"Hey, I bet you can't go and fuck that nymph."
>"I don't want to fuck the nymph, I know she's pretty."
>"No balls."
>aristomachus was found dead later that evening with an arrow in his eye

Lesches

>>5980468
>>5980477

We’re outside the verification window but never too late to submit a hot meme to verify your ID!

Anonymous

>>5980674
Or a poem, don't forget the poem. <s>Though writing it in Homeric style is a pain in the neck.</s>

Lesches

Your spearpoint whistles and sings at a pitch just outside your range of hearing - you move without conscious thought, knees bent, your feet rippling over the soft earth. Your senses are sharpened by the chaotic scene as you wheel into range of the enemy – you were made for this. The Tegeans have finally realized that they are under attack - but their previous lack of discipline hinders them. Their lazily-erected tents, scattered around the wooden watch-tower, now prevent them from quickly assembling as a united force - they trip over each other and their tent-lines as they bunch together into small, confused groups.

You blink - your spear plunges into the breast of a young man, smashing aside his ribs, puncturing his lung, shredding his heart. He dies instantly as you retract your weapon - his teeth grip the earth as you step over him. You glance up and see that the Inachian Honorguard now threaten the Tegeans from all sides, begin to draw the trap shut. Despite their fewer number, they are effectively corralling the enemy closer to the watch-tower. Shouts of alarm come from Tegeans as they catch a glimpse of your hulking form, and of the mismatched gear of the concealed Argives:

“Look, Heraclid!” and “Dorians - sound the alarm!”

You blink - you are pulling your spear free from a Tegean’s shattered eye-socket. Gore and streams of mulched brain flow freely from the wound. You step over his boneless corpse - you have already forgotten his face. In the chaos, none of the enemy can locate their fallen hornsman; at least for now, the wider estate is unaware of your ambush. Your honor guard commit themselves well to the butchery – Tegean shouts and cries of alarm fly into the night air - but they do not sail upon the wind. The night air is still; there is little breeze. Their shouts will not carry far.

You blink – you have torn out the throat of a young man foolish enough to charge you. He flops against the earth like a gasping fish. You look up again, and see that the remaining battered Tegeans have collected themselves into loose ring, shields and spears outward, backs against the watch-tower. A desperate defense, and one doomed to fail, even if you were not present. Still, the fight is not yet over, and desperate men can sometimes surprise. You shift your grip on your spear and advance – you will smash apart their resistance and pick them apart!

>okay, /qst/ - give me another set of rolls!
>Hippomedon auto-wins his combat rolls - I need ONE roll of dice+1d5+13 to determine damage output!
>The Inachian Honorguard are rolling for initiative - I need ONE roll of dice+1d20 for this. No ambush bonus now that true battle is joined (although this will reset for the next watch-tower).
>The Inachian Honorguard are rolling for combat - I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20 for this.
>I'm rolling for Tegean initiative and combat performance (current -9 malus) and combat performance. This is going to be a blow-out...

Anonymous

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>5981020
Quickly now, lads.

Rolled 12, 7 = 19 (2d20)

>>5981020

First Inachian Honourguard combat roll.

>>5981026
If I'm reading this right we have to beat a
Initiative: 9
Dodge: 11
Block: 10
Leave it to Lesches to roll a 20 and 19 for combat performance.

Rolled 13, 9 = 22 (2d20)

>>5981020
Still need a roll for the IH, yea?

Lesches phoneposting

>>5981064
>>5981110
>>5981176

IH sort of bumbles the attack here - my prelim read is that no damage is dealt. Le sigh. Even highly trained commoners are still just commoners sometimes.

Rolling a dice+1d6 to see if the Tehran’s find the alarm-horn that they’re trampling over. 1 is bad.

Anonymous

>>5981312
Can Hippo find and break the horn?

Lesches

>>5981335

Sure, that’s a good thought - I’ll give you guys a quick mini-vote (closing at 8pm EST) to address:

>sacrifice Hippomedon’s next combat turn to find and crush the Tegean horn
>continue on with combat as usual, contributing to a potential morale break

Players should note that the enemy unit may well suffer morale break in the near-future - if they do, they’ll likely get totally butchered near-instantly since they are hemmed in and Hippomedon can throw spears like no-one’s business.

Anonymous

>>5981350
>sacrifice Hippomedon’s next combat turn to find and crush the Tegean horn

If victory is at hand already, stopping the enemy from calling for reinforcements takes precedence.

>>5981350
>sacrifice Hippomedon’s next combat turn to find and crush the Tegean horn

Niggapolys

>>5981350
BLOOD FOR ARES, FINISH THE BATTLE

Lesches

Rolled 4, 17, 18, 10, 2, 17 - 10 = 58 (6d20 - 10)

In an eyeblink, you have dashed forwards, and are charging the Tegeans – with their backs to the watch-tower, they’ve confounded your Inachian Honorguard. Your troops are superior – they expected to crash through such a poorly-trained division like a prime steer through a wicker gate. The Tegeans, to their credit, have done something unexpected in the confusion of the ambush. By putting their backs against the watch-tower, they brace their cowardly feet from inadvertently propelling them out of formation. It’s perhaps the least bad option available to them, allowing them keep their positioning – you expect that this is pure luck on their part. Your men are frustrated by the lack of movement and with inferior numbers, they cannot menace the Tegeans properly.

You have no such concerns as you collide with the Tegean line – your spear pins an unfortunate against the watch-tower, and he proceeds to violently vomit blood down the front of his linothorax. You spin, unarmed, cutting with the side of your brazen shield, knocking aside the spear of his nearest companion before crushing his chest edge-on – he collapses in a heap. You turn back to your first victim, retrieving your spear, and tear open a fatal wound in the thigh of a third, portly Tegean – the fat glistens whitely, before the man tumbles to the ground.

This ambush is taking too long, you realize – the Tegeans are losing, but not fast enough.

The horn must be addressed. you think. You take a moment to catch your bearings – the horn-blower you slew at the beginning of the ambush had tumbled from the watch-tower, but he must have landed on the other side of the structure. You’ll need to forgo your assault against the Tegeans momentarily to ensure that they cannot notify their peers. You begin your left-handed sweep around the watch-tower – with your honorguard to your right and beyond them, the Tegeans against the watch-tower. You come across a wounded guardsman – he is attempting to crawl surreptitiously away from the fighting. Such cowardice offends you – you exterminate him with a spear-thrust through his neck without a second thought.

A sudden lull in the sounds of fighting draws your attention – amazingly, the Tegeans are obviously collecting themselves for a counter push against your men. The effort is certainly doomed to failure, but you are beginning to admire their resolve – a shame that you must murder Hellenes this night.

>The Inachian Honorguard are rolling for combat - I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20 for this!
>I'm rolling for the Tegeans again - they just narrowly avoided a morale check last round, but this is almost certainly the last round of combat anyways.

anachronistic but gets the point across....png

Rolled 1 (1d6)

Rolling for horn business

Anonymous

Rolled 18, 7 = 25 (2d20)

>>5981808
Just die.

>>5981809
I guess Hippo sacrificed his turn for nothing.

Lesches

>>5981822

Don’t worry, you guys did decide to go hunting for it so that earns Hippo a fair chance to salvage.

Anonymous

>>5981829
Nay. I have decided. Stealth, never again. Now all missions are loud! Now every problem is a nail, and we, the hammer.

Lesches

>>5981821
>>5981822
>>5981861

>Tegeans roll a 8,7 vs 18,18 - they botch the attack

Writing now. I'm hoping to put out 2-3 updates today and start making some serious progress narratively...

Rolled 3 (1d20)

You traverse the soft earth with a hurried step, investigating the bodies and wounded Tegeans that you come across – every moment that this skirmish goes on, the risk climbs. Out of the side of your eye, you watch the Tegeans attempt a push against your menacing Inachians – but their “assault” is an uncoordinated, disjointed effort – instead of a surprising sweep forward, taking advantage of their numbers, they telegraph their advance through shouted commands and provide plenty of time for your men to advance backwards and spoil the attack. Some parts of the Tegean defensive ring move forwards too cautiously, and while other sections leap too quickly out of position, before falling back in fear. The movement is accompanied by much shouting by the Tegeans, but you hear no screams or shouts of pain – you expect that your honorguard is still completely unharmed. As is typical, your honorguard fights in silence.

As you round the watch-tower, you hiss through your teeth in dismay -

A thin and wrinkled Tegean, much too old to be serving in his lord’s guard, is standing in the shadows, and is just pressing his squadron’s horn against his lips. The horn itself is caked with dirt – it must have been partly pressed into the earth when its master tumbled from the watch-tower top. His frame is gaunt – the linothorax armor hangs loosely on his body, designed for healthy men decades younger. The old man’s eyes are wide with terror – he catches sight of your horse-hair crests first, and then your brazen form. You watch in alarm as the elderly man behinds to inhale, filling his lungs with cool night air – you have less than a second to cast!

>okay, /qst/ - this will be something of an initiative check.

>roll me a dice+1d20+6 to see if Hippomedon’s reflexes are fast enough to cast a spear and take out the old geezer. There’s no need to roll for wound/block/damage under these circumstances.

>The old-timer would normally be rolling at a -3 penalty for initiative but I’m assigning him a +3 context bonus because he’s already got the horn to his lips.

>This will be a degrees of success check – 3+ degrees of success, the horn is not blown, 2 degrees, the horn call is both faint and short, 1 degree of success, the horn call is loud but cut short at the end, and failure = the old guy definitely notifies the estate that you are present!

Rolled 18, 7, 12, 9, 13, 20 - 10 = 69 (6d20 - 10)

>17 vs a literal 3 - kek

The old man hesitates – whether from terror or from the delayed reflexes of long years, he fails to blow the horn at the earliest moment. You’re quick to take advantage - your right hand flashes out independently, moving faster than you can think – your spear pierces the night, a darker shadow tipped with flickering bronze, and tears the old man down before he can blow the horn. The force of your cast causes him to flail wildly as he tumbles – the brazen horn is, by chance, thrown in your direction – it’s a trivial matter for a man of your heritage and training to draw your brazen sword from your belt, step forwards quickly, and shear the horn in half with a quick chop. You take a moment to inspect the edge of your blade - still unmarked. The brass the horn was soft, a sign of good quality.

Retrieving your spear itself takes only another moment – the old man’s expression is frozen in one of surprise, his brow wrinkled in confusion. As you wrench your spear loose, you have a passing moment of regret – you have killed uncountable hundreds, perhaps even thousands of men, but it is rare for you to kill a man so advanced in age.

[i]Wrong of Archigeiros to employ men of such advanced age in his forces… I will have to ensure such men are properly retired to noncombat role amongst my own estates, [/i] you think.

The skirmish draws on – the Tegean attack has been entirely foiled by your men, and so you return your attentions to the fight. You wonder how Pronax fares in his own raid...

>I need ONE roll of dice+1d5+13 for Hippomedon's combat performance.

>I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20 for troop combat performance

>I’ll be rolling for the Tegeans – they continue to have a terrible -10 penalty, this will probably be the last turn of combat in this little skirmish.

Rolled 1, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 4, 3 = 19 (10d4)

>>5982341

Derp, I meant 14 damage for Hippo. Here's the second half of the damage rolls

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>5982341
>>5982342

>Enemy Tegean unit has been reduced from 63->33% unit health. This triggers a morale check!

>Tegeans must roll 6 or under here to maintain their composure

You leap back into combat – although, for you, this has been a lazy affair. Your spear drinks deeply from a Tegean’s heart; you had caught him from the side while he had been trading thrusts with one of your men. His companion, a larger commoner man, spins to you, mouth agape, before screaming madly in torment – against all reason, he charges you, his crude spear held awkwardly in your direction. You don’t draw out the man’s misery; your spear takes him in the neck, tearing open a ragged gash and ending his cries – he emits a series of gurgling coughs before going still.

Looking to your side, you see a Tegean with a wounded shoulder angling away from the watch-tower, seeking to ambush one of your men from the side. He foolishly placed his back to you – you puncture his side before kicking his body off your weapon. This skirmish has gone on longer than you had hoped – you are becoming irritated, despite the steady progress. These past few minutes, the original Tegean squadron of fifty men has been cut down to a ragged thirty – the time to act decisively is here!

“INACHIANS, CRUSH THEM! you shout – loudly enough to be heard over the clashing men, but not so loudly as to notify the other Tegeans. As one, your honorguard leaps forward together, and this time, the Tegeans crumple and panic as they begin to be cut down. After a few heartbeats, perhaps only another fifteen remain standing – half of these throw down their weapons in a foolish attempt to surrender, and the other half attempt to flee. Only two men escape the ring that your Inachians have made – you make quick work of these two by casting Tegean spears into their backs.

The skirmish is over – you and your men are breathing heavily, but apart from some minor scrapes and bruises amongst your troops, you and they are completely unharmed.

Silence steals over the Tegean camp once more, as the final survivors are sent down to the Lord of Many. You once again muse how Pronax might be –

A wild series of horn-blasts shatters the stillness of the night; the thin music of a desperate player. You immediately discern that the horn is not Argive in nature – the note is too high.

>cont

You bark out a vile curse – Pronax is discovered. Can I not trust the man to do anything!? you nearly shout aloud. The horn is silenced mid-blast, but too late – if you’ve heard the horn this clearly, you must assume that Archigeiros and the rest of his estates will soon spring into action. You order your honorguard to retrieve the horses with all speed - you may not have time to hide the corpses here like you had planned. You rapidly re-evaluate your options…

>okay /qst/, wat do? Apologies for this - I actually simulated Pronax’s skirmish and it’s pure bad luck that the Tegeans rolled a 1 on their “horn alarm” check immediately. This is a pretty important vote, so I'll provide a full 24-hr window - vote closes at 3pm EST tomorrow.

>Pick up your own horn and send an order to Pronax – continue the raid! He may be able to abscond with at least some of the cattle, fleeing to the east, if not the full thousand he had hoped for. PLEASE NOTE: blowing your own horn will notify the Tegeans of your approximate location.

>Pick up your own horn and send an order to Pronax – flee the estates now! His current position is known – he cannot hope to continue the raid with twenty-five men against hundreds of Tegeans. PLEASE NOTE: blowing your own horn will notify the Tegeans of your approximate location.

>You are not yet discovered! Continue the raid on your end; with Tegean forces streaming east, you should be able to take the western cattle herds – some two thousand cattle are here. You will need to conduct at least one additional ambush, and avoid any Tegeans who may be traveling to Pronax's location besides. Pronax will have to use his best judgment without your command.

>Abandon caution, leap astride Arion, and make for the palace of Archigeiros. If you can approach the palace and set it ablaze, this should cause pandemonium in the estates – this would mark the end of the cattle raid, but provide the maximum opportunity for yourself, Pronax and your honorguard to escape with your identities as Dorians maintained. PLEASE NOTE: If successful, this would be considered an act of war by the Tegeans should Hippomedon's identity be revealed (now or later).

>Something else?

Anonymous

>>5982448
>You are not yet discovered! Continue the raid on your end; with Tegean forces streaming east, you should be able to take the western cattle herds – some two thousand cattle are here. You will need to conduct at least one additional ambush, and avoid any Tegeans who may be traveling to Pronax's location besides. Pronax will have to use his best judgment without your command.

>>5982448
>You are not yet discovered! Continue the raid on your end; with Tegean forces streaming east, you should be able to take the western cattle herds – some two thousand cattle are here. You will need to conduct at least one additional ambush, and avoid any Tegeans who may be traveling to Pronax's location besides. Pronax will have to use his best judgment without your command.
Watch this be a fucking setup to try and get us killed.

>>5982623
Should be easy, <s>in a time before radios.</s>

>>5982448
>>You are not yet discovered! Continue the raid on your end; with Tegean forces streaming east, you should be able to take the western cattle herds – some two thousand cattle are here. You will need to conduct at least one additional ambush, and avoid any Tegeans who may be traveling to Pronax's location besides. Pronax will have to use his best judgment without your command.
le sigh

>>5982448
>>You are not yet discovered! Continue the raid on your end; with Tegean forces streaming east, you should be able to take the western cattle herds – some two thousand cattle are here. You will need to conduct at least one additional ambush, and avoid any Tegeans who may be traveling to Pronax's location besides. Pronax will have to use his best judgment without your command.

Lesches

Rolled 13, 19 - 3 = 29 (2d20 - 3)

<s>Seeing as the vote is unanimous, and I have some free time – let’s just move ahead…</s>

The raid must continue, you determine. You had split your forces for exactly this purpose – so that if one arm of the raid fails, the other arm might finish the work. You send up a prayer to Hermes Αρχοσ Φηλητεων, trickster, and king of cattle thieves, in the hopes of receiving his blessing. You dearly wish that your uncle has either the wisdom to flee and draw the Tegeans away from the estates, the cunning to steal some portion of the herds, and speed enough to do both.

As for yourself – you’re not one to pray for your own wellbeing. You’ve had better luck in trusting your spear-hand, all things considered.

“Inachians, fix the tents! Store the bodies within! We move out in three minutes!”

Your men, still laboring for breath, leap at your word – the area surrounding the watch-tower bustles with activity, as you leap atop Arion’s broad back. You survey the land to the southwest –Tegean patrols will likely be sprinting down the paths in response. But if you ride single-file through the low brush and shrubbery, avoiding the paths, and choosing your timing carefully – it should be possible to snake your way through your foes, assault the second watch-tower (if necessary), and then collect your thousand Tegean cattle.

Hearing no Argive horn-blast from Pronax, you assume that the man has things well in hand for now. The Inachian Honorguard has finished their tidying of the watch-tower – at passing glance, it would appear that the men stationed here had simply abandoned their post in response to the Tegean alarm – their deaths will not likely be discovered until morning.

You summon your men to you, all present now riding superior Argive stallions, and you set off together. Arion’s coat of ebony swallows the starlight – his mane shines brightly with the light of Selene Πασιφαε… In fact, you wish the moonlight was not quite so bright, but the divines do as they please, and mortal men must suffer along as best as they can.

>okay /qst/ - I have secretly rolled to determine the number of patrols that Hippomedon and co must avoid.

>This will be essentially be a series of collective riding vs intellect contests. Hippomedon’s command bonus (+3) applies to the IH’s typical riding bonus (-3), and I’m providing a very significant +2 and extra die context bonus, given Hippomedon and co are currently undetected and Pronax has created a racket on the other side of the estates. Enemy Tegeans will generally be rolling at -3 INT bonus to detect the infiltrating Argives.

>So I need THREE rolls of dice+1d20+2 to see how stealthy Hippo’s team is as they move ahead.

Anonymous

Rolled 5 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5982769
Fucking Hermes. Fucking Pronax. Fucking Tegeans.

>>5982778
>>5982779
>same second
>same roll
wuh

>>5982770
>>5982778
>>5982779
Just remember lads, when this kills us, its the QMs fault this time.

>>5982780
I have a feeling that bugged the roll, but could be wrong.

>>5982783
Nah this won't kill us. Just make us utterly fail in this godsforaken endeavor. And then we can chokeslam Pronax for being a fucking fuckhead as well as our other uncle. Because their stupid idea was stupid.

>>5982785
Since rolls are time-seeded it's entirely possible we both rolled down to the same milisecond which gave us the exact same result, which would be effectively one roll. Which would be wild as fuck.

>>5982787
you DID invoke Hermes, the fastest greek god

Lesches

>>5982778
>>5982779

This looks like 4chan board fuckery to me, I request a new 3rd roll from the players.

>>5982783

Eh, Hippomedon has little to fear here, given that he has Arion. However, his boys could definitely be killed and then he’d need to spend time rebuilding his honorguard.

By the way, if the IH successfully kill 10 enemy squadrons, they’d level up to Tier 4. I have to go back and count but I think you guys are at 3/10 currently. Basically only active combat can cause units to advance after Tier 2

>>5982770
>>5982778
>>5982779
>>5982990

>13 vs 16 - tough

Well, it was a good effort, but somebody coughs at the wrong time… I’m hoping for another 2-3 updates today, but let’s see how it plays out

Anonymous

>>5982991
How much for tier 5? Would the first platoon also be at 1/10 for the centaur raid?

Lesches

>>5982996

Tier 5 basically means the unit has pulled off a “legendary action” on the battlefield or is special in some other meaningful way. It’s possible but unlikely that the IH hit Tier 5 depending on player choices in SATQ.

First platoon - I’d have to double-check on their history but that sounds right. The progress would have theoretically carried between Deianira’s quest and Nikon’s quest <s>if, you know, Nikon hadn’t taken a spear to the face from Hector :( </s>

You and your companions thread carefully through the Tegean estates – whenever possible, you stick to the shadowed copses of cypress that dot the grounds of Archigeiros’ lands. Unfortunately, it is not heavily-forested – the trees and bushes can only partially screen you and your men as you creep. You pay similar attention to the noise of your travel – making every effort to keep to the softer earth, traveling single-file (the better to hide your numbers to any future investigator), and keeping all communication at a whisper.

From across the larger estate, you hear indistinct shouting, carried to you by errant breezes. You hear no Argive horn-blast, nor do you see any obvious work of Pronax from this distance - you had half-wondered if he might try to set a watch-tower ablaze to increase the level of panic amongst the Tegeans, but no such conflagration is visible to you - he must be hoping to take at least some portion of the cattle - a good sign. At one point, you hear the sound of another horn-blower, this one much further to the south-east – a controlled series of notes that must provide some meaningful orders to the Tegean guards. You presume that this is an order from Archigeiros himself, given that the palace lies in this direction... And because many horns answer from all corners of the estate – each of them sounding one long blast, followed by a short one. If you had to guess – these answering horns translate to orders received, we are en route.

However, you are fortunate – few Tegeans are seen scurrying along the paths, and the few that you see are clearly noncombatants – laborers and fieldworkers fleeing their huts on the outskirts of the estate for the safety of their master’s palace, if you had to guess. You’re peering at one such group when a hiss from behind you catches your attention. It is your military scout, Chabrianos – the blonde man only seems to appear when there is unhappy news to share.
“Lord, quickly! Look to the northwest trail – Tegeans approach!”

Your scout speaks truly – you catch a glimpse of a marching troop before they pass into a depression, perhaps only two minutes away.

Rolled 8 - 7 (1d20 - 7)

“Inachians, to the trees, there!” Your only chance to avoid detection is a dense collection of trees, perhaps thirty strides east of the path. Your men drop out of single-file immediately, and as a group, you canter as swiftly and as quietly as you can. Once there, you and your men dismount your collective steeds, soothing them as best as you can, and tying them in place. You quickly remind the men that you pretend to be Dorians tonight – unlike the previous skirmish, if combat breaks out, you will not have the enemy penned in place. Survivors could possibly flee to report to their master, deception is necessary as a result. As the Tegeans begin passing by, another squadron of fifty strong, you collectively hold your breath…

And one of the Argive stallions whickers loudly – the unmistakable sound of infiltrators on the ground. You growl yet another curse, as shouts of alarm rise from the passing patrol – they have clearly heard the beast but have not yet seen you and your troops. The Tegeans draw together as a unit, bunching closely – a few men immediately separate from the group to search in your direction - only a matter of time before they locate you. In the cloudless night and from this close range, it’s easy to make out the shine of brass as one of the Tegeans lifts a horn to his lips…

And your spear shatters his skull like a goose egg. The would-be horn-sounder continues to stand for another few seconds - he doesn't seem to realize that he is dead. His own companions stare at him in dread and terror, before he slowly sinks out of your sight.

Drawing your brazen sword, you shout:

”DORIANS, ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!

And as one, you and your men sprint out of the shadows against the Tegean troop!

>okay /qst/ - roll me a dice+1d20 for IH initiative. There’s no context bonus here, unfortunately, given that the Tegeans are already aware of your presence.

>I’ll be rolling for the Tegeans - they are Tier 1 troops and so suffer the typical malii here.

Anonymous

>>5983006
> Rolled 8 - 7 (1d20 - 7)
>Literal 1!
Why the dice so wild all the time

Lesches

>>5983009

You’d be surprised and slow to respond too if your sleepy evening guarding your master’s cattle turned into an honest-to-Zeus cattle raid and then not even a couple minutes later, your good buddy Zosimus’ head explodes with no warning…

Anonymous

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5983011
Average LBA commoner experience.
Here’s the dice. -7 might mean this could be quick and we might even be able to destroy the horn again.

Lesches

Rolled 7, 20, 6, 14, 7, 12 - 7 = 59 (6d20 - 7)

>>5983012

Nice, you guys get first blood again:

For Hippomedon, I need another dice+1d5+13. The sword-user malus basically doesn’t matter given Hippo’s insane combat bonii anyways.

For the IH, I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20 for combat performance. I’ll be rolling for the Tegeans in the typical (d,d,d,b,b,b) format.

Rolled 2, 4, 3, 1, 1, 1, 3, 2, 2, 2 = 21 (10d4)

>>5983080

rolling for troop damage part 2

I'm hoping to get out another update somewhere around 2-3pm to conclude this battle turn. Starting next turn, I'll have the Tegeans start rolling 1d6s to recover their lost horn.

Let's have another mini-vote that will end at 3pm:

>continue Hippomedon's attack to kill as many as possible. The Tegeans will break faster if Hippomedon is at work!
>abandon Hippomedon's next combat turn to find and destroy the Tegean horn ASAP.

Anonymous

>>5983083
>abandon Hippomedon's next combat turn to find and destroy the Tegean horn ASAP.

>>5983083
>>abandon Hippomedon's next combat turn to find and destroy the Tegean horn ASAP.

Lesches

Delay on the update - should be out for 10pm or so EST. Got stuck in some other business

Uh, a second delay. When it rains, it pours, lads. Update will probably come tomorrow night but a slim chance that I can put something out for 7am EST

Anonymous

>>5983272
>>5983849
Busy weekend, huh? I hope all is well, and will be waiting warmly.

Lesches

As you sprint out of the underbrush, outpacing your men, you hear cries of alarm – the idiots are still looking at their collapsed hornblower. Only one man, on the east side of the formation, is paying attention:

“Look up, look up, they are coming!”

Even with this Tegeans’ word of warning, his squadron is slow to react – faces finally turn in your direction, but the enemy unit is a green one… They cannot believe that they are actually under attack. With your limited numbers and such a slow-footing enemy, you elect to shift your men and match them man for man at one end. You intend to place yourself in the middle of the troop, to give your men time to attack. Additionally, their horn lies somewhere in the middle of the unit – best destroy it as soon as possible.

”DORIANS, SHIFT SOUTH!” you cry, as you maintain your heading, and you leap into the Tegeans like a wolf might leap into the chicken coop. Your sword’s edge is sharp; you remove the head of a Tegean without a second thought, and in the same motion, disembowel one of the lesser men now behind you. The Tegeans panic – their lesser blows scrabble against your bronze, but none of these commoners have the strength or skill necessary to wound you, or even to slow you down. Another Tegean exposes his neck and left shoulder with a childish thrust against your breastplate – you don’t even bother to block the “attack” before chopping down at the man, carving a phenomenal gash from his collarbone to his umbilicus. The closest Tegean men stagger backwards, fleeing your immediate zone of control, and in the process – revealing their detachment’s brass horn, and the motionless form of your hornblower. You seize the moment, forgoing another flashing attack to crush the horn with a sandaled stop, and then bending low to retrieve your spear from the skull of the Tegean. You sigh faintly in relief – fighting with a sword just isn’t the same. A grateful thought enters your mind, almost unrelated to the moment at hand –

Truly, I am blessed that I am so capable in application of arms – these simple pleasures in service to Argos sustain me...

Your honorguard reaches the southern end of the Tegean patrol, and find immediate purchase there – lesser wolves flensing the living meat from a pack of hounds. In the first few moments, approximately twelve Tegeans of fifty are slain; another handful are wounded so badly they are out of the fight. Your men have successfully opened a line of battle, and you are placed within the center mass of the enemy, spear in hand. Excellent positioning!

>okay, /qst/ - we need new combat rolls for the IH vs T unit skirmish. I'll be rolling for the Tegean initiative and combat performance - they now have a general -9 performance malii.
>I need ONE roll of dice+1d20 for IH initiative, followed by THREE rolls of dice+2d20, please!

Rolled 1, 15, 2, 19, 20, 5, 17 = 79 (7d20)

>>5984081

Oops, forgot my rolls.

>>5983850

You know, sometimes I get roped into "family time" for such reasons as "your family loves you" and "put that ancient fucking poem down, you moron".

>>5984082

>Tegeans roll a literal one for initiative for the second time in a row. Jesus.
>IH must beat a 9,10

I'm giving back Hippomedon's combat turn for this battle phase through QM fiat, this unit deserves to be put out of its misery. I need an additional dice+1d5+13 for Hippomedon's attack!

Niggapolys

Rolled 17, 13 = 30 (2d20)

>>5984081
Are we looting the Tegeans as we go? Seems like a Dorian thing to do.

Lesches

>>5984147

You haven’t been, actually.

These guys are dirt-poor and really don’t have anything of value on them, besides their shoddy arms and armor. The brass horns are worth something but Hippomedon is so filthy rich he doesn’t care about them, beyond destroying them. Behind the scenes, the IH are replacing any broken gear automatically.

Rolled 2, 4, 3, 3, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2 = 37 (15d4)

>>5984091
>>5984147
>>5984247

I’m phone posting but IH beat the Tegeans again through solid and unremarkable spear work. Consistency is the mark of greatness, you know.

Rolled 3, 3, 2, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 4 = 29 (10d4)

>>5984270

And the second half of damage rolls…

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>5984271

Morale check - Tegeans must roll 6 or under to stay in the fight

Spear in hand once more, you proceed to slay another two men – neither of them prepared for your spear’s reach or the expert skill in which you wield it. The first dies badly – your spear smashes apart his jaws and throat, leaving a mangled mess behind – a slow end. The second dies better – your spear penetrates his lower gut, and withdrawing, you set loose a great torrent of his life’s blood – such men die so quickly as to nearly avoid the pain of it. With a passing strike of your spear-butt, a third Tegean is brained – he falls senselessly to the ground, although whether he lives still is unclear to you.

You glance to your men and find that to the immediate south, your men are making steady work of the Tegeans – no acts of brilliance from them, they are succeeding once again through cautious and consistent spearwork. The Tegeans, by comparison, are visibly fraying – alternating between rage and terror, they stumble forwards to make uncoordinated spear-thrusts and then stumble back with every counter-stroke. Your honorguard makes excellent use of their limited numbers – constantly picking apart the Tegean line by luring individual soldiers out of position and then bringing them down before they can rejoin their squadron. They make quick work of the enemy in this fashion – another fifteen or so Tegeans are cut down in a matter of a few heartbeats, as you watch.

When the Tegeans break, they attempt to flee in nearly all directions – annoying of them, as they scream and shout their prayers to the Olympians. The racket causes you to wince - perhaps eleven of them are still unwounded enough to run properly, while another four Tegeans hobble, crawl and scrabble away into the grasses like undignified beasts. You cannot let them escape, of course.

”Dorians, cast spears!”, you cry.

Your men quickly oblige, while you gather a few Tegean spears for yourself – you plan to take any who escape, but it ends up not being necessary – your honorguard pick their targets well, and run down the victims who survive their first wounding. Stashing the bodies in the copse off the trail, where you had hidden the horses, is another hurried affair. The blood on the trail will be discovered by sunrise, but the night has only just begun – you still have many hours until Helios Ὑπεριων’s chariot takes flight above the disc of the world once more.

As you make your way southwest, you listen carefully - still, there is the repeating of horns from the various patrols as they head to Pronax's location, but no change in their patterns - you suspect that Pronax has either hidden himself well, or has fled his position, making all speed to the eastern herds. You set your mind to the task of steathily approaching the next watch-tower - your men ride single-file once more, borne upon the backs of Argive stallions...

>okay, /qst/ - I need ONE roll of dice+1d20 - we're taking a spin on the Homeric Happenings table, good luck!

Anonymous

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>5984460
You mean a roll on the "shit's fucked" table? kek

Lesches

>>5984481

Thanks anon - a better-than-expected outcome! Usually these random events really end up rustling everyone jimmies, but not this time!

Anonymous

>>5984504
Don't worry, a decent roll here means dogwater rolls for the next thing instead.

Is Hippo a good enough shot to spearcast the next horn directly rather than just simply the hornblower?

Lesches

>>5984558

My gut reaction is “yes, but that’s a tricky shot to make and you guys would have to roll for it.” Hippo would probably prefer to just kill the hornblower and find the horn after, since that’s worked well so far.

Anonymous

>>5984563
What do these horns even look like?

If these hornblowers are wearing them on their sides, I don't quite see why a spear cast wouldn't utterly tear in half the carrier, even with a partial hit.

>>5984581
I'm pretty sure they're just relatively long straight horns. Kinda like a clarinet without the holes or buttons.

Lesches

>>5984581
>>5984599

Right, they’re long and pretty thin except for the wider part at the end, it could be tough to have a clear shot at the bell end of it, given that the Tegean would have it strapped to his back or belt. If the guy turns slightly it could occlude the cast, basically

Your travel through the night countryside is a strange thing – hurried through the open spaces, near-dawdling when you must creep through the underbrush. You stay off the trail – keeping it somewhere between thirty and fifty strides to your right, close enough for monitoring of any Tegean traffic. You must occasionally risk detection by spying ahead with Chabrianos, but your troupe successfully stays out of sight – the initial burst of fleeing servants and laborers has dwindled. As you crest over a low hill, a strange sight greets you in the shallow depression below:

Two robed figures labor against a donkey cart, stuck within a muddy patch of the trail – clearly straining against the weight. A donkey is hitched to the cart, but even from this distance, you can see that it labors for breath in an exhausted fashion. The cart itself is covered with a woolen blanket or hide of some kind, and it’s not overly large – you can think of few things that might make a small cart so heavy that a donkey and two men cannot move it.

For one - gold.

The robed figures hiss at each other in frustration, their voices lowered – they haven’t spotted you. From their attire, their predicament, and their venomous whispering, you guess at once that they are thieves. You’re quick to halt your band of castle rustlers, as you drop to your feet, and consider your next move.

>wat do, /qst/?

>The gods are kind to Argive men – slay these men, take whatever Timae is present, and move along, as is your right. The donkey-cart, if it is full of gold like you suspect, will make a fine addition to the cattle-raid’s profits, even if it slows the travel of your particular group.

>Leave the men be – whatever tribulations they suffer are none of your concern, nor do you wish to complicate your cattle raid. You've found success in life through dutiful action and avoiding complexities; you will not deviate from this path for an uncertain benefit.

>Take the men hostage and learn what you can from them – perhaps further interrogation will clarify your best course of action. Of course, the longer you speak with them, the greater the chances that they may deduce your true identity.

>Something else?

Anonymous

>>5985532
>Leave the men be – whatever tribulations they suffer are none of your concern, nor do you wish to complicate your cattle raid. You've found success in life through dutiful action and avoiding complexities; you will not deviate from this path for an uncertain benefit.

>>5985532
>The gods are kind to Argive men – slay these men, take whatever Timae is present, and move along, as is your right.

Supplies win wars, and Hippo and Co have already killed like a hundred guys, what's two more?

This reminds me of Nira and that one handmaiden gal, though looking back on it, that handmaiden had a heart of stone by abandoning her lady, whom she abused into being an empty husk. I even remember Nira being somewhat horrified by the relationship that handmaiden created with her lady.
>>5983084
me

>>5985532
>>The gods are kind to Argive men – slay these men, take whatever Timae is present, and move along, as is your right. The donkey-cart, if it is full of gold like you suspect, will make a fine addition to the cattle-raid’s profits, even if it slows the travel of your particular group.

>>5985532
>The gods are kind to Argive men – slay these men, take whatever Timae is present, and move along, as is your right. The donkey-cart, if it is full of gold like you suspect, will make a fine addition to the cattle-raid’s profits, even if it slows the travel of your particular group.

We are here to get supplies and money to make it to Thebes unmolested. We are going to fucking do that. Killing a couple of thieves is of little consequence unless these are Gods or Daimons in disguise to fuck with us.
.....considering the QM enforced nature of this raid, something fucked up is bound to happen.

Niggapolys

>>5985532
>LOOT
>Tie the wagon to a pair of horses rather than a lone donkey

Anonymous

>>5985532
>>Take the men hostage and learn what you can from them – perhaps further interrogation will clarify your best course of action. Of course, the longer you speak with them, the greater the chances that they may deduce your true identity.
Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.

Lesches

Let em slide

>>5985533

Take what's yours

>>5985545
>>5985551
>>5985553
>>5985571 (and ditch the donkey)

Interrogate

>>5985622

---

"Kill em good" wins, but unfortunately no update tonight - have too much work to juggle. Next update tomorrow at 10pm EST

In the end, you decide that you must do as a raiding Heraclid must do – you will kill the cart-pushers and take their wealth for your own. Some stealth is required here – you remove your triple-tiered helm, its white plumes standing erect and tall, and calmly hand it over to Chabrianos, your military scout. The weight of the helm is barely noticeable to you, but Chabrianos strains to avoid dropping it into the dirt. Paying him no mind, you collect a pair of Tegean spears that you had pilfered after the last skirmish, and crouching forwards, peer over the grasses of the hill at the straining men below.

Looking at them and their furtive movements a second time – they hunch their shoulders and duck their heads by reflex. You suspect the men are not amateurs, but instead practiced thieves of some kind fresh from their own raid on Archigeiros’ treasure vault. They probably had been planning this heist for days or even longer, and your cattle raid was a convenient opportunity for them to strike. All the better – it is no crime to re-appropriate stolen goods, for one, and for two – you’re here to rob Archigeiros yourself.

You test the Tegean spears – crudely hewn wooden stakes with equally-crude bronze tips. At this short distance, the shoddy quality won’t matter – not with your powerful right arm casting them and your keen eye guiding them.
>Hippomedon auto-succeeds on these casts, of course…

Your first spear takes the taller of the two men in the upper back – he makes an awful hacking sound before a death-rattle escapes his lips. The second of the thieves, thicker around the middle and surprisingly fast on his feet, doesn’t spare a though for his collapsing comrade – he immediately turns and flees at top speed. No matter – he cannot run faster than you can throw. Your spear takes him in the side, sending him sprawling into the grasses by the trailside. You wait patiently for signs of life, but you’re satisfied when you hear nothing and see no movement from the two corpses.

The donkey, oblivious to the death of its masters, stamps its front hooves, seemingly bored.

You flash hand-signals to your honorguard, and approach the cart flanked by your men – covered with a heavy hide tarp, the cart’s wheels have sunk heavily into the muddy trail. Another set of your Inachians move to collect the dead thieves for inspection. While they labor with the corpses, you grasp at the hide tarp with one hand and with a single motion, strip it from the cart. You and your men peer inside, eager to learn what riches are within…

>roll me a dice+1d4 to see how much Timae's inside, /qst/

>>5986959

Nice - and there’ll be more than gold in there.

Next update tomorrow night EST!

Anonymous

>>5986959
>>5986961
Hippo was right, these guys were PROFESSIONAL thieves. A shame they had to die.

>>5986966
Not shame, thieves and criminals get what they deserve.

>>5987067
Then I can't help but wonder what Hippo will deserve for his actions in this raid.

Lesches

The cart brims with Tegean gold – under the moonlight, it takes on a silverish-quality, but you know the look of it under any circumstances. Goblets, mixing bowls studded with jewels, statuettes , and silverware are scattered within – piles of gold talents drown the bottom of the cart carelessly, and hide further treasures from sight. A silver-nailed sword and gilded scabbard, clearly meant as display pieces, stands against the cart wall in the far corner. In the other corner, a heavy tapestry or rug of some kind is rolled up into a long tube, and bent in the middle to fit inside the crammed cart – it is covered with a white linen cloth of high-quality, glimmering under the light of Selene. You trade excited glances with Chabrianos – this is wealth enough for a commoner and his extended family to live like royalty for decades, if they can hold onto it. Even for you, a very wealthy man, it represents a very significant amount of gold. Your own treasure vault might hold three times the gold, although your wealth in herds and livestock cannot be reduced to a single room. No wonder the men were struggling to get this cart up the hill – you actually have to strain a bit yourself to free the cart from the muddy path; it pops loose with a sucking noise.

<s>For player convenience = this cart is basically worth about 500 cattle on its own. I’d like to make clear that Timae points are not all equal; they are a measure of relative wealth and so the “Timae scale” is logarithmic in nature. </s>

A phenomenal find. you consider, this alone might be success enough for the cattle raid… It occurs to you that you might simply take the cart and head back to Argos; it would be tremendously easier and safer to smuggle a single gold-laden cart home than a thousand cattle, although armies cannot eat gold. As you consider, you inspect the bodies of the slain thieves, who have been brought to the cart for closer inspection:

The taller and thinner of the two men is clearly of noble heritage, although only of average height for a nobleman. His hair is light brown, as is his eyes, but his skin is lighter – likely he hails from the middle part of Hellas. He carries almost nothing on his person, leaving you with few clues as to his identity – the only exception, is a silver ring on his left hand. Removing it, you see that there are markings on the interior surface, although you cannot read them yourself – you’ll have to show the ring to one of the literate Argives that you know to discern the meaning. From his features and coloration, you guess that he is Phocian, although you cannot be certain of it. The second man is found to be a large commoner man, bearded, with rounded belly and thick shoulders. There are millions of commoner Hellenes who have this profile – you immediately assume that he is the Phocian’s thiefly lieutenant.

>2nd half of the update will come later tonight, ran out of time before work...

The donkey stirs – you had forgotten about it. You free the beast and slap its hindquarters, and it ambles a few strides off the trail to munch on weeds. You whistle to your men and one of the Argive steeds is hitched to the cart. Mounting Arion, you distinctly see the white linen cloth covering the tapestry twitch.

Someone is in there!

You leap off Arion once more, and quickly pull back the linen sheet:

A woman is trapped within the rolled tapestry – the heavy weave traps her entire body from the neck down, and she is both blindfolded and gagged. Your right hand rises to your temple in surprise – you were not expecting a hostage! Even with her face partially obscured by her bonds, you can tell the woman is of noble birth and of great beauty; messy curls of gleaming hair cascade freely about her face, ebony tresses that catch the starlight and reflect it back to you. A strange acrid scent fills your nose – a sour and musty smell from the tapestry; the night breeze carries the scent away. Pleasant perfume rises into the air to take its place. You stretch forwards and remove the woman’s gag – she immediately spits out a smaller, second ball of slimy cloth, and hoarsely whispers:

“Archigeiros – is that you?! Release me from this damned rug!!” The noblewoman struggles against her bonds, desperate to escape her situation.

Chabrianos looks at you questioningly – you groan as you consider the implications. You are tempted to simply strangle her now, but her death might complicate matters immensely in the future. For one, a cattle raid can be forgiven with appropriate remuneration, but you doubt that Archigeiros and his family could forgive the murder of a sister, cousin or wife – this woman's death could spark a war.

>/qst/ - what do? This vote closes at 8pm EST.

>Release the bonds of the woman and speak with her further to determine her identity and her potential value as a hostage. However, this approach may risk Hippomedon’s disguise as a Heraclid. On the upside – the woman may be worth significant wealth as a hostage, and perhaps there’s a clever way to sell her off to a third kingdom without spoiling your identity. QM’S WARNING: Beautiful Hellenic women have a tendency of getting what they want - she may be persuasive.

>Re-gag the woman; institute silence amongst your men to preserve your identities – this is a problem to address once the raid is over, and in conference with Pronax. Hippomedon will keep the woman safely within the cart for now.

>Re-gag the woman; silence amongst your men – and drop the woman off at the nearest safe opportunity. She is sure to be discovered by the Tegeans sooner rather than later, and this option will preserve Hippomedon’s identity, while also keeping this cattle raid simplified. However, Hippomedon loses out on any opportunity to discover her identity or otherwise profit from her capture.

>Something else?

Anonymous

>>5988007
>>Re-gag the woman; institute silence amongst your men to preserve your identities – this is a problem to address once the raid is over, and in conference with Pronax. Hippomedon will keep the woman safely within the cart for now.

>>5988007
>Re-gag the woman; institute silence amongst your men to preserve your identities – this is a problem to address once the raid is over, and in conference with Pronax. Hippomedon will keep the woman safely within the cart for now.
Can’t Hippo just render her unconscious rather than instituting silence among his men?

Lesches

>>5988013

We’re sort of operating on real-life mechanics here - knocking someone out in real life carries the very real risk of accidentally killing them. Hippomedon’s not sure that he can deliver the precise force necessary to put her out without killing her in the process. Not to mention - even noblewomen with divine ancestry can be physically fragile. If there was consensus, you could certainly try to do this, but I’d make guys roll for it.

Anyways, silence is not a big deal for Hippo and his crew, since they also have the ability to speak in hand-signs. Hippomedon is a battle autist and trained his IH years ago for situations like this.

Anonymous

>>5988018
I was thinking more of a chokehold or something rather than Hippo just cracking her over the head.
> trained his IH years ago for situations like this.
Thank goodness for battle autism!

Lesches

>>5988021

Oh I see - these kinds of sleeper holds in real-life are usually pretty temporary, once O2 is getting back to the brain, people wake up in a few seconds, maybe half a minute at the absolute longest. Anything longer and you start getting into brain damage territory.

Source: me getting my ass handled in friendly wrestling bouts in college

Niggapolys

>>5988007
>No gag, silence, give her water, leave her here blindfolded with the donkey & the dead thieves
Without a gag she can call for help when the Tegeans are nearby, the water will keep her alive, the blindfold ensures our anonimity, leaving her here & the small act of kindness will cause the Tegeans to be slightly less vengeful towards us should our identities be surmised, & the thieves will clearly be the kidnappers.

>>5988036
Honestly based that you aren't giving us either option, a quarterish-divine giant warrior smacking you on the back of the head is a good way to have your eggs scrambled.

Anonymous

>>5988007
>Re-gag the woman; institute silence amongst your men to preserve your identities – this is a problem to address once the raid is over, and in conference with Pronax. Hippomedon will keep the woman safely within the cart for now.

>>5988135
Imagine someone "gently" knocking you out with a shovel. That's probably what it's like for Hippo to pat the back of someone's head. Which, by the way in case anyone is curious, the back of the head is one of the more dangerous places to hit someone, please express caution when doing so.

>>5988007
>Something else?
>Kill her.
If we do anything else we WILL be flagged as NOT DORIANS! This is absolutely the WORST fucking thing that could happen here. Honestly we would be better off just killing her. She even mentioned the fucker that we are currently cattle raiding, she could be his fucking wife. This bitch is CLEARLY a threat to this already stupid mission. Kill her and be done with it to avoid an international incident.

Lesches

Figure it out later

>>5988011
>>5988013
>>5988152

Drop her off now

>>5988130

Murder
>>5988404

---

"Figure it out later" is locked in - I should be able to push out a morning update tomorrow EST, but nothing for tonight, unfortunately. The universe is sort of conspiring against me to jam up my days with nonsense right now.

Anonymous

I’ve been sort of wondering this, but why is it the nobles, or at least when we are reading through their POVs, notice how similar they all look to each other: Hippo with that Hercalide and Eteocles with Tydeus? Unless godly genes mean some features just really get passed on, no matter how diluted.

Also, were there supposed to be godly-rage-murder-murder-mode rolls with this raid?

Lesches

>>5989030

I’m stealing Statius’ artistic vision and passing it off as my own. It’ll become clearer over time.

>>5989030

I havent clarified this in the past but aristeias are really only prompted when nobility are under significant threat. You guys have been by BTFOing the Tegeans so hard, Hippomedon hasn’t even broken a sweat. Just a lazy day at the office for him… Mechanically, Hippo is already auto-winning his combat rolls here given the massive disparity between himself and the Tegeans, so assigning another +4 combat bonii wouldn’t be terribly impactful either

Anonymous

>>5988641
Fuck, missed the vote. Luckily it still went the way I wanted.
If we keep her gagged and blindfolded and don't let her see anything, we can always pretend we either freed her, or we can always drop her off on the roadside. And we can also always interrogate her, potentially learn more things. It's simply delaying our choice until later when we will know more.

Lesches

A dilemma for another time, you decide. You shove the slimy ball of cloth back into the woman’s mouth, before replacing her gag – her indignant shouts are soon muffled. The white linen sheet goes back over her head, and flashing hand-signals, you begin to travel once more.

Chabrianos asks with his hands –

Who is she?

You reply:

Don’t know. Must confer with Pronax. The heavily-scarred commoner shrugs, clearly mollified by your decision - he rejoins the honorguard.

As you set off, you listen carefully for signs of trouble on the Tegean estate, but there’s still been no change of affairs : the Tegean squadron horns have continued to sound at regular intervals, drifting east, and you’ve heard no Argive horn-blasts. Whether Pronax has successfully taken any cattle, you aren’t sure, but at the least, he must have escaped, drawing Archigeiros’ forces in that direction. You are still undiscovered – the blessing of Hermes Φηλητης is still upon your and your half of the Inachian Honorguard. The woman in the donkey cart occasionally attempts to scream and shout, but her bonds are tight and her gag secure – you can barely hear her muffled cries yourself, and so you have little to fear that she might spoil your raid. The cart itself is quite heavy, clinking faintly with gold, and cannot easily travel through rough terrain - it stays upon the trail, while you and your men can shadow its progress from a distance.

Darting southwest, you come across the next watch-tower – and find it abandoned. You’re momentarily confused by this, but you conclude that the Tegean unit you had ambushed on the road must have come from this sentry post. As to why they might leave their position – that question is answered when you take a moment to climb the watch-tower’s wooden ladder, to the top platform. The timbre groans in protest at the weight of you and your armor, but the wood is old – made petrified and strong after years of arid summer heat. There’s another sentry-post quite close to the northwest – it’s easily visible to you as you crouch to reduce your profile as best as you can. Based on the number of torches dotting the sentry-post and surrounding ground, it’s a double encampment – two separate Tegean squads are there, likely totaling 100 men. The Tegean troopers you killed earlier on the road must have joined the hunt for Pronax, given that three squadrons had been placed here.
Scanning south – you see your prize! There are many motionless silhouettes of sleeping cattle, bunched together within two neighboring pastures, visible under the moon and stars. Pronax’s scouts spoke truly, for you estimate that a thousand head of livestock are within sight. But how to proceed?

>vote post next

>This vote will close at 9pm EST tonight...

>The double-unit watchtower to the northwest be addressed before any livestock are captured – your presence makes it possible for a tiny ambush force to attack the larger group and win. Your honorguard and yourself will attempt the same ring-ambush method that worked well against the first watch-tower’s sentries. However, there is a 1:5 disparity in troop count here – victory is not guaranteed, even with your presence. Additionally, there are likely at least two horn-blowers here, doubling the chances of a wider alarm being sounded across the enemy estate.

>The double-unit watchtower to the northwest must be addressed – but you’ll have to separate the units somehow. Multiple options here are present, but each of them risks the possibility of a wider alarm going up against the wider estates. Three main subvote items here are:

a) Hippo rides Arion and serves as bait from the northwest – he kills any horn-blowers from afar, and attempts to draw an enemy unit in pursuit. Once separated, your honorguard attacks the remaining unit, while you singlehandedly defeat your pursuers.

b) Hippo creates some sort of bait here at the abandoned watch-tower to draw a Tegean unit to this position for an ambush. However, their reaction to any such bait will be uncertain, and fighting even a single Tegean guard unit here will almost certainly draw the attentions of the remaining unit – they’ll certainly hear the sound of combat.

c) Something other strategy to address the doubled guard? Please specify if possible.

>Forget the double watch-tower entirely, and instead seek to capture a smaller number of cattle – it may be possible to smuggle a smaller herd further south, looping towards the main palace (out of sight of the double guard-tower) and then returning north. However, five hundred moving cattle do not travel quietly – it’s very possible that you might be spotted as you travel through the estates in this fashion.

>Abandon the cattle raid at this juncture, and make your escape with your Tegean gold - this is compensation enough for the night's labors.

Anonymous

>>5989156
>Abandon the cattle raid at this juncture, and make your escape with your Tegean gold - this is compensation enough for the night's labors.

Agamemnon wants gold, he'll get it but not from Argive coffers!

>>5989156
>Abandon the cattle raid at this juncture, and make your escape with your Tegean gold - this is compensation enough for the night's labors.
I wonder how much cattle a noblewoman’s ransom is worth

>>5989156
>Forget the double watch-tower entirely, and instead seek to capture a smaller number of cattle – it may be possible to smuggle a smaller herd further south, looping towards the main palace (out of sight of the double guard-tower) and then returning north. However, five hundred moving cattle do not travel quietly – it’s very possible that you might be spotted as you travel through the estates in this fashion.

Lesches

>>5989173

>how much is a hostage worth?

Tons of variables here, but the wealth of the “purchaser” and identity of the hostage are probably two biggest drivers. Any sale of this woman would be complicated by the fact that Hippo and co would have to conceal their identities as the kidnappers in the process, which would probably reduce profit at the bottom line (unless you guys think up a clever solution)

Niggapolys

>>5989155
>Five Inachians will return with the cart & hostage, being sure to maintain silence
>Hippo will sneak up to the double encampment along with his scout Chabrianos & identify, then eliminate the brass horns
>The remaining Inachians will lie in wait to ambush the Tegeans as they chase Hippo & Chabrianos, setting traps along the route

This raid would be a failure if we returned to Archigeiros and could not answer when he proclaims: "Where's the beef?!"

Anonymous

>>5989211
Ah, but we AREN'T the kidnappers! We can make the sounds of battle all around her once we get her home, then untie and unbind her later and say we liberated she and her surrounding possessions from some bandits. We can then 'request' the contents of the wagon (and some a little something extra) as a boon in return.

Lesches

>>5989392

This kind of deception could be organized but would require some rolling - the noblewoman should be given a fair chance to dissect the lie in Homer's system of contested rolls.

Anonymous

>>5989392
>>5989433
The problem I see with it is she'll hear the cows we bring along with it. If we "rescued" her but didn't return ANY of the shit, it could be seen as "tough luck" or as mighty fishy. I guess it would depend on how relieved she <s>and Archie</s> are for her to be okay.

If we wanted to do any of that we'd want to break her off after a spell so she would hear the cattle leave. Then it's just a girl and a cart full of goodies that get "liberated". Maybe have someone other than Hippo and the honorguard release her, and then blame the Dorians. Long shot but still.

Lesches

>>5989442

As a QM’s hint: remember that Hippomedon is more or less “the crown prince” of Argos, and not a fucking nobody like Nikandros. Characters in SATQ will behave accordingly, and may act in counterintuitive fashion in some cases

Anonymous

>>5989447
I'm hoping the dark was enough to obscure her vision enough to not be able to pick out Hippo's features when he ungagged her.

Niggapolys

Seems like a plan is coming together, just need to separate her from the cattle, get some bandits who look sufficiently Dorian as props (corpses), & then we can "avenge" our neighbors against the "Heraclidae" and send her home. The cattle must have already set sail.

Anonymous

>>5989173
I change my vote to this,
>a) Hippo rides Arion and serves as bait from the northwest – he kills any horn-blowers from afar, and attempts to draw an enemy unit in pursuit. Once separated, your honorguard attacks the remaining unit, while you singlehandedly defeat your pursuers.

>>5989455
Likewise.

>>5989442
I think we can pull that off!

Lesches

>>5989455
>>5989588

This might have been unclear, but she was blindfolded the whole time - Hippo just temporarily removed her gag and then replaced it.

However you’ll note that she can hear perfectly well, which is why Hippo instituted hand signs only

Anonymous

>>5989593
I really did read "blindfolded and gagged" and completely forgot I read "blindfolded". My brain is mashed fucking peas I swear to god kek.

Lesches

Friendly bump - I’m extending the vote window to 12am EST since we’re missing about half our typical voters…

Next update will likely come tomorrow night EST

Anonymous

>>5989156
>Forget the double watch-tower entirely, and instead seek to capture a smaller number of cattle – it may be possible to smuggle a smaller herd further south, looping towards the main palace (out of sight of the double guard-tower) and then returning north. However, five hundred moving cattle do not travel quietly – it’s very possible that you might be spotted as you travel through the estates in this fashion.
The least bad option of the lot. I do NOT trust using this woman wont fuck us over somehow.We should steal the 1000 cows off to the right side of the estate, take the gold and sell the bitch to the Dorians and be done with it.

>>5989707
>right side of the estate
If I’m not mistaken that’s where Pronax is and probably the vast majority of the estate troops currently.

I wonder, could it be possible to get Arion to go alone up to those commoners speak to them and trick them into heading east by posing as a messenger of the gods?

>>5989740
Arion cannot speak. He is a god-horse, but still a horse.

>>5989740
The horse can TALK? Sheeeeeit son. I vote to go with this plan.

>>5989746
>Adrastus once claimed to hear the beast speak – a story taken seriously, given that the stallion was the product of a union between Poseidon Ἱππιος and his sister Demeter Καλλισφυρος
Maybe uncle is just senile.
But if Lesches approves my plan I'll change my vote >>5989572 to horse talk trickery.

Lesches

>>5989740
>>5989746
>>5989756
>>5989767

Hippomedon can ask the horse to speak, but there’s no guarantee that Arion will comply with Hippo’s request. In fact, some would argue that Arion is a pure Olympian by heritage, despite his equine form.

We appear to be deadlocked 2-2 - I’m extending the vote window to 8pm tonight so that lurkers can jump in and make their voice heard.

If we’re still locked by 8pm, will roll a d2 to determine our destiny

Niggapolys

>>5990077
Let the Furies decide, Great Poet

Lesches

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5990369

You got it boss

1 = Hippo exfils now with the money
2 = Hippo goes for the beef

Another delay on the update - it occurs to me that I have a shitload of rolling to do with Pronax and his team before I can re-unite plot threads.

Work is quieting down for me a little bit this week and so I'm hoping to update more regularly starting tomorrow...

Special QM's note: I've been QMing for a year! How time flies. I've really enjoyed my time in the LBA and I hope you players have too! My grand narrative arc should be coming into focus soon...

Anonymous

>>5990474
One year and a boatload of words.

>>5990474
Gratz on 1-year of QMing, Lesches!

Lesches

>>5990481
>>5990503
>>5990526

Thanks for the kind words, fellas - I've really enjoyed it, to be honest, even if there has sometimes been heartbreak as well (River Vietnam in Deianira's quest, Nikon's untimely end in TWQ). I don't usually get to use the creative part of my brain so it's a good pastime for me.

In other news - I'm starting on the actual update, having completed some offscreen rolling for Pronax - sort of a mixed bag for him, unfortunately. Update will come out tonight at 10pm at the latest, but there's a small chance I can phonepost the update at 12pm or so.

Anonymous

>>5990670
Pronax drops the ball and scuffs the raid immediately. Then he keeps on goofing up at key points trying to do whatever it is he is doing. Our uncles are dumb. At least we got a cartload of cash to show for it.

>>5990841
Well im glad this is over. Hopefully Pronax gets killed and we don't have to deal with his awful decisions anymore. Thankfully we got to not roll very many dice so WE didn't get fucked over...for now.

>>5990847
It's almost comical how this played out.

>"Let's rob our neighbor!"
>"I don't think that's a good idea..."
>"Come onnnnnn."
>"okay."
>immediately trips and spills beans everywhere
But I won't wish death on Pronax. Being a fool isn't quite severe enough to warrant death. Being a DAMN fool though? Maybe. <s>Once he mouths off at us for not getting cows or something then we'll backhand him.</s>

Lesches

You are uncommonly divided in your heart – the daring half of you insists that you make good on the raid, that you pluck five hundred head of cattle from under Archigeiros’ nose, and if he discovers you at it – what would he dare to do? He cannot defeat you in arms – you doubt any Tegean could- nor can his men stay you. Even if he deduces your identity, for the man is said to be clever, would he risk the wrath of Argos over some gold and a mere five hundred head of livestock? A clever nobleman might simply suffer the loss and organize face-saving compensation later.

But the soldier half of you calmly explains: you must be dutiful. You must serve Argos and your uncle, and you must avoid complication. Complication in battle, cattle raids and marriages are to be avoided at all costs – these are things lead to the Elysian Fields as surely as the Αθανατος Δαικτορος*. You already have an easily-smuggled bounty of Tegean gold, and a (possibly) valuable hostage besides, and your presence amongst the estates is not yet known. Furthermore, even the men of your honorguard cannot easily fight off five times their number – you should not spend their lives so frivolously; not when war with Thebes is on the horizon.
You sigh, and silently give the order to return to the northern camp, above Archigeiros’ estate. You give one last glance to the shadowed Tegean cattle – no doubt they’d taste magnificent on the road to Thebes, but a successful raid is satisfying enough. In the distance, the Tegean patrols continue to sound their horns at regular intervals – the pursuit is still on.

Your exfiltration is much swifter than your cautious approach – having slain the Tegean patrols on the way in, and with many more patrols in pursuit after Pronax, your men are free to travel quickly upon the roads. You’re halfway to the “Dorian” camp when you hear it:

A single horn, baying from the east like a hound, carried on the night breeze – first long, then short, then long again. The horn repeats pleadingly, over and over. It has the sound of begging to your ear, a cry for help, perhaps? You hear an answering horn from the south – from the Archigeirian palace. This answering horn calls back decisively – short, short, short. The eastern horn ceases its imploring, and instead resumes its typical call.
You curse, intuiting the meaning of the horns:

First, the eastern horn: We need help!

Then, the Archigeiran palace: Keep pursuit – we are coming!

The Tegean nobility, perhaps even Archigeiros himself, must be riding east to personally intervene! This changes things – you must consider your next move very carefully.

>vote post next

>Order your honorguard to protect the hostage and the Tegean gold, transporting it safely to the “Dorian” camp. You are reasonably certain that they will not be discovered en route. You will proceed as quickly as possible atop Arion to Pronax’s position, and with your assistance, beat back any Tegean pursuers - if you can reach him in time.

>Maintain your position and heading, along with your honorguard – you will guard the noblewoman and the gold personally, even if this means risking Pronax’s life. QM’s NOTE: Obviously, if Pronax is captured or killed, it will spoil the secrecy of the cattle raid, and Argos will be revealed as the culprit.

>Some other strategy?

Anonymous

>>5991191
>Order your honorguard to protect the hostage and the Tegean gold, transporting it safely to the “Dorian” camp. You are reasonably certain that they will not be discovered en route. You will proceed as quickly as possible atop Arion to Pronax’s position, and with your assistance, beat back any Tegean pursuers - if you can reach him in time.
Alas, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

>>5991191
>Order your honorguard to protect the hostage and the Tegean gold, transporting it safely to the “Dorian” camp. You are reasonably certain that they will not be discovered en route. You will proceed as quickly as possible atop Arion to Pronax’s position, and with your assistance, beat back any Tegean pursuers - if you can reach him in time.

>>5991191
>>Order your honorguard to protect the hostage and the Tegean gold, transporting it safely to the “Dorian” camp. You are reasonably certain that they will not be discovered en route. You will proceed as quickly as possible atop Arion to Pronax’s position, and with your assistance, beat back any Tegean pursuers - if you can reach him in time.

>>5991191
>Order your honorguard to protect the hostage and the Tegean gold, transporting it safely to the “Dorian” camp. You are reasonably certain that they will not be discovered en route. You will proceed as quickly as possible atop Arion to Pronax’s position, and with your assistance, beat back any Tegean pursuers - if you can reach him in time.
To me, this looks like the best choice.
We start transporting stuff away and we help Pronax.

>>5991191
>>Order your honorguard to protect the hostage and the Tegean gold, transporting it safely to the “Dorian” camp. You are reasonably certain that they will not be discovered en route. You will proceed as quickly as possible atop Arion to Pronax’s position, and with your assistance, beat back any Tegean pursuers - if you can reach him in time.
We must aways, Pronax cannot be discovered. He must live.

>>5990852

>Oh haughty Pronax! A man who risks bloodshed for bloodshed leads upon a cattle raid of those who deem his dynasty friend.
>And assisting for obligations of blood mighty Hippomedon is forced to make acquantince and join Pronax on this folly.
>Seeking to avoid retaliation from both the gods and friend they did disguise themselves as that of the barbarian so none may know the truth.
>So confident in success did Pronax split away from the mighty Hippomedon and in the process sealing the fate of the endeavor as soon a horn was blown in the distance, something which a man such as Pronax should of easily prevented.
>As the sound of the horn echoed throughout the land as loud as the thunder of Zeus the Tegeans who until now were unaware of the occurrence within their own fields began to rally.
>And before the gods upon the realization of his jobbery for just a moment did Pronax kneel in silence.

(Think I screwed up the poem style but had fun making it regardless)

Lesches

Rolled 11, 5, 9, 12, 7, 18 = 62 (6d20)

Unlike your previous indecision, you know immediately what you must do – you must ride!

If you are first to reach Pronax, then his escape is assured, and your identities as Heraclidae will almost certainly be preserved. Even better, you ride the greatest steed in Hellas – he who once bore Hercules himself to victory against Cycnus. You inform your honorguard of your intentions, and they flash their hand-signs back to you – ride well, Lord! they say.

You are quick to collect a great fistful of Arion’s rich mane in your left hand, and prompting Arion’s flanks with a gentle touch of your heels, he bounds into a gallop.

Arion was once nearly uncontrollable, it is said, wild enough that even great Hercules had difficulty controlling his fiery nature, but he has grown calm under Adrastus’ ownership. He bears your great weight with little difficulty, accelerating faster and faster – the landscape streams by underneath you, only blurred shadows and moonbeams against the earth. You resist the urge to howl in excitement as Arion’s speed continues to increase – faster than you can imagine. You dare to look behind you and see that your men and the Tegean cart of gold are long since out of view – gods above, Arion can fly!

“Run, son of Poseidon!” you urge in Arion’s ear. “We ride to save your master’s brother – show me your speed!”

Arion makes no reply, does not even whicker in concern - he simply gallops harder. Impossibly - his strides lengthen even further, as he leaves the path entirely, bounding through the grounds of the Tegean estate. You barely have the time to duck under tree branches before they vanish behind you - Arion's great leaps push you both well over bushes, minor streams and low stone walls alike. His travel is effortless. There is a disorienting sensation - his hooves are propelling you faster than the world should allow for; Arion's hooves are finding solid ground where there is none, finding purchase even against soft earth. Arion's breathing does not change, does not alter - the divine flesh of the beast sustains it even as you become breathless in anxiety - Zeus on Olympus, what a stallion!

>Okay /qst/ - I need three rolls of dice+1d20+8. Hippomedon would normally enjoy a +4 horsemanship bonus between Gifted Athlete and his natural WILL bonus, but Arion provides a general +4 horsemanship bonus given that he is an LBA Ferrari. Please note that Hippomedon must travel farther to reach Pronax than the enemy riders. He must achieve at least one degree of success to arrive on time, and with two or more, will beat the enemy to Pronax.

>I will be rolling for the enemy – after all, you are in a race! Please note, there are two enemy riders, but they are traveling in a group – they move as quickly as the slowest member of the pair as a result. Manual bonus of +3 and +2 for these two - they don't have divine steeds.

Anonymous

Rolled 10 + 8 (1d20 + 8)

>>5991882
14 and 20 to beat.
I wonder since Arion is a god if crits are enabled with him. Actually now that I think about it, the royal stables probably have straight up demigod horses with FOB if he's been used as a stud.

Rolled 7 + 8 (1d20 + 8)

>>5991882

All in favor of letting Pronax bite it once the war starts say "Aye".

>>5991876
lmao, based.

>>5991903
It looks like Hippomedon gets to do the cool fashionably late tide turning shit. Don't die, uncle doofus.

Lesches

>>5991903

Actually, you guys only have to beat a 14 - since the enemy riders are a pair, and are traveling together as a unit.

As for Arion - <s>He occupies a strange position mechanically - he is "divine", but doesn't have god-crits, since I believe that Homer intended the divines to be fickle in social encounters. Hippomedon doesn't know this, but Arion would be very difficult to actually wound in a meaningful way - even if this somehow happened, his wound regen is insane. I haven't drawn up a stat block because it probably won't be necessary. I would finally add - divine or not - he's ultimately a horse. I would note that in the Odyssey, Helios has divine cattle on Thrinakia/Sicily, but these aren't really treated like Olympians.</s>

And finally - yes, of course, Adrastus has bred a line of demigod stallions - it's a significant part of his wealth!

>>5991891
>>5991903
>>5991905

>18 vs 14 - Hippo gets there just in time to confer with Pronax before the enemy arrives...

Update will come tomorrow night but there's like a 30% chance that I put it together before midnight EST.

Anonymous

>>5991908
>Arion would be very difficult to actually wound in a meaningful way
The desire to try and get Arion to act like a pokemon grows ever stronger, just imagine trying to block both Hippo's and Arion's blows at the same time.

Something I've been wondering is who wins more often in duels between Hippo and Cap?

Lesches

>>5991911

>who wins between Hippo and Cap?

Hippo would usually win in actual weaponsparring - he's faster and has real skill advantage, but it's important to note that sparring =/= real fighting, due the STR halving mechanic.

Cap usually wins in wrestling, boxing, feats of strength/endurance, but it's never a blow-out victory - Hippomedon makes him work hard for it. That being said, Cap is the ultimate blowhard Argive CHAD, his unbelievable physical gifts are both freakish and real... and he is definitely slower than Hippomedon, and doesn't have the patience to learn more than the basics of fighting technique, if that makes any sense.

In a true combat scenario between the two - honestly hard to know who would win. Hippomedon doesn't like to think about this given the implications...

Lanu

>>5991908
>Arion
Imagine being born of two human shaped gods only to come out a horse. Tough luck bro.

Niggapolys

Mad plan: disarm & kidnap the lord leading the Tegean pursuers while Pronax escapes, then have the footmen chase us before we drop the dude off & ride away.

Anonymous

>>5992110
This is the risk when your parents like to have sex while wildshaped. Just ask poor Sleipnir over in Norway.

>>5992677
Sleipnir got it good as fuck though. He's got the horse equivalent of being over 6 feet tall, he's huge. He also has more leg per horse ratio, bitches love extra legs. And depending on who you ask, he might be able to stride upon the wind itself, or in less flowery language, fly.

Arion got the short stick of divine horsery. Maybe he can breathe under water?

Lesches

>>5992683

I'm entertained to think that Arion is actually a fully-fledged god but just prefers LARPing as a horse all day to having to play politics on Olympus. Free food, free mares - not a bad life for larping horse-god...

Anonymous

>>5992706
>Don't tell anyone, but they give you free horse pussy here. Just make sure not to talk around the mortals.
Truly side splitting. Honestly 5d chess. And people say Zeus is cunning!

>>5992706
The words he spoke that one time were "No one will ever believe you."

Lesches

As you fly across the landscape to the east, you veer north towards the small brook that bounds the northern edge of the Archigeirian lands. As a trespassing blur along the banks of the stream, you see glimpses of sprinting Tegeans, torches in hand, as they track east towards your uncle.

A scant few minutes brings you to the eastern part of the estates, and from there, it’s easy to pick up your uncle’s path – the sprinting patrols are converging towards a central point as they run, and as you angle in, you begin to see direct evidence of Pronax’s passing.

Or rather, you see cattle-sign.

The earth is trampled on either side of the trail, and the trail itself is pockmarked with hooves. Overlaid on to, the smeared sandalprints of running Tegeans. Men and livestock moving at great speed make marks such as this! You resist the urge to cheer in excitement – such outbursts are unbecoming of an Argive prince, even when alone. Still, you are thrilled - Pronax has made good on his part of the raid, even if he is drawing practically all of Tegea behind him.

Arion slows somewhat as he tacks north of trail – he keeps a distance of forty strides, and you trust his judgment, as you shoot past a flagging Tegean squadron. These must be Pronax’s foremost pursuers – their torches are guttering, and the commoners lope ahead unevenly with fatigue. Your presence is certainly not missed by the Tegeans; a giant in bronze atop a thundering black stallion at full gallop can be hardly missed – the squadron’s horn-blower shatters the night with frantic calls, and a few wildly-inaccurate spearcasts are made in your direction. You have nothing to fear, as you outpace their weak casts – the Tegeans apparently too exhausted even to volley additional insults at your back.

Next, around a bend in the trail - the cattle appear! A rolling tide of flesh and horn, they bellow in protest as they are guided out of the estate. Arion slows his pace so that you can get a better look - by your guess, no less than five hundred of the beasts, moving together at significant speed. Fat cattle such as these have surprising endurance and speed, when properly induced to move. You quickly take in the relative speed of the herd, and turning, gaze back at the pursuing Tegeans – surprisingly, the cattle are outpacing their masters! The cattle are ringed by Pronax’s half of your mounted honorguard – your men expertly poke, prod and pry at the cattle to keep them running, waving their own torches when necessary. Altogether, they’ve done an excellent job – although it doesn’t escape your notice that your men seem somewhat bruised and battered; they’ve clearly fared less well in combat with Pronax.
Pronax himself sweeps into view atop his own gray stallion, and once he’s within earshot – you must yell quite loudly to be heard over the sound of hoofbeats – you don’t waste time in providing your assessment:

>cont

”Well done, uncle! But riders approach from the east – they’ll arrive any second! Pronax nods swiftly in understanding, replying with his own hoarse shout:

”What do you recommend, Hippomedon? Stand and fight?

Behind you, you hear the indistinct cheers of Tegeans – they are saluting their lords as they pass by! You have only seconds to determine a plan of action…

>wat do, /qst/?

>Hippomedon and Pronax dismount their steeds, stand fast upon the trail, and directly prevent the Tegean lords (whether Archigeiros himself or others) from passage. Combat on foot is generally preferable to "mounted" combat, given that saddles and stirrups don't exist yet. The IH will continue along with the cattle with all speed, as Hippomedon and Pronax fight. This is the most direct mechanism to ensure the success of the actual cattle-raid, but risks bringing Hippomedon and Pronax into active combat with Tegean nobility – accidental deaths may occur, with all the possible political consequences.

>Hippomedon and Pronax stay atop their respective steeds, stay close with the IH, and instead engage in “mounted combat” – which is to say, they engage in limited ranged warfare with the enemy Tegean nobility and other mounted forces. Hippomedon and Pronax will target the enemy horses in this scenario, hopefully avoiding needless deaths amongst the Tegean nobility. However, spears are limited and it is certainly possible that a lucky shot from the enemy topples Hippomedon or Pronax to the earth, isolating them. Furthermore, the men of the honorguard may also be attacked.

>Hippomedon and Pronax, rather than immediately engaging in combat, attempt to hail the oncoming Tegeans and convince them to give up pursuit, whether by bluffing, threat or (less likely) charming discussion. This is perhaps the highest-risk strategem, given that Hippomedon and Pronax are not known for their winged words, and such parley may reveal that they are not Heraclids and Dorians as they are pretending to be.

>Some other strategy?

Anonymous

>>5992717
>>Hippomedon and Pronax stay atop their respective steeds, stay close with the IH, and instead engage in “mounted combat” – which is to say, they engage in limited ranged warfare with the enemy Tegean nobility and other mounted forces. Hippomedon and Pronax will target the enemy horses in this scenario, hopefully avoiding needless deaths amongst the Tegean nobility. However, spears are limited and it is certainly possible that a lucky shot from the enemy topples Hippomedon or Pronax to the earth, isolating them. Furthermore, the men of the honorguard may also be attacked.
We can throw more than spears. Throw some tree branches. Helmets. Stones. Grab a bunch of junk to huck at our pursuers. We just need to give them a reason to fuck off. A dead horse or two would certainly do it.

>>5992717
>Hippomedon and Pronax stay atop their respective steeds, stay close with the IH, and instead engage in “mounted combat” – which is to say, they engage in limited ranged warfare with the enemy Tegean nobility and other mounted forces. Hippomedon and Pronax will target the enemy horses in this scenario, hopefully avoiding needless deaths amongst the Tegean nobility. However, spears are limited and it is certainly possible that a lucky shot from the enemy topples Hippomedon or Pronax to the earth, isolating them. Furthermore, the men of the honorguard may also be attacked.
Stunner time.

Actually, aren't horses afraid of fire? Can we throw a torch at the Tegean horses?

>>5992740
Horses also HATE snakes. Whether it be fear or absolute killing fury. They just don't want to be near them. That doesn't quite help us here.

Lanu

>>5992717
Is it summer? Or is there a lot of easily flammable material? If it/there is, we may try to set ablaze to it, creating a wall of fire to separate us from the pursuers. If not, let's go with the safest option:
>Hippomedon and Pronax stay atop their respective steeds, stay close with the IH, and instead engage in “mounted combat” – which is to say, they engage in limited ranged warfare with the enemy Tegean nobility and other mounted forces. Hippomedon and Pronax will target the enemy horses in this scenario, hopefully avoiding needless deaths amongst the Tegean nobility. However, spears are limited and it is certainly possible that a lucky shot from the enemy topples Hippomedon or Pronax to the earth, isolating them. Furthermore, the men of the honorguard may also be attacked.

Lesches

>>5992740
>>5992842

>Can you throw torches?

Definitely yes, this is a clever idea. If "mounted combat" wins, I'll give you guys choices on which ranged weaponry to use and what to aim at.

>>5992842

>Can we start a fire?

This is a great idea but Hippomedon and Pronax simply don't have the time to do so - don't forget everyone is currently moving at ~25-30 kph at the cattle bound down the trail!

Anonymous

>>5992907
Could we roll for finding a haystack or something like that? Any chaos we start works in our favour, even if it's pulling away 10 Tegeans from our pursuit and having them focus on putting the flames out.

Lesches

>>5992911

Uh, sure - if you wanted to burn a turn looking for environmental hazards if you could do so. But it would probably just be more efficient to directly attack the enemy in some fashion - you guys are riding on horseback currently so any environmental hazard would be quickly avoided by the enemy riders.

To some extent, the Tegean patrols aren't the main threat right threat - you guys are leaving them in the dust - it's really the oncoming Tegean noblemen that Hippomedon is worried about here.

Niggapolys

>Hippo charges the other riders atop Arion, using speed & surprise to trip & dismount them with spears & branches, then hurls missiles at any not sufficiently removed from combat
>Pronax escorts the Tegeans while warding off any further pursuers with his own projectiles

Lesches

Update will come tomorrow morning - I've been super busy today (98%) and on top of that, I'm getting absolutely BTFO as a player in World of Titans Quest, which is taking a lil bit of the wind out of my sails (2%). Great quest, though - turns out multiplayer kaiju quests are bretty cool.

Anonymous

>>5992717
>Hippomedon and Pronax stay atop their respective steeds, stay close with the IH, and instead engage in “mounted combat” – which is to say, they engage in limited ranged warfare with the enemy Tegean nobility and other mounted forces. Hippomedon and Pronax will target the enemy horses in this scenario, hopefully avoiding needless deaths amongst the Tegean nobility. However, spears are limited and it is certainly possible that a lucky shot from the enemy topples Hippomedon or Pronax to the earth, isolating them. Furthermore, the men of the honorguard may also be attacked.

Lesches

As tempted as you are to plant yourself on the trail and break the enemy this way, you cannot risk isolating yourself from your forces and the stolen cattle. You reply to Pronax’s inquiry, saying –

“No, uncle – we will fight them off from horseback and keep moving! Aim for their steeds – we must dissuade them from pursuit without sparking a war in the process.”

Pronax tilts his brazen helm in acknowledgement wordlessly, and you each slow your respective mounts so that you are between the oncoming Tegeans and the stolen cattle. Arion needs little oversight – you are free to angle your head and body as you ride, keeping your left hand firmly tangled amongst his mane, and with your right hand, you hold your spear ready. Your great brazen shield is strapped safely to your back – better this than trying to wield it and hold Arion’s mane at the same time. Pronax has made the same trade-off – his shield is strapped to his back, but unlike you, his steed is of more typical stock – he must limit himself to darting glances at the trail behind him as he keeps his horse on track.

You don’t have to wait long before your enemy comes into view – a team of two chariots, each drawn by four Tegean steeds, the beasts laboring and straining over the earthy trail. The lead chariot is driven by a tall and slender man – you cannot be sure of his identity, but the elaborate double-topped dark crest of his bronze helm suggests that it is Archigeiros himself underneath. He holds the reins in a practiced manner, and even from the distance, you see that he has an easy grace in the care of his chariot, and total control over his stallions – the man is an expert charioteer. To his right, a man of equal height and heavier build is brandishing a spear in your direction, and bellows confidently at you:

“THIEVES! I WILL SLAY YOU FOR YOUR TRESPASS UPON MY FATHER’S LAND!”

Well – you do not need to guess at his identity from the styling of his bronze, at least. He can only be Cleombrotor, a man ten years younger than you and accounted a fair soldier, although you’ve never had the opportunity to verify this yourself. The son of Archigeiros is still too far for a spear-cast, but you immediately discern that he is the larger threat of this foremost chariot – his father is too busy with the reins to attack you directly.

Immediately behind this foremost chariot, a second team rides – two figures in matching bronze with short white-crested helms, shorter than their elder brother and obviously too slender for the bronze that they hastily have donned. These can only be Kleobis and Evandros; the younger twin sons of Archigeiros. You know little of them besides their names and their ages – they are only fifteen summers old, barely men at all. Nonetheless, they have kept pace with their father and elder brother, and so must have some talent at the reins as well, although how well they can angle a spear-cast, you don’t know.

>cont

basically one guy drives and the other guy fights.jpg

Rolled 11, 4, 13, 9, 5, 19 = 61 (6d20)

The trail drifts northeast as you ride – frequent trees lining the trail serve as an inconstant screen between yourself and the enemy chariots, interfering with your line of sight. Each of you have a limited number of projectiles to cast, and so you must wait for the proper moment before you can strike. Your right hand itches in anticipation, and glancing ahead, you see a gap of the trailside vegetation – there will be a window where all four parties will have clear sightlines! You ready yourself for a spear-cast at the lead horse of Archigeiros’ car (for you are on the left-side of the trail), while Pronax aims for the more distant lead horse of the second Tegean chariot team (for he is on the right).

You gauge the distance expertly - the starlight illuminating your cast's future path through the night air clearly. The angle will be awkward, requiring you to twist atop Arion's back as you ride, reducing your typical strength, but you have no doubts that that you'll take Archigeiros' lead horse through the breast, killing it instantly. The moment comes, and you let fly your spear - and the other men take the same moment to cast their own. Pronax hurls his spear as best as he can, while the Tegeans hurl their own. Four spears criss-cross over the trail, flickering in and out of moonlight and shadows like diving falcons...

>Opposing ranged combat attacks in HomerQM’s original system are actually simultaneous, so we’re going to be skipping initiative rolls here (everyone wins at the same time!). By QM fiat, I'm dictating that non-divine horses have 12 HP as standard.

>Hippomedon will be auto-succeeding his spear-casts, but not his damage roll. I need ONE roll of dice+1d5+11 to see if Hippo kills the horse in one-shot like he thinks he can. Pronax will also be succeeding his spear-cast, but not his damage roll. I need ONE roll of dice+1d5+9 to see if he kills his horse.

>On my side, I'll be rolling for the Cleombrotor and Kleobis' spear-casts against Hippomedon and Pronax in a (C,C,C,K,K,K) format. Cleo is rolling with a +6 spearcast bonus and shooting at Hippomedon's back. Kleobis is rolling with a +4 spear-cast bonus and is aiming at Pronax's back. Yes, things could get fucked up here.

>I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20 to see if Hippo and Pronax shrug off these spearcasts - (H,P,H,P,H,P) format. Hippo has a current +9 block bonus (+3 CON, +3 Dorian armor, +3 blocking skill bonus), while Pronax has a +8 block bonus (+3 CON, +3 unmarked bronze armor, +2 blocking skill)

>Good luck, this is probably the most dangerous part of the cattle raid.

Anonymous

Rolled 1 + 11 (1d5 + 11)

>>5994255
Sorry horse, but please perish.

>>5994263
bruh. Well even if the horse lives, I can't imagine it can still actually RUN with an injury like that.

Rolled 3 + 9 (1d5 + 9)

>>5994255
For Pronax. Was going to call him "Prone-ass", but he actually seems to have come through with these cows. Good job, Uncle!

Lesches

Rolled 20, 20, 4, 14 = 58 (4d20)

>>5994263
>>5994276

Alright, so the lead horses of each chariot are dead, nice job.

Now I'm going to force the Twins and Archigeiros to roll CHARIOTEERING to maintain control of their chariots in a TT,AA format - the Twins and Archigeiros need at one least one roll under 14 and 17, respectively, to prevent a catastrophic crash. Two successes mean that they manage to maintain control, cut the dead horse loose and stick around for another round of ranged combat (with a significant malus)

>>5994301

>20,20

Holy fuck - the Twins... Shit, I need to think about this one for a second...

Anonymous

>>5994302
>tfw they did the movie thing of the super exaggerated massive quintuple car flip from a flat tire

>>5994301
Well looks like their chariots are suddenly made of fucking explodium. So did we just kill the entire Tegan royal line in one blow?

>>5994305
>>5994323

Okay, I think I’m going to give them a chance to leap out of the toppling chariot and basically enter a controlled fall, because they’re slender gymnast types. Unfortunately I’m hosting some family friends for the next several hours so I won’t be able to figure out the mechanics and roll for this until later tonight.

Still need the following though, fellas, feel free to roll again if you did one previously:

>I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20 to see if Hippo and Pronax shrug off these spearcasts - (H,P,H,P,H,P) format. Hippo has a current +9 block bonus (+3 CON, +3 Dorian armor, +3 blocking skill bonus), while Pronax has a +8 block bonus (+3 CON, +3 unmarked bronze armor, +2 blocking skill)

Rolled 14, 1 = 15 (2d20)

>>5994343
We just need to roll a 10 and Pronax needs to roll a 15.

>>5994360
Well Pronax is safe.

Niggapolys

>>5994343
This is going to be siiiick if we manage to get loot, IH XP, & carne asada out of this.

Anonymous

>>5994950
>IH XP
On that note, would the squads Pronax defeated also add to the current IH XP pool?

Lesches

Rolled 9, 18 = 27 (2d20)

>>5994950
>>5994968
>>5995024

Thanks for everyone's patience.

>>5994360
>>5994364
>>5994544

>Cleombrotor vs Hippo - 19 vs 23 - Hippo's shield deflects the spearcast!
>Kleobis vs Pronax - 23, 24 - close one! The back of Pronax's helm gets dinged-up, but otherwise no damage

>On that note, would the squads Pronax defeated also add to the current IH XP pool?

Yes, definitely, but believe it or not, Hippomedon will find out later that he only eliminated one squadron. Pronax had the easier path and the Tegean unit managed to band together, passed multiple morale checks, and generally speaking, fought like total badasses to Pronax's incredulity. By my rough count, this makes for 4/10 defeated units (Dorians, Hippomedon's two Tegean units, Pronax's Tegean Unit), plus ~2 months of hardcore drilling and training exercises (which behind the scenes, halved the requirement to go from Tier 3 to Tier 4).

Okay, I figured how I'm going to work the Twins chariot explosions. Each Twin will be forced to make a roll-under AGI test:

>Their AGI is their strong-suit, as they're very good sprinters, it's 18 - but they're both wearing heavy bronze armor, so I'm applying a -4 context modifier to this. So they basically have to roll under a 15. If they succeed, they manage to leap away safely.
>Each degree of failure will trigger a 1d4 in damage. It will be possible but pretty unlikely that either twin dies as a result, which seems logical to me - after all, they're wearing bronze armor.

Rolled 4, 1 = 5 (2d4)

>>5995040

Looks like Evandros botched his escape:

>15,16,17 - one degree of failure
>18,19, 20 - two degrees of failure

Rolling a dice+2d4 to determine damage dealt.

And actually, I misspoke earlier - the Twins have 9 HP apiece, so Evandros actually can't die here, but he CAN get super fucked up....

>>5995040
>>5995041

>Evandros takes 5 damage - some cracked ribs and a broken arm, but he'll make a full recovery after some weeks.

Alright, this concludes all of the math for this turn of combat, I should be able to post an update somewhere around 1-3pm EST.

<s>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ata<wbr>8CghPGIY</s>

In rare moments such as these, time stretches – the grind of Chronos momentarily stuttering in surprise. Your well-aimed spear swims slowly through the air, piercing the chest of Archigeiros’ lead horse – it seizes and begins to rear wildly as it dies. Your gaze drifts above the dying beast - Cleombrotor is hacking at the binds of the dying beast with a silver-nailed sword, the razor edge moving closer in infinitesimal fractions. His father, King of Tegea, is straining at the reins, drawing them decisively to his right hip; the chariot beginning to buck fiercely, slowly rising on its right wheel. The clearance will be enough – the chariot bounces over the fallen lead horse but stays righted; Archigeiros will be able to maintain his speed even with only three horses, at least for a time.

A flash of bronze in the corner of your eye triggers alarm - instinctively, you angle your back as you ride, Cleombrotor’s return-cast striking the center of your strapped shield truly – but the bronze disc holds, and the cast deflects away into the dark. You glance back at your pursuers and what you see astounds you – Pronax’s spear has embedded itself into his equine victim, causing it to collapse instantly. The horse’s body crumples slowly against the earth, its lips peeled back grotesquely, and the colliding corpse reveals some fault in the left wheel of the twins’ chariot, shattering it – the car of the chariot drops violently to the earth, and one of the twins, on the right-side of the car, has the presence of mind to vault off the deck of the car – his wild leap transforming into a controlled tumble as he flies. The other is not so lucky – he attempts the same, but the dropping left-side of the deck robs him of sure footing, just as the chariot smashes against the ground, abruptly decelerating – his shins are caught against the top of the chariot, flinging him violently forwards over his chariot-team. He breaks his fall against the rocky earth with a stiff right arm; you see it bend wrongly before he begins to slide against the rough trail.

You glance left, and see Pronax’s helm is askew; he is struggling to restore his vision by rotating it back into place – you must have missed it, but the return cast from the twins must have spun his helm across his face, a near-miss indeed…
Time restores its normal march forwards – your ears are assaulting by the shrieks of Tegean horses as they die or suffer broken limbs. You hear a prince’s voice shouting:

”EVANDROS, EVANDROS!

Turning, you see the shouting young man, the nimbler twin, sprinting to his fallen brother – clearly, he must be Kleobis. Behind him, their chariot is an unrecognizable mess of splinters; their horses in a thrashing heap, some with broken legs. The twins are now out of the race – their chariot smashed to pieces.

>cont

Your eyes flick back to Archigeiros and Cleombrotor; Cleombrotor does not turn to see his fallen brothers, but instead vaults athletically out of his father’s chariot, sprinting as he lands, and keeping pace with his father. He has a new spear in his hand, and already, you see the subtle change in his body language – he is gauging the distance for a new spear-cast! You hiss in frustration – he does not intend to fall into the same trap as his younger siblings – he’s forcing you to target him separately! Without his bulk in the chariot, Archigeiros will be able to keep pace with you more easily. It’s something you might have done in similar circumstances…

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Pronax take aim at another of Archigeiros’ horses – but what will you do? Your right hand begins to dart for a weapon –

>to disambiguate, Cleombrotor has given up his “instantaneous” initiative to reposition himself, so Hippomedon has the time to strike first here. Once this vote is decided, we'll tackle the math. This vote will end at 2pm EST tomorrow.

>and you withdraw one of the lesser Tegean spears from your back to cast at Cleombrotor! Such a missile would almost be certainly be lethal to the man, but you simply cannot risk another spear-cast from the man, he is too dangerous!

>and you grasp one of the “Argive Stunners” from your belt to cast at Cleombrotor! A successful hit would stun the man, toppling him, and would likely spoil his spear-cast in the process.

>and you withdraw one of the lesser Tegean spears from your back to cast at another of Archigeiros’ steeds! You resolve to simply withstand Cleombrotor’s return cast and leave him in the dust – he cannot keep this pace indefinitely and without weapons, his options will be limited.

>Something else I haven't thought of?

Anonymous

>>5995225
>and you grasp one of the “Argive Stunners” from your belt to cast at Cleombrotor! A successful hit would stun the man, toppling him, and would likely spoil his spear-cast in the process.
This is the culmination of our write-ins! Our preparations were all for this!

Niggapolys

>>5995225
Holy h*ck, Cleombrotor is a chad, shame he isn't on our side for the war. Unless we forge something indicating a Theban-Dorian alliance....

FROM THE TOP ROPE, WITH THE ARGIVE STUNNER
Is my first instinct, but actually if he only has time for one cast, & we have the fleetest steed in the world quite possibly...

>Target Archigeiros' transmission (& steal his catalytic converter)
>Compel Arion to serpentine/dodge out of the way

Anonymous

>>5995225
>and you grasp one of the “Argive Stunners” from your belt to cast at Cleombrotor! A successful hit would stun the man, toppling him, and would likely spoil his spear-cast in the process.

>>5995225
I see a devious and truly greek choice of murdering the royal line, but I recognize it truly wouldn't help anyone.
>and you grasp one of the “Argive Stunners” from your belt to cast at Cleombrotor! A successful hit would stun the man, toppling him, and would likely spoil his spear-cast in the process.

>His father, King of Tegea
Wait, the actual king is here?
Side question, but can Hippo get a bow?

>>5995894
>can Hippo get a bow

Can? Absolutely. Would he? Fuck no. AFAIK, bows, and ranged weapons in general, were considered for faggot losers/The Poor in this era of Greece, so Hippomedon, who cares quite a bit about his reputation, wouldn't even think about picking up any ranged weapon that isn't a javelin/a particularly large stone.

>>5995920
Didn't even Herakles use a bow? Isn't Apollo known for using a bow as well?
Besides, I don't know if anyone will criticize the man with biceps larger than their skull about shooting people lest they end up on the wrong end of his arrows.
IIRC archery is STR+SKILL, so it would be as effective as javelin, but ya know without throwing away Hippo's weapon, who knows maybe he can use it to shoot people in the foot when we want to capture them instead of throwing at 30% STR and praying the poor sod survives.

Lesches

>>5995894

Whoops, ignore that line - Agepenor is chilling at home in his royal Palace. Not sure how that crept in.

Anonymous

>>5995225
>>and you grasp one of the “Argive Stunners” from your belt to cast at Cleombrotor! A successful hit would stun the man, toppling him, and would likely spoil his spear-cast in the process.

>>5995924
Did you know that there is a spot in the human foot that when struck by an arrow will cause the entire body to explode? Scary stuff.

Lesches

Rolled 7, 2, 6 + 5 = 20 (3d20 + 5)

>>5996215

Actually, did you know that it is actually possible to strike a critical hit against a human?

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/heal<wbr>th/diseases/24572-commotio-cordis

---

Okay, it's unambiguous that Hippomedon is going to be throwing his signature FOUR-SEAM FASTBALL against Cleombrotor's dome. The Stunner is basically a suped-up baseball, and Hippomedon has an early grip on the thing - there's no "awkwardness" strength penalty here, so he's throwing with his full STR bonus to determine if the hit is successful. We're going to roll this out since there's a small possibility that Cleo's helm deflects the shot.

So I need THREE rolls of dice+1d20+13 to determine success of the attack. In this case, Hippo's Gifted Athlete trait bonus applies, but his martial combat bonii do not. Cleo is rolling to defend - his natural CON bonus is +2 and he's wearing full royal-quality panoplia for an additional +3 bonus. Men of the Tegean royal line are more well-known for their agility and quick-thinking, rather than brawn and toughness (like the Argives).

>>5996582

>Cleo rolls a 13, he cannot withstand Hippomedon's attack no matter what

Kek, what a poser.

Forget the attack rolls, someone give me a dice+1d2+6 to determine damage dealt to Cleo. Please note that he can't actually die here, we're just determining whether he has a traumatic brain injury vs a horrible concussion.

>>5996584

Oof, I’m tempted to dust off Deianira’s old physician “permanent wounding” tables but I think I’ll grant Cleo a long road to recovery. He is wearing a helmet after all…

Anonymous

>>5996582
>Actually, did you know that it is actually possible to strike a critical hit against a human?
I was in fact aware of this. Seen an old lady get punched in the chest and fall over and go into cardiac.

We also require regular CON saves and on a 1 we suffer random brain aneurysms and die.

Lesches

oops, and I need a roll for Pronax against the Tegean horse as well

One roll of dice+1d5+9 please!

>>5996627

<s>I've successfully resisted dead horse jokes this whole raid, are you proud of me, Σοφροσυνη? </s>

Update shortly.

Your great hand wraps around the heavy ball of leather and stone - and with a single motion, you hurl it precisely at Cleombrotor’s head! He doesn’t register your motion – there’s no change in his positioning or his stride as the stunner darts towards him like a diving falcon. He’s so focused on his imminent cast that your stunner catches him completely by surprise - there’s an audible CLANG like the ringing of a bell, and the prince’s legs can no longer bear his weight. Dropping his spear, he crashes into the earth thunderously, and his armor clatters upon him; he is motionless, limbs askew. You hear the frightened screaming of Kleobis, now concerned for his eldest brother as well, but ignore these wailings – he and his brothers are no longer a threat.

Archigeiros has fared little better – Pronax has planted another spear into the breast of a prized stallion, and the slaying of the creature forces Archigeiros to drop his reins and wildly hack at the bonds of the horse. The lack of direction causes the chariot to careen wildly out of control – akin to Phaethon’s disastrous flight over Aithiopia. Archigeiros manages to release the dead horse before his chariot is destroyed, maintaining control, but the chase is finished. With two of four horses dead, he must bring the chariot to a halt. The Tegean man loses his composure and howls wordlessly in rage and frustration; it is a sweet music to you!

You glance at Pronax, who is scanning the back-trail as you just did – with the Tegean noblemen beaten aside, and their foot-patrols unable to keep pace, you’ve escaped! Relief wells up into your throat, but you resist the urge to release an unmanly whoop of joy – such conduct is unbecoming in the ideal Argive soldier.

Pronax meets your gaze, his dirty horse-hair crest ruffling in the night breeze, and gives you a warrior’s salute, fist raised high – you return the gesture at once. As you ride clear of the Tegean estates, you reconstitute your honorguard at your previous campsite, collect your donkey-cart of Tegean wealth (bound hostage within) and guide the cattle at a more sustainable pace north. You learn that Chabrianos, your intrepid scout, had created a beeswax and charcoal mixture, and then promptly sealed the ears of the hostage. She is now quite deaf, in addition to being blind and mute, he assures you. You make a mental note to supply the lad with a night of wine and women upon your return to beautiful Argos.

Atop Arion, you tally your spoils gleefully:

>500 head of prime Tegean cattle.
>1 donkey-cart of Tegean gold, jewels, and goods (worth approximately another 500 cattle)
>1 noblewoman hostage of uncertain value.

While you had been hoping for more cattle, you’re nonetheless pleased with the raid. Additionally, after conference with Pronax, you are quite certain that your identities as Heraclids have not been compromised. The conclusion is clear:

The raid was a success!

<s>QM’s note: Well done, players – you successfully charted a reasonable course through a risky heist, did not take excess risks, and when serendipity provided you a gift – you took it and ran!</s>

I ran out of time for the next vote post, but I'm hoping to get this up by tomorrow afternoonish EST.

Anonymous

>>5996654
Based scout is based. Love that little guy.

I feel that what we've done here will have unforeseen consequences. If word of this gets out, we can expect permanent bad relations with the Tegeans.<br>And the noblewoman is a risk we should be careful about dealing with. I say we dump her in the darkest shed for a while at least.

>>5996980
>If word of this gets out

If word of what gets out? That the Tegeans got raided by a bunch of oddly silent and well-disciplined Dorians, the leader of which was riding a fuck-massive horse? There's honestly very little that can be used to point fingers at us, and what little there is intensely circumstantial, <s>unless we've got a worm in our ranks.</s>

>the noblewoman is a risk we should be careful about dealing with

She's a woman, what threat could she possibly be?

>>5997525
>She's a woman, what threat could she possibly be?

>>5996654
Magnificent!

>>5997544
Anon taunts the fates, truly...

>>5997600
Boy wants to suicide speedrun. Depression any%

>>5997675
We came for bronze and struck gold kek

Lesches

No update tonight on account of me just having a really fuckin hard day. Everything’s fine, but sometimes you just have to make a tactical retreat and regroup tomorrow.

>>5997675

Anon, I want you to know that this meme sparked joy for me and an honest-to-god tear to my eye on a tough night. What a ride it’s been…and the best is yet to come!

Be well, friends - update tomorrow!

Anonymous

>>5997706
Feel better soon, QM. Thanks for the update!

>>5997544
While she is merely a woman, we don't know who she is nor what is she capable of (or more dangerously, who she can complain to).
Also, she might be smart.
>>5997525
>unless we've got a worm in our ranks.
Or maybe some god interested in her.

Lesches

The rest of the night is spent riding at a fair pace - men and cattle settling into a more sustainable rhythm for the drive to Argos. You periodically send scouts ranging your back-trail, but no Tegeans pursue - your brutal punishment of Archigeiros’ heirs was warning enough, it seems. As Nyx’s shawl begins to slip from the sky, and the first glimmers of yellow-robed Eos appear to the east, your party crosses into the Argolid proper. The cattle must be watered and rested, if only for a time - you must travel quickly as you can before it becomes too hot for the herd.

Pronax, to his credit, seems to know every hidden pass and river-bank on the way home, only rarely using the common roads. On numerous occasions, he runs the cattle over hard rock or through shallow brooks; such are the techniques of an expert cattle rustler when he seeks to hide his passing. In combination with his initial cunning of herding the cattle through the river delta just north of Archigeiros’ estate, you’re quite confident that none can easily trail you. As for witnesses, you see no travelers – which is to say, there are no travelers deaf enough to miss your approach (because five hundred trotting cattle are not truly stealthy), or dumb enough to believe such contact safe. Most commoners know that castle rustlers will kill for a secret, and those ignorant of this are destined to tramp for a century unavenged on the wrong side of the Lethe, deep in the underworld.

Finding a small brook, you halt the herd - the cattle drink deeply from the rippling waters, roughly shouldering past one another to drain the small stream nearly dry. You catch Pronax’s eye and signal that you wish to speak - it is time to address the hostage issue. Catching Chabrianos by the shoulder, you command him to water the hostage as well – carefully, as to not damage the integrity of her makeshift earplugs.

Pronax, removing his helm, looks years younger - the excitement of the raid has freshened him, brought color to his cheeks. Perhaps a night without wine has also brought his natural vigor to the fore as well? He takes a moment to spit crudely onto the earth before speaking:

“You wish to discuss the hostage, nephew?” he guesses correctly. You nod and reply -

“What do you recommend, Pronax? The sale of the woman could spoil our concealment, but she may be worth her weight in timae. To discard the boon entirely seems unwise.”

>cont

Pronax purses his lips, and scrubs his sweaty scalp for a moment.

“Well, we’ll cross by Lerna, and the small swamp village there. Would be easy to done with her there, but gold is in short supply - you won’t easily scare up a buyer willing to pay what she’s worth. The men there will know you, of course, even with your Heraclidean bronze, but to swear a loyal Argive to secrecy is nothing.”

“Alternately, nephew, you might consider just bringing her to Argos proper – any number of nobility might be willing to purchase her from you, and serve as a middleman. There’s wealth aplenty in Argos, but secrets don’t keep quite as well in the Royal Palace, as you well know. A beautiful hostage may spark the wrong kind of attention.” Pronax is not wrong – such women have a way of inverting their imprisonment against their captors over time.

“And what of the other local cities? With Arion, much is possible. You could take the men, gold and cattle home, while I transport the hostage for sale.”

“Well, Orkomenos is a possibility – not too far into Arcadia, and with a neutral king to serve as wealthy buyer... They would hardly care about Agepenor, but how interested they may be in a hostage of unknown provenance is hard to guess. And, it is said that the Arcadians there are still prone to savagery – even after Zeus punished old King Lycaon, they sneak scraps of manflesh here and there, if you believe it. It’s more than half the reason Parthenopaeus runs as quickly as he does, if you ask me…” Pronax chuckles, recycling a joke that you’ve heard a hundred times before; you don’t bother to humor him.

“And what of Tiryns?”

“Ah, another good option – and on the wrong side of Argos, as well. The farthest away, but with a wealthy king. The men are civilized, wealthy, and they aren’t apt to care much about Archigeiros or Agepenor. One would imagine that they would prefer to stay in Adrastus' good graces, even if they guess your identity or our trespass...”

>Where will Hippo go with the hostage? Please note that increasing travel time also denotes an increasing probability of things going haywire. Also, Hippo has to RETURN to Argos with whatever Timae he obtains, so this episode could eat up another week of Hippo's very valuable time. The army of Argos is set to march soon...

>To the Lernaean village. PROS: Very quick resolution, medium chance of keeping cover. CONS: Poor reward.

>To Argos. PROS: Quick resolution, high reward. CONS: Low chance of keeping cover, possibility of political drama.

>To Orkomenos. PROS: Average resolution, medium reward, high chance of keeping cover, CONS: possibility of cannibals, slower transit.

>To Tiryns. PROS: High reward, reputable nobility. High chance of keeping cover. CONS: Very slow travel time, even with Arion.

>Nowhere – dump the woman on the side of the road to be discovered by passing travelers. PRO: Hippo’s cover is guaranteed. CON: No reward for the hostage.

Anonymous

>>5999001
>>To Orkomenos. PROS: Average resolution, medium reward, high chance of keeping cover, CONS: possibility of cannibals, slower transit.
Fear the men draped as wolves? Or some freaks that gobble man meat? Perish the thought. Along with all the fools who would bar our passage.

>>5999001
>>To Orkomenos. PROS: Average resolution, medium reward, high chance of keeping cover, CONS: possibility of cannibals, slower transit.

>>5999001
Hm. tricky. My old scheme won't work well if she emerges surrounded by stolen cattle, and with no dead kidnappers to have 'rescued' her from. nearby any longer (unless we brought their corpses, which I doubt).

I guess...

>To the Lernaean village. PROS: Very quick resolution, medium chance of keeping cover. CONS: Poor reward.
Let's not get greedy.

>>5999001
>To Orkomenos. PROS: Average resolution, medium reward, high chance of keeping cover, CONS: possibility of cannibals, slower transit.

Thinking on it, since Amp and Cap went questing in Arcadia I wonder what the chances of Hippo meeting them is if he goes to Orkomenos

Lesches

>>5999161

Not impossible, Hippomedon could very well run into them or hear about their exploits…

Anonymous

>>5999001
Could we drag her over to home, then hire/get a trusted man that speaks without an accent or with a foreign unidentifiable accent to converse with the hostage to find out who she is? For all we know, she might not even be Tegean.

Lesches

>>5999292

Definitely yes, but the hostage is not powerless here either, and she could very well turn the tables on any interrogator. Friendly reminder that mortal commoners have a WILL of 6 and susceptible to the wiles of beautiful women. Amphiarus would be the best possible interrogator in Argos, due to his insanely high WILL and relatively low Kleos, but he’s off traipsing around Arcadia with Cap and Patty at the moment… So it’s a delicate balance between getting the best price vs revealing your identities.

All things considered, players could decide that the “cost” of a minor war with Tegea could outweigh any short-term gain in Timae

Anonymous

>>5999308
We could always keep her blindfolded and with a bag over her head. She only needs to speak and hear. Or could we keep her in a shack until Amphiarus comes back?

Lesches

>>5999309

>can we keep her in a shack somewhere?

Again, definitely yes, but to be fair, this isn’t a tenable long-term solution - I’d have to give her some increasingly good chances to escape as time goes on, and if you guys put her under armed guard, we’re back to the “she might talk her way out” thing.

Tl;dr - yes, you can lock her up but there are risks with this too

Anonymous

>>5999001
>>To Tiryns
I'll put my vote to here if noone is backing my idea of getting someone unidentifiable to talk to her.

>>6000005
What a horrible night to witness gets.

Niggapolys

>>5999001
Very tough choice here, but ultimately we have no idea what poor fate may have befallen her had we not arrived, & we don't know for sure that there are really any beastmen/cannibals so...
>Orkomenos

>>6000045
Actually, scratch that shit, we're a goddamned Nobleman of ARGOS, if we're going to kidnap a woman for money, we're doing it HONORABLY. We've already upped our troops stats, we ride Arion with the lady en towe to:
>Tiryns
Tell Pronax he better drill them as hard as we have upon his return.

Lesches

Orkomenos

>>5999013
>>5999015
>>5999079

Lernaean Swamp

>>5999060

Tiryns

>>5999513
>>6000047

---

Orkomenos takes it! I'll have a short update out in a few minutes...

You consider your options with Pronax, but ultimately, the choice is clear – you will venture to Orkomenos. It is the closest city of reasonable size, with a king of some wealth (Pheilon, a direct male-line descendant of Lycaon himself, and master of huge sheepflocks), and even better, you are vaguely aware that relations between the Arcadian kings are typically strained. Tegea is now the seat of power within the forested realm, but this was not always so – before the floods of Deucalion’s time, Orkomenos was the capital of the region. The two cities, Tegea and Orkomenos, have vied for power over the centuries – but in your lifetime, Tegea is the more dominant. All that to say – you know little of King Pheilon, but he would likely accept a Tegean hostage for leverage over his more powerful rival, Agepenor.

You explain your logic to Pronax, and he shrugs his shoulders –

“As you say, Hippomedon – I trust your judgment. Of the two, I have met Agepenor only twice, and both times were decades ago. Bring home some sheep!”

The distribution of Tegean wealth amongst your honor-guard takes only a few moments; each man bundling what he can in his personal traveling sack. You commandeer two stallions to draw the (much lighter) donkey-cart, with the hostage inside. Given the heat of the day, and the Heraclid make of your bronze, you elect to place your armor within the cart as well. From a distance, you will hopefully appear to be large man in an under-sized cart, instead of a famed Argive giant. Finally, with a long length of rope, you tie Arion to the donkey-cart’s reins, so that he can amble alongside the cart or behind it, as he wishes. You wouldn’t dare tie Arion himself to a donkey-cart; such a thing is entirely beneath the divine horse. You’re not a man of piety but you’d sooner push the cursed cart yourself than risk the anger of the gods at the mistreatment of one of their own.

The hostage does not stir, still wrapped in her hide tapestry and hidden another blanket, as you wave your goodbyes to Pronax and your honorguard; she must be insensate with fatigue. Your uncle and the other Argives drive the cattle through the underbrush and you quickly lose sight of them. Strange – the breeze changes as you take your seat, and that acrid scent fills your nose again; an unpleasant odor that makes you think of both dry forest litter and swamps. You turn behind you to check the hostage’s position, but find the donkey-cart’s covering to be motionless. Putting aside the strange scent, you, Arion and the donkey-cart set a brisk pace north – you push through your own sluggishness (for you’ve been awake for a full day and night at this point) and set a brisk pace north on the trail. You’ll need to camp for the evening later, but if you push the horses hard, you’ll reach Orkomenos on the afternoon of the second day…

>okay, /qst/, I need a dice+1d20 to take a spin on the Homeric Happenings table.

>good luck!

Anonymous

>>6000103
Silver lining, we got Arion with us and he can probably kick a hole in our enemies.

>>6000103
So we have now summoned <s>H*ctor</s> out of the aether to kill us again?

Lesches

>>6000166

He’s currently a very young kid in Troy, no need to fear.

This is a bad roll but Arcadia is not an “endgame” zone like the Royal Palace of Ilion, so the encounter tables here are not identical…

Rolled 10 (1d10)

Just a quick follow-up roll, don’t mind me…

>>6000446

Intradasting, the die shows the way…

Anonymous

>>6000450
Lisan-al Gaib - the dice must flow

Lesches

Updates might be sparse this weekend, I’m at a minor league hockey game atm and have a full slate until Sunday.

Can probably get out two updates, but I know exactly what I want to do…

Anonymous

>>6000830
>but I know exactly what I want to do…
Furries?

Lesches

>>6000858

Kek, absolutely not. Only deities can get away with such degeneracy.

Anyways, there’s a 100% chance of an update before 12am EST and a smaller chance that I get it out for 3pm EST. Just gotta find the time in a pretty busy day to assemble and post.

Your travel for the rest of the day is unremarkable, as you sit within the donkey-cart (although now pulled by Argive stallions) and thread your way into the Arcadian wilds. You release Arion’s line, and trust him to keep pace – he seems to relish in his freedom, trotting briskly through the grasses and fields alongside the trail north. On one or two occasions, you lose him in the underbrush, but each time, he returns to you with a mouth dripping with river-water. The few pedestrians on the roads are all men of common descent – they stare at you, Arion, and your donkey-cart with great curiosity as they pass, but to a man, they do not tarry to make conversation with you. Even without your bronze, you clearly a man of great physical capability; not a stranger to trifle with. They greet you politely (“Hail, Lord!” and “Zeus favor you, Lord!”) and speed on down the path.

Behind you, the hostage barely stirs within her binds; perhaps, she has lost all hope of escape. That evening, you make camp within a shadowed glen where you, your cart, Arion and the Argive steeds can comfortably rest. You water the Tegean noblewoman after you’ve made camp that evening, and she drinks greedily - but she makes no attempt to speak with you, either, her face set grimly. It is admirable of her – and constant squawking on her part would irritate you, so you are grateful for her resolve. You don your bronze and prepare to sleep upright, sitting against a great cypress tree, with your spear-in-hand – sleeping under any circumstances is a soldier’s trick you learned long ago, and having been awake for nearly two whole days, you are certain that Ὑπνος, lord over all mortal men and all gods, will grant you rest without delay.

You eyes slide close beneath your helm –

And you startle awake, hearing rustling amongst the underbrush. It seems that no time at all has passed, but the stiffness in your limbs tells you that hours have slipped by; a glance at the sky tells you that it is near-midnight. You hear the scrabbling draw closer, and standing, heft your spear. A small animal, perhaps, but you prepare to strike - your right arm awakening. The creature tumbles out of the nearest shrub and you move to strike!

But the animal cries out:

“Wait, wait!”

Peering in the gloom, you see that the creature is a small man – barely more than a boy, in truth, in ragged and filthy linothorax, hair strewn with leaves. His eyes are frantic and wild, his face covered in mud and streaked with sweat; the results of a panicked dash of a man with no tradecraft amongst the wilderness. He is obviously unarmed – and as he takes your person in, he kneels at once, bowing his head and spreading his hands wide in supplication. You see at once that his left arm once held a bucker – two clean stripes on his arm where the leather straps held it in place. He is still pleading, a high-pitched and babbling stream, his words slurred by terror:

>cont

“Lord, Lord – forgive my trespass on your camp! But you have been sent by Zeus, surely – who else may have? All things in the sky and earth are within his remit; thank you, Zeus, thank you! Lord, Lord – you must follow me! My father – he has been in pursuit of my brother and I for three days; he seeks to kill us both!” The man immediately irritates you – his presumption offensive. He bursts into your campsite and then begs you to leave it? You speak your doubts aloud:

“And what business of this is mine, vagrant?” Your voice is cutting - you intend to cast aside -

“It is the business of all Hellenes – this war between Argos and Thebes! Please, Lord, you must come – my brother is at the top of a great oak, not far from here, my father prowls below – I only just escaped myself…”

The man’s words stun you – you clarify:

“What could you possibly mean, boy?”

“I cannot explain it all here – we don’t have the time, Lord! – we are masons, gatecrafters! My father, Koximos, was Royal Mason for King Oedipus; he is the bastard son of Itylus! Our family was ejected by Polynices, we wandered south from Boeotia in poverty. My brother and I – we seek revenge on the Thebans; you must come with me – you must stop my father!”

Your irritation vanishes; the boy’s pleading taking on an entirely different context. The name Itylus is vaguely familiar to you as a Theban one, but you cannot remember more … You put the thought aside as excitement grows – what have you stumbled across here? By chance, the former Royal Mason of Thebes and his warring sons fall into the lap of Hippomedon, prince of Argos? You wonder at the odds, but before you can ponder further, the boy has darted back through the bushes. Without a second thought, you are charging through the underbrush yourself, easily keeping pace with the boy; he introduces himself breathlessly as Charrados; his brother as Ilodros. Within a minute, the pair of you leap into a clearing, and you find that Charrados has been truthful:

An armed figure, spear at his side, is stacking sticks against the mighty hide of an oak tree, stuffing the gaps with underbrush and leaves. He is raging as he works:

“You will BURN, kinslayer! The Furies will pull you to pieces in Tartarus! What madness has taken you and your brother? HAVE I TAUGHT YOU NOTHING?!”
And from above him, you hear the plaintive voice of a young man, presumably Ilodros, shouting back:

“FATHER, NO! DO NOT SET ME ABLAZE! WE DID IT FOR YOU – FOR YOU!”

The men are slow to notice you – Charrados hiding partly behind you as you stride forwards into the clearing, spear in hand. Koximos whirls to face you, when he hears your heavy step, and seems to temporarily lose his composure at the sight of you, dropping to his knees, before he stands once more:

“Who are you? Is that my kinslaying son lapping at your heels? Thrust him into the bonfire as he deserves!”

>cont

a slight thematic breach but I feel it conveys the tone.jpg

You don’t hesitate to respond:

“I am Hippomedon Aristomachides, nephew to King Adrastus and Prince of Argos.”

There is a stunned silence in the clearing – now, it is your words that disorient and confuse. The scent of the night air is acrid, musty – an unpleasant animal odor had invaded your mouth, resting bitterly on the back of your tongue; you resist the urge to spit. Charrados, at your waist, is first to respond, whispering up to you:

“Lord Hippomedon, thanks be to Olympus – my brother Ilodros has at his waist the complete plans to the walls of Thebes, and all her gates! My father designed and built half them himself! – braced them against the magic walls that Amphion’s harp assembled. Lord, a literate man who can read these plans will know of Thebes’ strengths – and all the weaknesses of her fortifications! Think of what you could do with them!”

And from the top of the oak tree, Ilodros is screaming:

“FATHER, NO! VIKTIDOMOS WOULD HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING!”

And you see orange light flickering at the base of the oak tree – flames rising quickly through the dried leaves. Koximos turns to you, spitting venom:

“Hippomedon, these SERPENTS murdered their eldest brother, my beloved son Viktidomos, and stole precious documents. They are thieves and kinslayers; ask them if they deny it!”

You don’t speak, but you turn your head to Charrados – and he confirms the accusation, speaking quickly:

“It is true, yes – but my brother would have betrayed us in turn, fool that he was. How many uncountable thousands will die in the siege of Thebes? My brother couldn’t see that – couldn’t see how these plans could save so many innocent Thebans. I know you see the wisdom of it, Lord – if Argos takes Thebes quickly, many lives will be spared. Viktidomos was the best of us in all ways; we killed him as he slept, since we could not best him fairly.”

Koximos speaks to you again:

“Do not listen to whatever lies these snakes have whispered to you, Lord Hippomedon – help me bring them to justice and cast these kinslayers into the blaze! Let their roasting flesh be an offering to Zeus Παλαμναιος; every step they take offends him!”

And from the tree, you hear Ilodros:

“Charrados, I had hidden the plans before I became trapped up here – run while you can!” The flames crackly hungrily – already, they begin to ascend the oak tree’s bark to its lower boughs. Charrados is now begging you:

“Hippomedon, please! You have the strength to kill my father, save my brother and I, and recover the plans! Think of what you could do with them!”

All three men, now turn to you, begging for your decision – as the ranking nobleman present, famed soldier , and prince of Argos, you alone have authority and power to decide the fate of these men.

You wrestle with the choices available to you…

>What do, /qst/? This is a real pickle.

>Interrogate the three men further before making a decision. If this vote is selected, please also try to provide a specific single question to pose. Please note: Hippomedon has time for only one additional conversation before the blaze forces Iladros to leap to his death.

>Take the side of the brothers – kill their mutual father, save Iladros and recover the Theban plans. As disgusting as their kinslaying is, you must align with them to gain these plans and best prepare Argos for victory.

>Take the side of the aggrieved father, Koximos – no matter how valuable these Theban plans are, you cannot align with traitors and kinslayers. How can you trust the word of men who easily admit to the murder of their innocent elder brother in their sleep? Argos will have to win the war against Thebes through force of arms alone.

>Something else I haven’t thought of?

Anonymous

Nightingale ancestor, city plans, and kin slaying. Bad optics.<br>Don’t suppose we can take the route of either capturing all of then or just straight up murder all three.

Wouldn't him killing his sons also be kinslaying? Shouldn't what he be trying to do is capture them, bring them before some authority, probably a temple, then letting justice be done upon them? This is all very unusual. Then again, if he really is this fuckass mad he's probably going to be acting stupid.

Lesches

>>6002581
>>6002586

>Can you kill all three or capture all three?

Killing all three would be trivial, although the father is apparently blameless as far as Hippomedon knows. Capturing all three is possible, but it’s difficult to know if he could prevent them from killing each other later at some point.

>>6002586

Obviously the father thinks that he is bringing justice to his sons - I leave it to you to decide whether his actions might also constitute a crime.

Anonymous

>>6002563
>Capture all three
Spooky animals

>>6002563
>>6002613
Sorry for the tardiness but I will back this guy. Grabbing them all would be ideal. Then we can make decisions on what to do with them at our leisure. Kill them or otherwise.

>>6002788
I mean is there a reason we shouldn't just straight up side with the sons? Like we can keep them all hostage until we secure the documents so they don't pull any fast ones but not only do we benefit from siding with the brothers the father is a hypocrite too blinded by grief to even realize such. As you mentioned if he actually cared about justice he would of brought them to the ancient greek equivalent of proper authorities to be judged but instead is planning on doing the exact same crime he condemns his sons for with himself reigning as judge jury and executioner.

>>6002875
This whole thing is super weird though. The only better person we could have run into out here is Polynices with his dick out. I'm a bit perplexed by such uncommon fortune. So I am perhaps being too pensive.

>>6002885
Now you mention it it's odd that Charrados says his brother has the plans on his hip but then his brother says he hid the plans before ending up in his current situation. Now this normally could make sense but they have been chased for three days and apparently, Charrados has only just now escaped. Also what point would Charrados have to whisper anything to us if not to hide what he is saying from his father? With these thoughts I say the question we should ask before passing judgement is this.

>Ask the father what documents they stole

Also relevant tidbits in order
>My father – he has been in pursuit of my brother and I for three days; he seeks to kill us both!

>my brother is at the top of a great oak, not far from here, my father prowls below – I only just escaped myself…”

>Charrados, at your waist, is first to respond, whispering up to you:
“Lord Hippomedon, thanks be to Olympus – my brother Ilodros has at his waist the complete plans to the walls of Thebes, and all her gates! My father designed and built half them himself! – braced them against the magic walls that Amphion’s harp assembled. Lord, a literate man who can read these plans will know of Thebes’ strengths – and all the weaknesses of her fortifications! Think of what you could do with them!”

>“Hippomedon, these SERPENTS murdered their eldest brother, my beloved son Viktidomos, and stole precious documents. They are thieves and kinslayers; ask them if they deny it!”

>“Charrados, I had hidden the plans before I became trapped up here – run while you can!”

>>6002910
Ah whoops mild formatting error regardless we got time to ask one question so might as well use it, this probably isn't the best situation to ask for the circumstances but its the only one I can think of at this time.

>>6002914
*question meant to say question not situation my bad let my brain wander ahead of my hands there.

>>6002910
Also not relevant to my line of thinking but one more minor detail I think is a bit odd considering his claimed occupation as a mason and the current situation.

>You see at once that his left arm once held a bucker – two clean stripes on his arm where the leather straps held it in place.

>>6002563
>>6002613
Support. Capture all three, interrogate them with no time pressure. >>6002910 is right that the story smells fishy

>>6002923
Last oddity im going to mention that I just noticed is this

Here the motive is laid out as revenge against the Thebans
>My father, Koximos, was Royal Mason for King Oedipus; he is the bastard son of Itylus! Our family was ejected by Polynices, we wandered south from Boeotia in poverty. My brother and I – we seek revenge on the Thebans; you must come with me – you must stop my father!

But here he claims its to save the Thebans
>It is true, yes – but my brother would have betrayed us in turn, fool that he was. How many uncountable thousands will die in the siege of Thebes? My brother couldn’t see that – couldn’t see how these plans could save so many innocent Thebans. I know you see the wisdom of it, Lord – if Argos takes Thebes quickly, many lives will be spared. Viktidomos was the best of us in all ways; we killed him as he slept, since we could not best him fairly.

Again just like the bucker not 100% sure what to make of this but it's a pretty damning contradiction in my eyes.

>>6002563
>Capture all three.

Perhaps Hippomedon could simply smack both mortals upside the head and then tell the one in the tree to get down or burn.

>>6002939
Good catch. They can't be trusted. They can't even keep their story straight.

>>6002563
>Take the side of the aggrieved father, Koximos – no matter how valuable these Theban plans are, you cannot align with traitors and kinslayers. How can you trust the word of men who easily admit to the murder of their innocent elder brother in their sleep? Argos will have to win the war against Thebes through force of arms alone.
>Capture him, too, though.

Can't just let him go free, mind you.

Niggapolys

This shit is mad sussy & likely a ruse by some Daemons or Gods to steal our captive away from us. We need to return to her ASAP. Her ears are still filled with wax, clever Chabrianos be praised? If so we risk little dragging them back. The father is clearly in the right to dole out justice upon his own sons, but bsyond some test of character by the Gods, it matters little. We want the Theban wall plans if they actually exist. If not, we can leave them tied up to figure things out themselves.

>Capture via the ARGIVE STUNNER OFF THE TOP ROPE or simple "wrastlin," tie them up, & drag them to our camp
>Ask Arion to sniff out any truth or falsehood when we interrogate them

Anonymous

Anon's almonds were activated. Hippomedon's braincells have worked. THESE MOFUGGAS TWEAKIN. Can't trust these fuckers. We should make sure there aren't a ton of them waiting on the treeline.

Niggapolys

>>6003015
Also, if we get back & she's gone, break everyone's legs (both), then pursue her with Arion

Anonymous

>>6003015
You know I was really hoping that since Hippo doesn't have FOB that he wouldn't proc divine intervention so often. But Arion being a literal horse god probably throws that shit out the window.

>>6003019
>break everyone's legs
Hippo definitely strikes me as brutal enough to do that. If he really wanted to prevent them from murdering each other when captured, he could just break hands so they cannot commit violence, but this entire thing stinks of supernatural mischief.

Lesches

I’ll let the vote run until 8pm EST per usual, but seeing broad consensus for:

>capture all three for further interrogation, something is amiss here…

Anonymous

>>6003015
Take plans, let the old man kill the youths?

>>6003602
As people already said, the old man is morally correct, the gods might be watching. However, we also have a moral obligation to Argos and our soldiers to pursue what is good for them, and that is the wall plans.

Lesches

Okay, you guys have done a good job of finding inconsistencies in the last update, but there’s one last set of clues buried in the update. If one of you guys figures out what it is, Hippo will have an auto-success on this next action.

Anonymous

>>6003623
I mean I can't think of anything else other than that recurring smell. The same that keeps popping up around the woman. But I don't know the relevance, personally. It means something but my understanding of Greek myth and ancient culture isn't sufficient to tie it into anything.

>>6003623
>>6003632
Oh and the whole "We did it for you" bit. When the dad is very clearly pissed about it as if he didn't want it to happen. But that could be interpreted as the boys being stupid. Then again, their story keeps changing about WHY they killed their eldest brother. So I feel like either way that's been covered.

>>6003623
>Our family was ejected by Polynices
Is it this? Because I’m quite certain Eteocles is king of Thebes not Poly

>>6003744
<s>I'll be honest, I don't know which is which.</s>

Niggapolys

>>6003632
Is it the same smell from the Temple of Dionysus when we met our wife at Argos?

Anonymous

>>6003932
You mean the smell associated with Divine fuckery and people trying to pull a fast one on THE HIPPO?

Lesches

>>6003932

It’s not - the Temple aroma was sort of pleasant and intoxicating, and the current event is sort of animalish and bad.

>>6003744

This is another inconsistency, but not the big clue. Don’t feel bad if you guys don’t get it, this is a new trick that I’m pulling on you guys.

Hippomedon is definitely on the right track here, even if he hasn’t totally figured everything out…

Anonymous

>>6003623
Is Koximos even a Thebian name? I don't know enough about ancient greek name origins to really confirm this so its effectively just a guess.

Relevant Bits:
>Koximos, was Royal Mason for King Oedipus; he is the bastard son of Itylus!

>The name Itylus is vaguely familiar to you as a Theban one, but you cannot remember more …

>>6003949
>Don’t feel bad if you guys don’t get it, this is a new trick that I’m pulling on you guys.
Well it's not much of a clue if it's a trick. Tsk tsk mister Queue Em Man.

>>6003951
>Itylus
Well Itylus is a dude who was killed by his mom by accident when she was aiming to murder her sister's children out out jealousy. The mom got turned into a nightingale by Zeus.

I don't know if Itylus had any kids desu

Lesches

>>6003951

Very very close here - you almost have it

Anonymous

>>6003949
> in ragged and filthy linothorax
Is it this? This is armor ancient greek soldiers wear right? Not something a mason would casually just be wearing.

>>6003963
Ah hell shoulda refreshed, alrighty let me think then.

>>6003964
>>6003951
>Koximos whirls to face you, when he hears your heavy step, and seems to temporarily lose his composure at the sight of you, dropping to his knees, before he stands once more

Maybe he's an Argive deserter, not a Theban? This could mean he recognised Hippomedon immediately

>>6003963
Ok so he claims his father was the Royal Mason for King Oedipus and that their father helped build and design the walls of Thebes BUT that doesn't make sense timeline wise does it? Like again my knowledge on ancient greek history is really screwing my ability to deduct here but i'd imagine that either the walls were already built by Oedipus time by some other guy or they weren't built yet at all.

>>6003973
Also relevant bits as usual.
>My father, Koximos, was Royal Mason for King Oedipus

>“Lord Hippomedon, thanks be to Olympus – my brother Ilodros has at his waist the complete plans to the walls of Thebes, and all her gates! My father designed and built half them himself!

Lesches

>>6003970
>>6003973

Ah, you guys are getting colder again, but I definitely appreciate the effort. I’ll throw you guys a bone since you’re 99% there: I never name my characters randomly.

One hour window before I post, last chance!

Anonymous

>>6003977
So at least one of the names doesn't make sense in some way but which one? I'm trying to think but drawing a blank ere

>>6003977
Wait hang on do thebians have a different pronunciation/spelling for Itylus?

>>6003992
So like instead of Itylus it's Itylos?

>>6003995
I don't know it's odd all their names end in os but they used the us pronunciation for Itylus instead of the Itylos one i'm outta ideas so if this aint it then gg.

Lesches

>>6003988

Nope, but you’re dancing around it.

>>6003992

Actually you caught me in a “Latinization” mistake here, should be “Itylos” per the original Greek myth. But also nope.

Don’t feel too bad anon, you’ve almost single-handedly reversed the entire situation with your analysis

Anonymous

>>6004001
Can all this thinking about how fucky the situation is be reflected in Hippo's attitude?

>>6004001
Ok so Itylus is Theban, he claims their father was a bastard of a thebian as such also a thebian yet at the same time (at first atleast) claim they want revenge on the thebians which he himself would be based off his story, he seems to keep a degree of separation from himself and the thebians despite supposedly being a thebian himself?

>>6004001
Why do I feel like this requires some kind of meta information? Perhaps I am really dumb so my mind is doing gymnastics to spare itself the shame. I'm stumped.

>>6004011
It's really funny imagining Hippo suddenly freezing up as he starts thinking REALLY hard and everyone else is just looking at him confused as hell.

>>6004001
Is this Pan or Hermes fucking with us somehow? This is Arcadia after all

Lesches

Alright, time's up - a very valiant effort on the players part, but you've missed the "killshot" so to speak. I'll reveal the last clue at the end of the thread if anyone's still curious. Update will be out shortly.

Anonymous

>>6004001
Hang on hang on didn't Polynices and his brother kill eachother for control of Thebes? How could Polynices of ejected their family if he didn't control the place.

>>6004055
Oh wait this was already called out nvm

>>6004054
Oh well was fun trying to piece it together frankly just happy I got as much as I did

>>6004054
Ok this is just for fun since its too late but just realized their father (presumably) only built the gates not the walls why would you make a gatecrafter the royal mason if he doesn't do any mason work?

Lesches

Something is amiss.

The murdering sons, the avenging father - the plans of Theban fortifications, the emergency of the burning oak... The coincidence of it all begins to curdle in your mind.

No, more than one thing is wrong here. You tally the inconsistencies - first, Charrados speaks of revenge against Thebans, but now speaks as though he wishes to save them. He says that his brother Iladros had the plans on his hip, and he had only just escaped from his father, but now his Iladros claims to have hidden them before Charrados fled - shouldn’t Charrados have known this? Why would a mason have had a buckler and linothorax to begin with? And finally - Polynices never had a chance to hold the Cadmeian throne, having been ejected by Eteocles beforehand. How could Koximos and his three sons have been exiled by Polynices prior – would Polynices have even had the authority to do so as a prince of Thebes? And finally, the urgency of the burning oak, giving you only tense moments to make a rushed choice…

Any one of these peculiarities might have been overlooked, but together, the whole tale presented to you is a ragged hide: full of holes. This is a sham - some deceit is being perpetrated upon you! You immediately set your spear and shield at the ready, and dance away from Charados and his father on agile feet, scanning the shadowed treeline for ambushes. You’re careful to keep the men in your view, and despite their pleading, keep your spear at the ready. This scenario has been laid before you in the hopes of making you choose a side; righteous father against betraying sons. You sense the trickery of a daimon or deity at work; you’ve never had the displeasure of such an experience before, but there can be no other conclusion.

Well, you will play along with this deceit no longer.

A pair of Argive stunners rest on your belt; the third lies somewhere on the trail outside Archigeiros’ estate. At this close range, shattering the shins and ankles of these deceivers will be trivial.
In a single rapid motion, you plant your spearpoint into the earth, grasp a stunner, and throw at Charrados – the heavy ball snaps his left ankle like a twig; he topples bonelessly to the grassy earth with a choking hiss. Your second throw, whip-fast, takes Koximos in the side of the right knee as he turns to flee - you hear the dull creaking of the joint as it breaks loose from its moorings inside his flesh. Unlike his son, he immediately unleashes wordless howling, full of scorn and poison. You stride forwards, and with your sandaled foot, you stomp upon the good leg of each man – they shriek in agony as you thoroughly cripple them, and weeping, they wail and cast vile curses as soon as they catch their breath.

>cont

Rolled 15, 11, 7, 19, 5, 2 + 3 = 62 (6d20 + 3)

To the third son, you roar out:

“ILADROS, DESCEND NOW BY ORDER OF HIPPOMEDON ARISTOMACHIDES, PRINCE OF ARGOS, OR I WILL PIERCE YOUR HEART WITH PITILESS BRONZE!”

There is silence, at first, before you hear the scrambling of the man as he drops from bough to bough – he must drop the final distance, jumping over the flames that are beginning to ascend the oak’s trunk. You catch him immediately as he picks himself up to run, your left hand wrapping around his fragile throat. You carry him easily to his family, as his feet kick and scrape in futility, and he begs in a strangled voice:

”I will not run, Lord – please do not hobble me…”

You ignore his pleas and keep your grip tight, as you inspect his belt – no scroll or map hangs there. Koximos and Charrados have ceased their wailing now, they whimper in outrage as they lie motionless in the grass. The burning oak now illuminates the entire clearing – a crackling roar as great flames overtake the ancient tree. The ruddy light reflects off your Heraclidean bronze; Iladros chokes and gasps as you hold him aloft before his father and brother. Each of the three men have the feral eyes of animals - wide with terror, rolling and darting in their sockets, licking at their lips... You wait for them for speak, but none of them do so - they are frozen in abject terror.

You have tolerated this foolishness long enough – you will force the truth from them upon threat of death.

“The first man to tell me the whole truth will live. Which daimon do you serve?! Where are the plans?!

>okay, /qst/ - I’m using QM fiat to determine that Hippomedon will apply his force of WILL. He currently enjoys a significant contextual advantage here, so I’m giving him a bonus dice. Additionally, you guys located four significant discrepancies in the tale (Charrados’ motivation, Charrados’ soldier gear, Iladros’ plans, and Polynices’ exiling of the family), so I’m assigning a +5 bonus to Hippomedon.

>I need THREE rolls of dice+1d20+5 to see how scary Hippomedon is right now.

>I’ll be rolling for Koximos, Charrados and Iladros – please note that they each have two die, they would normally be rolling at a -3 penalty, but for plot reasons, they each have a +6 bonus to their WILL check (and you’ll likely find out why soon enough). Hippomedon only needs one to crack, btw.

Anonymous

Rolled 13 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>6004096
Thank fuck Iladros is being a jobber.

Lesches

>>6004099

>22 vs 18, 23, 8
>Koximos cracks, but Iladros shatters. Charrados manages to keep his cool, which is appropriate.

Update tomorrow - I'm actually hyped. I've been waiting for this scene for a long time. Didn't come how I thought it would, but here we are!

Anonymous

>>6004096
Well looks like Iladros is a pissbaby. Excellent.

>>6004103
>Charrados
>Charade
The missing name clue can't be that simple, can it?

Lesches

>>6004269

Haha, well done! The other names mean something too, of course.

Anonymous

>>6004365
Really? Yeah no I'd have never gotten that in a million fucking years. That would require me to know ancient naming conventions in a foreign language. I will always just assume it's a regular name. I worked with a guy named "Stanislavovborich" once, after that every name sounds normal to me. Damn.

Lesches

>>6004372
>>6004269

>Viktidomos -> Victim
>Iladros -> Illudere -> Illusion
>Koximos -> Kosmos (admittedly this one is much harder, since kosmos means order in Ancient Greek

I had fun planning this word puzzle and I'm pretty happy that you guys did so well. Haven't done anything like this previously, of course, so it was a good experiment.

Update should be out for 10pm EST or so tonight.

Anonymous

>>6004383
It was just those three guys, really kek. Hard carried that whole thing. Props to them.

>>6004383
Oh ya kidding me. I will say I did try to look up their names but finding translations of ancient greek names that have been translated themselves into english is a absolute pain in the ass. (I did find out the Kosmos thing though I just didn't realize that was any sort of clue)

Ivan

>>6004103
I read this post & instantly got the Charade part after seeing that name over and over without a fucking clue

Captcha: GGWK

Anonymous

>>6004383
Shit, that's smart. Now looking at it in retrospect, it's obvious.
Who is it, Athena or Hera that's messing with us?

Lesches

>>6004805

if only it was that straightforward, anon…

Anonymous

>>6004874
Who else in Greece has that much free time to make sure mortals are named so appropriately for the situation we found them in?

>>6004898
Who says that is their real names?

>>6004901
Now this has me thinking what the hell their actual plan was. One thing that prevented me from considering that all of them are using fake names is that all of them called eachother by said names including the father. I figured since there's a REALLY good chance this could of ended in us killing atleast one if not all three of them then the plot whatever it may be wouldn't include all three of them but clearly that isn't the case.

One thing for sure whoever is behind this is powerful enough that death within this plot is a acceptable outcome (or they are just really feken stupid)

>>6005123
>wouldn't include all three of them
To elaborate what I mean is that I figured that the father was bamboozling us in some way or the sons were bamboozling us in some way I didn't consider that all three of them were working together to bamboozle us in some way considering the stakes.

Lesches

The tension builds, as you stare at the three deceivers; in the distance, the burning oak, once as mighty and immortal as Argos itself, begins to creak and pop as the conflagration begins to tear it apart. Koximos and Charrados lie in close proximity upon the field grasses, trading murderous glances at once another and at you. Iladros chokes upon your left hand, as you continue to hold him aloft – his long brown hair is wild, unbound and filthy, his scraggly beard pathetic. None of the three speak – not at first. Iladros’ face develops into an ugly shade of purple as he attempts to squawk for mercy. His eyes are round coins; his face nearly black in the red torchlight of the burning oak.

Koximos is motionless against the grass of the field, but Charrados is still begging fruitlessly - you nod at him and say:

“End this charade, boy, and you will live through the night.”

Charrados’ pleading stops at once, and he stares at you with bottomless rage, as he cradles his ruined ankle; Koximos blankly looks up at you as if seeing you for the first time. You say nothing, but heft your spear in your right hand, and bring the jagged edge of the point to Koximos’ throat. He confesses at once, desperate words tumbling forth:

“The names we gave are not r-real, Lord. All i-invented – but we are a f-family, it is true. We are simple bakers from Pylos, not masons… The plans we spoke of do not exist; we know nothing of Thebes. These c-cursed b-boys; they murdered my eldest son!” He can barely speak through his rage; it is volcanic, uncontrollable, genuine – you would bet your life that he speaks the truth now.

Charrados interjects –

“Because he helped you murder our mother, you vile bastard! I’LL KILL YOU!” and he flops towards his father, half-hopping, half-rolling. His hands claw the empty air, attempting to strangle his father from afar - with a casual kick to his side, you send him sprawling with bruised ribs. You return your attentions to Koximos, but to your surprise, Charrados is quickly back on his feet – he makes an ungainly charge at you, producing a small knife from some hidden location.

Your lips curl in distaste as you pluck out his heart with your spear – he has earned this death many times over.

Koximos blanches – his face bone-white. You hear a strange noise - Iladros is pissing himself in terror; small flecks of urine sprinkling over your sandaled feet. You toss him instantly besides his father, and he yowls in despair:

>cont

Rolled 13, 12 = 25 (2d20)

“It is HER doing, Lord – we are her SLAVES, she promised us that if we SERVED then we would be SPARED. What have we done? What have we done? Have we not done all that was asked of us and more?! Whaahaaweeedonnne…” His pathetic mewling grows distorted and strange – his mouth is yawning wider, far wider than it should – you rear back in confusion as his teeth visibly drop out of his jaw, his voluminous brown hair shedding rapidly. His speech degenerates further into inchoate hissing; his flesh growing rough and scaly. You watch in horror as his eyes migrate – growing yellow…

Gods on Olympus, is he turning into a snake? a corner of your mind wonders distantly.

And yet, it’s true.

A python five strides in length now coils in the place of Iladros, hissing fiercely, thrashing in agitation. Your spearpoint drifts through the air with your confusion, and the motion catches the beast’s attention - it moves to strike you! But you are faster, and you thoughtlessly react, pinning its head to the earth with a single thrust. Venom drips from the creature’s splayed jaws; its long body writhes and curls against itself in its mortal spasms, but it cannot free itself.

Stunned, you turn back to Koximos, and you see that he now has a knife of his own. His eyes are now clear, grim; full of resolve, his face frozen in a tortured grimace. He holds the blade against his own throat, and whispers:

“She is coming."

He draws it against his neck, and his blood bursts forth; a great flood of his humors, soaking his ragged robes at once. His feet beat against the earth; his arms flail, but not for too long. The oak tree is an inferno, now; the heat of it scrabbling against your bronze, licking at your flesh.

You look again at the corpses before you in confusion, men and snake alike, and think - was this a dream?

And then She enters the clearing behind you.

You feel her presence on your back - there is no other way to describe it. A magnetic push that nearly sweeps you off your feet like a ocean wave, pressing against your back, dwarfing the raging inferno of the oak. The bitter scent that has dogged you for days storms your mouth and nose; the smell of rotting snake-skin, fetid python's breath...

You are afraid.

She calls out to you, her serpent's voice cool and confident and utterly without mercy:

"Turn and greet me, Hippomedon Aristomachides. The goddess Τισιφονη demands it."

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20+2, /qst/
>Good luck.

Anonymous

Rolled 6 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>6005292
You know, at this point every time a god(dess) shows up I am filled with such unwavering anger that I could tear out the throat of a yak with my teeth. I HATE the gods. So damn much. So sick of their bullshit.

Rolled 11 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>6005292
Welp we are fucked. Time toget randomly killed.

>>6005292
Also what the nigger fuck did we do to piss off a gods damned FURY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

>>6005302
Great. I'm gonna go fucking scream now.

Lesches

>>6005301
>>6005296

>8 vs 13

This is both better and worse than I was expecting.

A great weight is lifting from my shoulders - this quest has finally begun.

Anonymous

>>6005304
If we're lucky (which HOPEFULLY we are), she delivered these kinslayers and family-betrayers to us, to serve as their punishment.

>>6005313
When are we ever fucking lucky? Fuck off.

>>6005304

Probably raiding the cattle of a person whom we are nominally allied to, violating a rather important oath. That or it's got something to do with the woman we've got tied up in the cart.

<s>My biggest hope right now is that the Fury passes over us and murders the shit out of Pronax instead. This whole affair was his idea in the first place, after all.</s>

>>6005313
Furies dont work that way. They have FAAAAAAAAAAR too much to do, these three would just be brutally murdered. No she wants US. For some ungodly reason, she has beef with US. THE FUCK DID WE DO!?!?!?

>>6005313
I would like to apologize. It was uncalled for behavior. I just stop having fun when the divine rears its eternally annoying head. Your optimism should be praised instead of derided.

>>6005343
Next quest where we get to make a character we should go full int/logic maxing just so we ain't gotta deal with all the god sheniganary (or atleast know it's god sheniganary ignorance is a bliss)

Did Hippo’s malus trait just disappear, impiety or whatever?

>>6005353
Just got to take the "God Invisibility Hat" relic from chargen every time. So they will leave us alone.

>>6005360
Or you could be a badass like Nira and win a contest of wills against a god.

>>6005373
Yeah but then you have to job against them in physical confrontations. There's just no winning when the deathless are involved.

>>6005374
Nira did win the wrestling contest tho, but rivernam was utterly cursed with the # of crit fails being rolled on either side altogether.

>>6005390
I do not subscribe to the pilot's definition of a good landing kek

>>6005292
Oh damn, well, we looked for our divines and we found them.
Very cool Lesches. <s>And you know what they say about snussy.</s>

>>6005471
>we looked for our divines
I'm pretty sure no one was searching.

>>6005474
If we weren't, we'd have voted a write-in "Turn around 360 degrees and walk away" here>>6004096

>>6005316
Furies dont work that way. Hell the way these three chucklefucks died is proof enough of that. ALL of them did an evil and the "eye for an eye" type of justice the furies dish out means ALL guilty parties have to die.

As of fucking COURSE we get Tis, the one that single-minded screeches about murderers and vengeance. Not Meg or Ali whom are arguably less dangerous, oh no, we get the most DEDICATED of the bunch. What the fuck did we do?

>>6005483
Hippomedon is not a dancer. Moonwalking is not in his toolkit. Foolishness. <s>It was a roll anyway. Can't really vote on a roll. And besides, we were fucked the exact moment we rolled a 2. I despise random encounter dice. I would throttle them had they a neck.</s>

>>6005486
>What the fuck did we do?
We listened to our uncles. Even after we told them it sounded like a bad idea. That's my guess. Especially with the whole "Hey nephew, this keeps the king's name clean so it's all on us. Win win, right?". If it isn't that, it's some bullshit that our uncles did to our father and somehow we're now involved in it.

>>6005488
><s>It was a roll anyway. Can't really vote on a roll. And besides, we were fucked the exact moment we rolled a 2. I despise random encounter dice. I would throttle them had they a neck.</s>
We could have just fucked off before Tisiphone revealed herself.

Also, I'm half tempted to just try and walk away from Tisiphone.

>>6005528
>We could have just fucked off before Tisiphone revealed herself.
I can already see how that would turn out.

>"Hey my lord, come help me, I got stuff you want."
>"Fuck off."
>"Okay turn around big boy."
Just because she wasn't here doesn't mean she wouldn't show up if we tried to leave. You cannot escape the furies.

>just walk away
Ah yes, because walking away from VENGEFUL DESTRUCTION won't just piss her off like nothing else. Besides, we failed the will check. We're not allowed to do what we want, now. You know, I think it's best if I just wait until this whole thing is resolved or I'm gonna bitch the entire time. Good luck dealing with her. Make better decisions than I would.

>>6005532
In hindsight, you were very close with your earlier guess but just 1 letter off.
>>6000858
>Furries
A terrible image this sprung to my mind from this line.

Lesches

>>6005354

Actually I assigned a very significant and temporary +5 context bonus on top of Hippomedon “natural” -3 malus due to his “Offputting Impiety” trait.

It should become clear why this is the case with tonight’s update.

Anonymous

>>6005528
Meh she'd show up at some point, thanks to Oedepius.

Lesches

No update tonight, sadly.

I've only just extricated myself from today's bullshit and have to be awake again for work in <8 hours. Not to mention, I want to do justice to this scene!

Anonymous

You are stone; unable to move.

The goddess’ order was clear, decisive – but terror holds your feet to the ground, locks your joints in place. You only barely suppress the urge to simply flee into the night; no matter how fast one runs, one cannot escape from the Ερινυες – from the Curses. Hellenes of all ages titillate one another with the lurid tales of their victims; wise men never dare to speak their true names aloud, using only euphemisms to discuss them - some call them the "venerable goddesses". It is said that speaking their true names may prompt their gaze to wander in your direction, if they are unoccupied… You rack your memories and can think no crime that might warrant the attention of the greatest of these goddesses, of Τισιφόνη herself, spawn of the blood of Ουρανος... But you have committed no kinslaying, no violence against family, no unwise uttering of their names; you are certain of this.

Only after this self-inventory, do you find the courage to heed the words of the divine, and turn to face your fate.

She stands fifteen strides away, and at the sight of Her, your knees tremble. She is tall – much taller than you – even at this distance, you see that Her face is perfect, Her lips full, Her cheekbones high. Her skin is alabaster white, flawless, and She is clothed elegantly in a gown of material so dark, it may well have cut from the night sky itself – and perhaps it was. At first, you think Her hair is braided – but the rippling firelight from the blazing oak illuminates Her, and you see that Her hair is composed of slowly-writhing serpents – asps, pythons, adders, and vipers. In Her right hand, She holds a funeral torch of yew – it burns brightly with near-white flames, but the material of Her gown swallows the light absolutely. The torch causes Her divine flesh to stand out brilliantly against the gloom of the clearing; the skin of a goddess glimmering in the dark. A snake curls about Her left arm, like living jewelry; it tastes the air with a flickering tongue.

Your mouth is bone-dry with lust and terror both.

She takes a single graceful step towards you, eyes narrowing, beautiful features set in a perfect frown – Her eyes are a lustrous gold, faintly luminous. They dominate your vision – they are everything.

“Remove your helm, prince of Argos. Are you always so slow to respond to the commands of the divines?”

Her tone is sharp, cutting. You remove your helm at once, hands quickened by fear, and you drop the Heraclidean helm by your feet. The goddess takes another step – and the pressure of Her presence begins to build intolerably, bands of iron crushing your chest and shoulders. Your eyes water, but you cannot look away. Her eyes hold your heart in a vise; you cannot breathe.

>cont

Lesches

After a long pause, She strides forward again, nodding towards the corpses at your feet:

“A fitting end for these betrayers. The father and son killed the wife – the reason does not matter. The youngest sons murdered their elder brother in revenge.” The goddess looks to the snake-corpse, still pinned to the earth with your spear – the thing that was once Iladros, and She speaks further:

“They swore an oath to maintain the deception, even upon pain of death. Oathbreakers are no better than animals. The middle son will be denied even his afterlife, now.”

You are unsure what to say – what to do. Should you speak? You can’t quite summon the courage, as She steps closer.

“This doom was brought upon them by a girl of ten summers, Hippomedon. The trod-upon sister that was forgotten by her overbearing brothers, by her absent father. It is the unseen scalpel that cuts the deepest.”

She now stands before you – you crane your head to meet Her golden eyes. She is displeased with you.

”Bold of you to meet the eyes of a goddess, Talaides – too bold. You are a crude implement, meant to smash and destroy. Like all men, you are impious, impatient, inconstant, frail. And yet… you exercise judgment, and low cunning is not beyond you. You possess a strange restraint, for a man of your talents. You are not without a lesser form of reason.” She pauses here, her face sphinxlike, uninterpretable – her golden eyes wander from you, looking over your shoulder into the dark forest.

You clear your throat in preparation to speak – is she asking you something? Should you respond? As you open your mouth, Her eyes narrow back on you – the force of Her will clamping your jaw shut, crushing your shoulders, your legs temporarily buckling under the pressure. You fall to your knees, but manage to force your head upright once more, meeting Her eyes with your own. She grimaces – a goddess’s disgust marring her perfect features:

[bold]“With all your faults - you will have to do.[/bold]

>TISIPHONE BOND: -1 / ??

“If you seek to please me, you will abandon this venture to Orkomenos. Kill or release your hostage, I care not which. Return to Argos, and attend to your wife, Hippomedon Aristomachides.

And then She is gone.

The pressure that forced you to your knees, and the eyes that nearly stopped your heart vanish without warning. You scramble backwards, forgetting your dignity as a prince, but after a minute, you are sure - she is gone. You quickly gather your helm and your spear, and put this cursed field behind you.

The oak blazes, as you scurry into the darkness. You do not look back.

Your return to the campsite is a hurried one – you find Arion and your hostage as you left them. The hostage is still bound tightly within her hide, secured within the donkey-cart. The goddess’s voice is still ringing in your ears – chiming crystal, imperious and unforgettable.

But what to do about it? She did not “command” you to action, did she? A strange thing, as you remember – it seemed as if she made a suggestion to you. Perhaps you are misremembering – it would be insane to think that a goddess would use such nuanced language with a mortal like yourself… You stare at the hostage, and wonder at the bizarre moments of the night – a horrid nightmare only now coming to an end.

>what to do with the hostage, /qst/?

>Kill her and return to Argos as the goddess suggested – she is a potential witness to the raid and a loose end. You cannot risk a border skirmish with Tegea while the Argive army is at war with Thebes. Unpleasant that you must kill a woman, but you have done unpleasant things before.

>Release the woman, and return to Argos as the goddess suggested – you will have to hope that she has not pieced together your true identity, or will be able to do so if she conferences with Archigeiros. A gamble at best, but you would prefer not to bloody your hands with a woman’s blood.

>Ignore the recommendations of the goddess, and proceed to Orkomenos for the ransom. The divine ordered you to do nothing in particular, and you are bound by no oaths. The needs of the Argive army outweigh the risk of angering one of the Curses.

>Something else?

Anonymous

>>6007490
>Kill her and return to Argos as the goddess suggested – she is a potential witness to the raid and a loose end. You cannot risk a border skirmish with Tegea while the Argive army is at war with Thebes. Unpleasant that you must kill a woman, but you have done unpleasant things before.

When the divine tells you to abandon a venture and go home to your wife. You. Go. Home.

Niggapolys

>>6007490
Fuggg well we certainly can't take her to the possible cannibals, a bit of wealth isn't worth pissing off a Titans-damned FURY

Since we did wax up her ears & blindfold her, I say we just release her. What happens after that is none of our business, nor concern.
>Release the woman....
We can just ride Arion away after cutting her binds, she'll figure out the rest somehow herself, probably.

Anonymous

>>6007490
>Head home, drop the hostage off at the Learnean village

>>6007490
>>Release the woman, and return to Argos as the goddess suggested – you will have to hope that she has not pieced together your true identity, or will be able to do so if she conferences with Archigeiros. A gamble at best, but you would prefer not to bloody your hands with a woman’s blood.
Nope! Not gonna risk it! Gonna do what the scary goddess who just turned a man into a snake said, go home, and bang our wife!

Also not gonna kill this woman! Leave the blindfold on, tie another around tight if need be, but give her a way out (preferably delayed) and then run for it.

Niggapolys

>>6007499
>>6007501
Actually, this is the smartest move. Changing my vote. We need to grab a big cloak or something on the way first though ideally.

Anonymous

>>6007490
>Release the woman, and return to Argos as the goddess suggested – you will have to hope that she has not pieced together your true identity, or will be able to do so if she conferences with Archigeiros. A gamble at best, but you would prefer not to bloody your hands with a woman’s blood.

>>6007509
...What? I meant to choose "ignore the recommendations" and be bold, but somehow I accidentally chose this. Well, fuck, can't ignore a sign like that. Heeding my unconscious instincts.

>>6007501
+1 support. I will vote for this as long as it does not violate Tisiphone's command.

I desire babymaking with the goddess.

Also,
>It is the unseen scalpel that cuts the deepest.
THIS IS A WARNING.

>>6007501
Support. Even better if we can get a soldier dressed in rags do it and tell the villagers to not release her from the binds for a few days. I want to put as much distance between us and her as possible.
Also, shit went well. <s>Snussy likes us.</s>

Lesches

>>6007557

This post is a wild ride, lol.

Also, I would kill for an “edit post” functionality on 4chan. I couldn’t get the formatting right in this last update and I had also selected some thematic orchestral music, but forgot to include the link… such is life.

Anonymous

>>6007847
>This post is a wild ride, lol.
Happy to be of service my liege

Lesches

You wrestle with your options, before it occurs to you that you might simply abandon the woman in the Lernaean village. This would cost you little in travel time, seeing as it’s on the way to Argos, and furthermore, you take the Curse’s words to heart – She claimed not to care what happened to the woman, and while it would be safest for you to murder her here in anonymity,you shrink away from the deed. It’s not the killing, per se – uncountable hundreds have died by your hands – but you now must assume that the divines watch your every move. You cannot be sure that a rival deity, nymph or daimon might inform the Tegeans of your actions... Better that you discard her unharmed as soon as possible. It would be trivial to place her by the trailside of the village, and if you are feeling generous, arm her with one of the Tegean spears you carried away from Archigeiros’ estates. The horses, you must keep – Arion is unmistakable to those traveled in the noble circles of the Peloponnese, and the Argive steeds could be recognized as such.

With your camp in order, you attempt to settle down and sleep the remainder of the night, taking the same seated position as before. You leave your armor on – it seems you cannot count on isolation in this damned Arcadian forest. You find it hard to sleep, at first. Her golden eyes still fill your vision – Her chiming voice still burning in your ears, the curve of her neck lingering in your mind… But fatigue wins out, in the end – you have slept very little over the past two days, and before long, you are drifting...

Your eyes shut – and they open again.

Morning has arrived – you have slept through the dawn. You’re slow to stand – your limbs stiff, you collect yourself and head off. With the donkey-cart slowing you down until you reach the village, you’ll likely arrive in Argos very late this evening. Pronax will likely arrive at around the same time – you might even beat him there. You grit your teeth – it will be difficult to explain that you simply let the hostage go, but he’ll believe your tale about Τισιφόνη. You have jealously guarded your manful virtue since the day you held a spear, and your accounting is known to be an honest one.

Setting off on the trail, your mind wanders – what of your allies? You wonder how they fare in their respective journeys…

>okay /qst/, here’s another experiment. Pick a flavorful scene that you’d like to read while Hippomedon drops off the hostage off-screen – these are not necessarily happening simultaneously with Hippomedon’s trip to the Lernaen village. This vote will close at 12pm EST tomorrow.

>Archigeiros picking up the pieces in his estates.

>Capaneus and Amphiarus as they travel home, Parthanopaeus in tow.

>Tydeus’ journey back to Argos.

>Polynices in Argos, as he secures his destiny.

>A baker’s daughter in Pylos, alone in an empty house.

>Argyros, training the Argive army.

>Something else?

Anonymous

>>6008622
>A baker’s daughter in Pylos, alone in an empty house.
Wait, are we not selling the hostage off in the village?

Lesches

>>6008626

Oh, I sort of interpreted the write-in to mean “dump the woman at the roadside of the village”, but we could always return to Hippo after the interlude and we can do another mini-vote about what to do with her exactly.

Anonymous

>>6008635
Was thinking of selling her, yes, to at least get something out of it. <s> Also it'd be really silly if something happened to her while she tried to get back to Tegea on her own</s>

>>6008622
>>Tydeus’ journey back to Argos.
What are you up to, schizo?

Fucking hate the gods. Every time they show up player agency is fucking yeeted. I just want to play with my Greek hero action figures dammit.

Niggapolys

Selling her to a safer/cheaper/humbler home was my intention as well. We aren't disobeying the Fury, & it's expedient.

>Baker's Daughter Mystery Box

Anonymous

>>6008622
>A baker’s daughter in Pylos, alone in an empty house.

Lesches

~1 hour warning for any last votes, seems like “Baker’s Daughter” is in the lead!

Niggapolys

New Write-In Choice:
>"Let's get this bread"

Lesches

I wrote like 90% of this interlude sequence, but don’t have the time to polish. So we’ll just do a double update tomorrow

Anonymous

>>6009674
>but don’t have the time to polish
Have you tried to German instead?

Lesches

An Interlude

You was born different.

That’s what Mama said to you, most days.

child you was born different not like us you are tall and pretty and smart tell me if any men come talking to you and run if they get too close

The house is dark – empty. You know how to light candles, and so you do, in the main room. You look into the mirror – a pan filled with olive oil so you can see yourself in the reflection. You look the same as you always have, even though you feel different. Gold-flecked blue eyes, long brown hair, straight white teeth. You don’t look like the rest of your family, it’s true – at ten summers, you were as tall as Mama, and you’re fast as a colt. But you’re quiet – your brothers were thick and round and loud, and they were cruel to you – the misfit. They forgot about you sometimes, which is just how you liked it. You look around in the candlelit gloom of your house – all six of you had been crammed into this little hut.

Now you are alone – and it is too big. You’re not sure what to do.

Mama is not here; her warm voice does not fill the rooms. Your three older brothers, always fighting and arguing amongst themselves – they aren’t here. Papa with his cutting tongue and mean hands and wine and headaches isn’t here.

Maybe you should go to old King Nestor? You never been to his big house –

girl you never go to the palace they take pretty girls like you and don’t let them go promise me you’ll hide out of sight when you see them big chariots go by the trail

That night, weeks ago, you heard your father and eldest brother hissing in the dark outside the house, when you were supposed to be asleep – you heard their voices through the thinly-thatched roof from your corner bed:

she is dead you imbecile what use is she now without proof of life how can we get the ransom

And then the next morning, Mama weren’t breakfast. At lunch, she weren’t there. There was no dinner that night – your brothers and father left you in the afternoon and said that they would be back in the morning. You went into the yard and wrung a chicken’s neck; this wasn’t nothing, you been helping Mama in the kitchen since you was walking. It wasn’t until you had eaten your fill of fresh roasted hen that you realized that not once in your life Mama had missed three meals in a row, and you realized that your Mama was not coming home, ever.

You cried at first – huge wailing sobs - but then, a new feeling grew inside you – an anger that was so big, it seemed to live outside yourself, infecting the world around you, burning you up:

theykilledhertheykilledhertheykille<wbr>dhertheykilledhertheykilledhertheyk<wbr>illedhertheykilledhertheykilledhert<wbr>heykilledhertheykilledhertheykilled<wbr>hertheykilledher

And then you remembered the dream that you had last week, when the Golden Lady came to your bed and spoke to you:

>cont

”Listen well, child. After ten years, your time is coming near. When the night comes, go into the fields and find a black lamb. Bring it into the yard and at midnight, build a fire. Chant these words: ποινὰς ἀντιφόνους ἄτας – until They are listening. Kill the lamb and yell as loud as you can while it bleeds out into the flames – Ερινυες Ερινυες Ερινυες – do not stop crying out until you see the signs. Tell them that your mother was killed by your father and eldest brother. The Curses will give you the vengeance that you will seek. Do you understand me, child? Nod if you understand.

In the dream, you didn’t dare to look directly at the Golden Lady – you watched her from the corner of your eye, paralyzed in fear. But when she asked you if you understood, you nodded once.

The Golden Lady had held up a faintly-luminous hand, and a mote of light had drifted off her finger, drifting lazily through the air. The mote of light had landed upon your throat, and it was warm, and then it pressed against your skin and disappeared. The warmth had traveled from your throat to your core – to your guts, and spread out there. A pleasant feeling. You turned to peek at the Golden Lady, but she was already gone.

With the dream in your mind, you had done as the Golden Lady commanded, that night weeks ago – the black lamb had squirmed in your arms, but you didn’t think much of slitting its throat. When you began the chanting, your anger was true: you wished death upon your family, for killing Mama. You meant it, as you screamed the words that the Golden Lady taught you – and even more words burst forth raggedly from your throat, and most of them you didn’t understand. They came from the warmth in your gut; blasting out of your mouth like a dragon’s breath, like hot sunbeams.

The lamb’s blood sizzled on the fire, smoke and fog billowed and She answered:

I hear you, child of φύσις…

---

That was weeks ago, and now a stranger is knocking on your door. You leap up from your seat in your empty house and you peer through the door-frame and see a thin woman, cloaked in black. She is unhooded, waiting patiently. Her face is drawn and pale – serious. You wait and she waits – but neither of you move. You open the door, and the woman does not smile. She says:

“Good evening, child. I have come to take you for your education; this house has nothing for you now. Your family is never coming back.” She says the words, and you know that she is telling the truth.

“You may call me Spathion. And your name is Belone, now. Do you understand?”

You don't say nothing. You just nod. Spathion smiles - all cruelty and no joy. She says:

"Good. You have already done so well, child - but you owe a great debt. I will feed you, teach you, shelter you. And will you serve my master until the end of your days."

You don't say nothing. You just nod.

You are Hippomedon Aristomachides, and your travel to the Lernaean village been thankfully untroubled. Argive patrols range through the Argolid endlessly – the roads and trails are generally safe, and your size and appearance, even when unarmored as you are, marks you as one of the line of Talaus. All commoners within your uncle’s realm recognize you as such, even if they do not know your name.
As you approach the village, you remember what you know of it:

A poor and muddy place, ruled over by some very distant cousins – a far-flung branch of the Argive royal line; practically commoners. The man who rules here is named Gryllogus, a man of forty summers – by your standards, he is in poverty, but in your brief contacts with him (for you’ve traveled through his village many times), you have always found him a proud man, and an honest one. He has accepted his lot in life without complaint, and simply seeks to rule his petty realm as best as he can. You respect him for that, even if this means he has resigned himself to obscurity. His wealth is measured in livestock, not in gold – so you will be negotiating for cattle, sheep or goat, in all likelihood. If you approach him as Hippomedon Aristomachides, you expect that his loyalty to the Argive throne will prompt favorable negotiations. However, by revealing yourself, you increase the chances that your Tegean hostage learns of your true identity. If you approach him as a Heraclid, in Heraclidean bronze – negotiations may be strained, but you might successfully preserve your anonymity. Finally, you consider that you might simply abandon the hostage for recovery by Gryllogus, forgoing any reward for certainty that you will not be discovered as the kidnapper.

Additionally, you consider how you might approach the negotiations themselves – to press hard for a maximum sale price, or to accept less-profitable arrangements…

>okay /qst/, there’s two votes here. Please select one option each!

>Approach Gryllogus as Hippomedon. Please note: Hippo's Kleos would apply, which practically guarantees success, but risks conflict between Tegea and Argos.
>Approach Gryllogus as a Heraclid. Negotiations would be much more difficult, given that the Heraclids are theoretically at war with Argos. Success would mean that your identity is preserved, but significant failure might even prompt Gryllogus to attack you.
>Drop the hostage outside the village to be recovered by Gryllogus, forgoing any chance of reward in return for anonymity.
>Something else?
---

>Press hard in the negotiations for cattle from Gryllogus. He is quite poor and so this would be significantly difficult (-5 penalty for “full” Timae)
>Stay reasonable, accepting a lesser price of sheep for the Tegean hostage (no penalty, but halved rewards)
>Accept a lesser deal, taking goat from Gryllogus (+2 bonus, but only 25% of the rewards)
>Something else?

Anonymous

A demigod girl and Nira teacher, this brings up more questions about the wife.

>>6010002
>Approach Gryllogus as a Hippo.
>Press hard in the negotiations for cattle from Gryllogus.

>>6010002
>Approach Gryllogus as a Heraclid. Negotiations would be much more difficult, given that the Heraclids are theoretically at war with Argos. Success would mean that your identity is preserved, but significant failure might even prompt Gryllogus to attack you.

>Stay reasonable, accepting a lesser price of sheep for the Tegean hostage (no penalty, but halved rewards)

Would even a provincial lord not recognize the face/voice of the de facto crown prince of Argive and the big damn horse?

Lesches

>>6010029

Hippo would take the necessary steps to conceal his identity as best as he can. I’d do some behind the scenes rolling,, wearing the Heraclid armor, hiding Arion, etc etc, but in some ways, Hippo’s fame also helps him here. Why would the most famous prince of Argos pretend to be a Heraclid? From Gryllogus’ perspective, it’s a laughable idea, and he’s not particularly bright, so by far the greatest likelihood is that he takes the situation at face value.

Niggapolys

>>6010002
>Approach Gyroman as a Heraclid...
BUT
>Deny being a Heraclid to sow confusion, refuse to name yourself
>Stay reasonable....

I really didn't expect much from the baking mystery box, but damn am I glad we chose it. Now there's just a couple pieces left of the puzzle.

Anonymous

>>6010002
>Drop the hostage outside the village to be recovered by Gryllogus, forgoing any chance of reward in return for anonymity.
The snussy told us to release or kill her. We should release or kill her. I say we release her.

>>6010002
>Drop the hostage outside the village to be recovered by Gryllogus, forgoing any chance of reward in return for anonymity.

Yeah, I can’t be arsed to do the technicality bullshit here. Playing stupid games will get you stupid prizes, courtesy of the gods. Let’s just dump her in the village, and be done with things. The fury told us to kill or release her, not sell her.

>>5977570
This was my last ID fyi, can’t be bothered to remember the last time I posted exactly. I’ve been waiting and watching for the most part.

>>6010002
>Drop the hostage outside the village to be recovered by Gryllogus, forgoing any chance of reward in return for anonymity.

Lets not fall into sunk cost fallacy over a couple of cattle at best, we are at the finish line and this simply isn't worth it.

Lesches

This vote will close tomorrow at 9am EST (for the full 24 hours), but here's the tally so far

>Be yourself!

>>6010010

>Be someone else!

>>6010015
>>6010118 (with write-in)

--

>Press hard

>>6010010

>Be reasonable

>>6010015
>>6010118

---

>Drop her off and GTFO

>>6010255
>>6010281
>>6010287

---

So basically, a 3-3 tie between negotiating with Gryllogus and dumping the hostage... Lurkers, now's your chance to make your mark!

Anonymous

>>6010521
>Drop the hostage outside the village to be recovered by Gryllogus, forgoing any chance of reward in return for anonymity.
Fuck this gay shit

Lesches

Looks like we’re locked in for

>drop the hostage and GTFO

Hippomedon’s glorious homecoming coming TONIGHT, lads

Sadly I spoke too soon and got my shit wrecked at work. I'll need tonight to partially dig out of the mess. update tomorrow!

Atop Arion, you wonder how Pronax fares on his cattle drive to Argos – he must be drawing close to the City now, your brief sojourn into Arcadia providing him with a head-start. The hostage is still motionless in the donkey-cart behind you. You sigh deeply – her fate rests in your hands, and you are uncharacteristically unsure. You are a man of decisive action, but the appearance of the divinity last night has rattled your senses, interfering with your decisionmaking. The goddess' ambiguous words are difficult for you to interpret - can you trust that she truly did not care what you did with the Tegean noblewoman, or was their some hidden meaning that you failed to decipher?

Crossing into the swamps in mid-morning, you are still undecided – until you gaze upon the village through a screen of swampy vegetation with fresh eyes. The sheer poverty of the place strikes you – you had managed to forget the true indigence of these people. Their remarkable in comparison to your own luxurious estates (not too far from this place, truly), or your uncle’s truly extravagant lodgings in Argos proper. The thatches of the huts are moldy, the villagers here are clothed poorly, and they are short and thin – the waifish physiques of men and women used to hungry summers and starving winters. You’ve crossed through the village many times in the past, but now, with the prospect of dealing with Gryllogus in the future, your eye is attuned to such things. Any payment you collect from Gryllogus is stealing wealth from his household; taking livestock from the hungry families that depend on the beasts for their hardscrabble livelihood. The families here would then risk starvation until Gryllogus collects the ransom from Archigeiros directly – presuming that he is successful in this. If he fails to act, or fails to collect reasonable payment from Archigeiros, his village may be brought to the brink of failure. The thought of bartering the hostage and jeopardizing the survival of the village itself in the process strikes you as wholly unsatisfactory – Gryllogus simply may not be able to afford it. As a prince of Argos, you have a higher duty than most - these men are your countrymen and must be cared for - and so you elect to make yet another change of plans.

You simply collect your Heraclidean panoplia (trivial for you to hold atop Arion when it is safely bound together into a single package), drop the donkey-cart by the side of the trail, cut the reins and immediately lead Arion and the pair of Argive steeds around the village itself. It’s trivial to stay out of sight, as you do so. The woman will be discovered before noon, you’re certain of it, and equally certain that she will be brought to Gryllogus.

Gryllogus might have a decent chance to ransom the women for profit, or simply return her to Archigeiros for a Tegean favor in the future, and thereby improve the lot of his estate and his people.

>cont

Seeing no need to delay, and with no donkey-cart slowing your travel, you make excellent time. Returning to Argos is always a pleasure – the air changes, carrying the familiar scents of your nation. Your blood sings, remembering its source heart beats in tune to the merry sound of Arion and the Argive steeds as they gallop swiftly to the greatest city in Hellas. Arion is clearly glad to return as well – you need not steer him at all – he knows the way home. By late afternoon, you are crossing through the southern gates of the city – from the walls, you hear the joyous cries of the guards:

“The Soldier of Argos approaches! Hail, Prince Hippomedon! Look, look – he rides atop Arion!”

The bustle of the city has taken on an increasingly martial bent, even in the few days of your absence – the departure of the army draws near. Argive soldiers crowd the roads in orderly formations, and with mostly standardized gear of fresh manufacture – Mecisteus has been hard at work, it seems. Your presence has a galvanizing effect – atop Arion, you must duck through the gates, but once you do, your ears are assaulted with wild chanting from spearmen and civilians alike:

“HIPPOMEDON! HIPPOMEDON! VICTORY FOR ARGOS IS AT HAND!”

Your fame braces them – you hold your powerful right fist in the air and match their enthusiasm, a broad grin writ large across your features. The chanting dissolves into a cacophony of shouting men (and their swooning wives), as hundreds attempt to gain your blessing all at once.

A tugging at your ankle draws your attention – an unusually dark-faced lad is boldly grabbing at you, and you don’t rec – wait, is that Eupous?! You had last seen him during the mock battle against your uncles, where he had been shadowing Chabrianos’ as a military scout. Now, he’s dressed very finely in embroidered robes of a pale hue, his hail clearly oiled with something fragrant and expensive – clearly, he has caught the attention of someone wealthy in your uncle’s palace.

“Eupous, is that you?!” you exclaim, interrupting the boy before he can speak. The Cretan coughs in embarrassment –

“Ah – yes, Lord Hippomedon, it is I. Your uncle, the King, has elected to host me more permanently in the Palace. I have been assigned to occupy young Sthenelus, Capaneus’ son, with entertainment befitting his age, while his father retrieves Parthenopaeus.” Eupous half-winces as he speaks – Sthenelus is a rowdy boy of ten summers, and every bit his father’s son – already taller than most commoner men, you suspect that he has shown Eupous what “entertainment” means.

“Zeus protect you, lad!” you say, chuckling. “But what is your message?”

“Your uncles Pronax and Mecisteus request your presence at the western gate – the King will be joining them there at sundown. You’ll make it time if you ride!”

And so you do - Arion parts the crowd like a black-hulled warship through the Aegean.

Next set of updates will be tomorrow night EST.

In other news - despite all the delays, we're roughly on target to finish this arc before the thread falls off the board. I'm hoping to bring thread #2 to a close by this coming Monday at the absolute latest.

Anonymous

>>6012675
I for one want to drive a spear through the face of every single thing with a shred of divinity in it. reeee

But being on track again is nice. Despite the eye-rolling and groan-inducing way it happened.

Niggapolys

Nice art, and I wasn't expecting such soft-hearted reasoning from Hippomedon.

Anonymous

>>6012750
Yeah, more noblisse oblige than I'm used to him displaying.

>>6012675
Great updates Lesches. Tisiphone must bear Hippomedon's child, lest Nikandros dwell forever in Asphodel.

>>6012857
>Tisiphone must bear Hippomedon's child
I think it's more likely that you'd be able to suck a bowling ball through an iron pipe than that, man. <s>And I would scream and cry and shit and piss myself if either of those things happened.</s>

Lesches

>>6012750
>>6012815

Hippomedon's patriotism sometimes leads him to make decisions that resemble empathy, although you'll notice that his concern here is somewhat vague and has more to do with maintaining the strength of his nation than for the suffering of these villagers. His "help" is somewhat limited too - dropping off a "free" hostage to Gryllogus to make use of as best as he can.

>>6012863

<s>You have what she wants - but not in the way you think, anon.</s>

Anonymous

Something I've been kind of wondering about is how many members of the royal family there are. Because we know that Diomedes, when fighting for the throne, puts them to the sword and, consequently, makes Nikon the last male member of the house of Aristomachus.

Oh wait,
From the first TWQ thread
>When he died, your aunts and uncles saw fit to exile your pregnant mother back to her home estates along with her young daughter.
From last thread
>You weep because you are now alone - adrift in the Argolid without mother or father, without siblings
I guess Lesches shifted around some of the family lines, because Hippo has no siblings; yet Nikon's aunts and uncles are the ones to have exiled his mom and Nira.

Lesches

>>6013032

The "core nobility" of Argos (i.e. first, second and third-degree blood relatives of Adrastus) is probably over 100 people, including women and children. Not all of these people would be true contenders for the throne, but it's absolutely true that Diomedes will kill off a huge number of his cousins and extended family in about ~16 years (IIRC), with Sthenelus as his loyal lieutenant in the process.

>>6013038

>When he died, your aunts and uncles saw fit to exile your pregnant mother back to her home estates along with her young daughter.

I've been interpreting this statement a bit more loosely to include "GREAT aunts and uncles", as in Mecisteus, Pronax, and Eriphyle (the wife of Amphiarus) and Adrastus. Here and there I have modified HomerQM's original statements in a minimal way, but I mostly go to great lengths to preserve the "canonicity" of the original TWQ threads.

Anonymous

>>6013056
So not only are the uncles mean to Hippo’s dad, but after Hippo dies fighting their war, they exile his wife and kids. This royal family certainly does hold grudges.

Lesches

You take in the sights and sounds of the city as you ride – you had spent uncountable hours exploring its nooks and crannies as a child and young boy. It’s a quick thing to skirt through the main thoroughfares – the crowds see you approaching on Arion and scatter to the sides, all the better to watch you pass. The triumphant energy from the gate is everywhere – the pedestrians shout and scream your name, and families leap out of their homes to catch a better glimpse of you. Your name graces the tongues of thousands:

“Hippomedon the Mighty is here! The peerless son of Aristomachus! The army will march!”

The words are a balm to your anxieties, their adulation putting your heart and mind at ease. Confidence again wells in your breast. The army’s preparations are near-complete – you have trained them well, your uncles Mecisteus and Pronax have outdone themselves in arming them, and now, you provide a measurable boost to the Army's material wealth and supplies in the form of Tegean Timae and cattle. While other Argive nobility have dawdled their days away, you have made an Argive victory over Thebes a certainty! As the commoners scream and shout, you cannot help yourself – you reward your cheering fans with an ecstatic reply of your own -

“Hark, men of Argos! Soon, we march against Thebes and against the pretender, Eteocles! We will set things right, as Argos has always done! Zeus Στρατιος and Mars Λαοσσοος are with us! The gods and goddesses of Olympus are with us! WE FIGHT AND WIN!”

Your speech sets the crowds ablaze – they catch your words and begin to spread them amongst themselves. The roaring voices merge together - becoming the great roar of a blazing inferno. You expect that all Argives will hear of your passing before nightfall – as it should be!

-

You spot your uncles immediately upon exit from the western gates of Argos – Adrastus has just arrived in his parade chariot; a gaudy, gilded thing, festooned with flags, flowers and ribbons of all kinds. The chariot's horses are exhausted, despite the short journey from the palace – it’s enormously heavy. Adrastus is dressed in his parade panoplia, rather than comfortable robes – the jewels studding the bronze glitter in the afternoon light, and the massive horse-hair crest of his helm in perfect order. Mecisteus and Pronax are kneeling before him, dressed in simpler garb - Pronax is still dusty from the trail. To Pronax’s right, you see a prize steer, heavy with meat and fat; the beast is peaceably chewing upon the grasses underfoot. Beyond them, you see the Tegean cattle resting in the fields – Pronax has driven them here for presentation and "inspection" by Adrastus, no doubt. Finally, you see another cart, topped with a heavy hide tarp – the pilfered Tegean gold lies underneath, you are certain.

Your arrival is not missed, as you dismount Arion -

>will continue later tonight, thought I'd get a head-start

Anonymous

>>6013009
<s>If we have anything that the bitch wants it's probably just that we're going to help bring about the destruction of the house of Oedipus and kill a bunch of people who need killing. I don't recall the furies fucking. <s>And if they do they'll be so into CBT that conception would be an impossibility.</s></s>

>>6013071
Those loathsome little shits. All because Hippo married for love. Maybe Diomedes is alright after all.

>>6013200

>>6013073
>Mars Λαοσσοος
>Mars
>MARS
Excuse me WHAT?!?!? Are you suddenly barbaroi?

Lesches

>>6013507

Oh my god, I’m actually stunned. Don’t believe I’ve made a Latinization error up until this point.

I have no choice but to resign as QM. May Zeus strike me down for my failure.

<s>teehee jk, update tonight</s>

Anonymous

>>6013507
Damn, sharp eye. How'd we all miss that? QM has been replaced by a R*man, dear gods. Or maybe it's one of the deathless trying to hijack our quest!

Lesches

“Nephew! You have a knack for arriving just in time. My brothers were just presenting the fruits of your labor. And how did you fare with Arion?” your king inquires.

“Well, indeed, King Adrastus. I will treasure the memory of our journey together – there is no finer steed in all of Hellas.”

“Or beyond!” Adrastus adds merrily – you cannot see his face below his helm, but his tone is cheerful. Pronax stands impatiently, clearing his throat, and speaks in his typical gruff fashion, as he gestures to the nearby steer:

“King Adrastus, Hippomedon and I wish to make a gift to Argos – here, we present fine cattle for use by the Argive army. Five hundred head to add to the herds – they will help sustain us on our brief march to Thebes.”

“A welcome gift, brother!” Adrastus claps his brother on the shoulder, chuckling. “And what’s in the cart?” the King inquires, cutting to business – no need for pretense when amongst family. Pronax nods at you, and sensing the moment, you walk over the cart, dramatically unveiling the Tegean wealth – it glows and shimmers under the fading light of the afternoon.

“A gift of wealth for Argos, King Adrastus – we hope that this will cover the fee of passage through High King Agamemnon’s domain,” you pronounce. Adrastus removes his helm and walks closer to get a better look – he whistles in appreciation as he lifts a heavy golden goblet with his great paw. Despite his stark-white hair and beard, his presence thrums with vitality – as Argos grows in power, its king better remembers his youth… Adrastus does not immediately reply, lost in thought as he gazes at the stolen treasure.

Mecisteus speaks instead, offering a poet’s insight:

“Agamemnon likes pretty things, Hippomedon – but it is said that he likes the theatrics of the presentation even more, especially when there is a crowd to observe. This will be enough.”

You notice that Adrastus has suddenly become emotional, eyes glistening – he looks at each of you in turn:

“Each of you has gone far beyond duty – your labors will not be forgotten. Never before has Argos summoned its strength so completely, equipped its soldiers so well… You are building our future. I thank you from the bottom of an old king’s heart – I placed my trust in you three, and I have been rewarded tenfold. I - ” and to your surprise, Adrastus chokes up, unable to continue.

>Hippomedon’s labors have significantly improved his standing with Adrastus! His bond of affection and trust in Hippomedon deepens! This will provide further mechanical benefits to social encounters involving Adrastus.

Mecisteus and Pronax trade wry glances, and begin coughing – you catch words interspersed, designed to mock:

“woman!” and “pederast!”

You can’t help it – you start laughing at their ridiculous antics, and before long, all four of you are cackling, Adrastus wiping the tears from his eyes.

>cont tomorrow

Niggapolys

>>6013642
They all seem to get along so well here, I wonder just how bad things could have been for Aristomachus & for Diomedes later on.

Lesches

Rolled 6, 2, 18 = 26 (3d20)

The situation devolves further – Adrastus collects himself enough to swagger to Pronax in mock outrage, fists raised, but Pronax strikes first – launching off his heels to tackle Adrastus, his shoulder colliding with the bronze of Adrastus’ torso, solid contact!

“Come on, you fat bastard! I’ll take that crown for myself!” Pronax yells enthusiastically, clutching the sides of Adrastus’ bronze – hunting for handholds with which to toss him to the ground, feet scrabbling for purchase against the grassy field. Adrastus “the Unyielding” is well-named – rather than defend himself against the throw, he launches a volley of friendly hooks into Pronax’s kidneys even as he laughs loudly:

“Pronax, you ox! I’ll beat your ass today like I have for the last fifty years!”

You meet Mecisteus’ eye – each of you wearing bemused grins. Some things never change… You watch the sparring match with interest – Pronax seemingly content to let his brother smash his fists into his sides and broad back; Adrastus allowing Pronax to give his best effort to topple a king. As they struggle, the insults grow so creative that you’re reduced to tears once again – you must brace yourself against Mecisteus as you laugh, lest you fall down. After a minute or two, they separate breathlessly, offering up various crude explanations for each other’s lack of perceived manhood…

And then you hear indistinct shouts – looking out to the west, you see a single rider at speed, flying over the western fields. He waves a rod or a staff, hollering to get your attention. The rider gallops past the Tegean cattle herd, and pulls the reins sharply as he draws close enough for conversation. You don’t recognize him - the young man is in priestly robes, holding a thyrsus and grapevines interwoven in his braid – a devotee of Dionysus, you would guess. His face is pale and drawn – he spots you and cries in a panicked voice:

“Lord Hippomedon! You must come at once – it is your wife, Euanippe! She is atop the hill Larissa and something is wrong! She begs for your presence immediately!”

The man’s fear is palpable; the gaiety of the moment curdles. Icy anxiety grips your heart; you look to Adrastus for permission to leave – he nods grimly, an unreadable look in his eye, and gestures to Arion. In a moment, you sit upon the god-horse’s back once more. The hill Larissa rises before you to your right – you and the hill are on the same city of Argos, and the hill can ascended easily from the western side. Without a second thought, you kick your heels and Arion streaks forwards!

>okay, /qst/ - let’s see if you can make it in time! I need THREE rolls of dice+1d20+8 for Hippomedon’s ride check.

>I’m rolling for something myself…

Anonymous

Looks like the bitch's "warning" was for naught. RIP wife's sanity.

Lesches

>>6014378
>>6014397
>>6014408

>17 vs 18 - uncharacteristically poor performance from Hippomedon, but he’s freaking out right now…

Update tonight - this will probably be the penultimate (ish?) update of SATQ #2

Anonymous

>>6014433
Eeeesh... Well, let's see what comes of this.

Lesches

The land blurs - Arion’s every stride pushing you faster. In the first moment, you leave behind your uncles. In the second, the Dionysian priest is left in your wake, his lesser steed unable to keep pace. Arion senses your fear - his ears drawn tightly against his skull, his teeth bared in a silent grimace. Your heart pounds - your eyes water as you learn what the common phrase blinding speed truly means. Larissa grows larger by the second, and here you realize your folly – in your haste, you had forgotten that the western side of the hill is composed of dry dirt and parched grass. Arion cannot safely ascend the crumbling hillside trails and switchbacks at a full gallop, but instead must canter carefully, leaping over minor obstacles and small defects in the path. As you approach, you see white-robed figures dotting the hill’s peak – perhaps one hundred in total, although why your wife would have ascended Larissa with so many Dionysians for escort, you have no idea.

As Arion begins the ascent, you shout fervent prayers to the divines for your wife’s wellbeing as you nearly tear your hair out as his necessary caution. Fortunately, Arion’s endurance is boundless - any other stallion might flag after a sprint with a giant on his back, but not so here – his hooves alight quickly over the uncertain terrain, urged by your own panicked pleas.

The Dionysian priest’s face is still in your mind – your wife would not call you for this way unless her life was in danger. Euanippe is in danger!

Your wife is in danger!

Once you are close enough to the hilltop, you leap off Arion’s broad back, and finish the sprint yourself – cresting over the rise, you are immediately mobbed with Dionysians, reaching out to touch you, entangling you with grasping hands. The young men and woman have glazed eyes, absent smiles – over their heads, you see your wife collapsed in a heap forty strides away, flanked by two pale-robed priestesses - these fools are too intoxicated to notice your wife’s dying breaths! They are pleading with you, but their words are the nonsensical mutterings of vagrants and drunkards. You immediately begin shoving the fools aside, scattering them like chickens, and as you do so, you roar in anger:

“OUT OF THE WAY, DEVIANTS! BE GONE!”

You trample some underfoot, and toss others aside as you smash forwards, while still more latch onto your neck and shoulders, seeking to restrain you. One dark-haired woman latches onto your left wrist with an iron grip, and with shocking strength, wrenches you low enough for a sibilant whisper:

“Ah, so this is how obedience is obtained… Well done, prince of Argos!”

>Tisiphone Bond: 0 / ??

You retract your hand in shock and stumble, losing sight of Her – and casting a wild glance behind you, you see the "woman" disappearing in the roiling surf of white-robed bodies.

>cont

Turning forwards as you run, you see Euanippe stirring – she is hoisted to her feet by the pair of priestesses, and you reach her before she can take a single step. She lifts her face towards you, her blond tresses tumbling in disarray, and you see that her face is a death-mask, her skin waxy, deep circles under her eyes.

“Euanippe – Euanippe!” you shout, shaking her by the shoulders. “What poison ails you?!” Your wife meets your eye, and her face reddens - then purples – tears flood down her cheeks, and her mouth flops open in a strange grimace – she emits only hitching sobs. Still, she does not speak – she cannot speak! Your hand catches a priestess by the throat, and tightens – you bellow in the woman’s face for answers as she paws at your mighty grip for breath:

“SPEAK, VILE THING! WHAT POISONS MY WIFE?!”

The choking priestess ceases her struggling, and with a shaking finger, points low at your wife’s torso.
You follow the trembling finger, and see that your wife is standing strangely – so that her belly protrudes subtly against her robes. Euanippe’s hands are pressing there, gently, gingerly. Is there some wound that you cannot see – a poison that has infiltrated her organs?! Your eyes flick back to Euanippe’s face, and the strange grimace is still there upon her wan features – looking almost like – almost like a smile?

But what could –

Your eyes widen in surprise, as you take in your wife a second time. Could it be –

Euanippe’s sobs recede, and a smile blooms on her face. Your beautiful blonde wife speaks hoarsely, saying –

“Oh, you great fool, Hippomedon… Dionysus Μυστης has blessed me.”

“After all these years – we will have a child.”

Anonymous

>>6014817
I swear we will strangle you with your own immortal guts you skank. You stay the fuck away from our wife.

>>6014840
>cucked by the hedonist
Well good, now my pic can pull double duty

Lesches

The rest of the evening is a blur – the world has turned upside down. The truth of your wife’s revelation has made sense of the madness. The first Dionysian priest – he had mistaken the nature of your wife’s summons; she had been vomiting ceaselessly atop Larissa due to mother’s nausea, and he assumed the worst. The Dionysians at the hilltop – they had attempted to soothe you, calm you – but in your panic, you could not understand their words for what they were, and you too, assumed the worst.

Fortunately, none were killed while you were in the depths of your madness – although you learn later that you had broken bone and rattled skulls. The Dionysians accept your earnest apologies with grace – they better than all understand that madness can strike at any time, and concern for one’s wife is better than most reasons to lose one’s head.

Carrying your wife back to Argos in your arms, she explains what she knows –

“I learned just today, Hippomedon – it was the sickness that convinced the priestesses. Most mothers have a touch of it, but some become very ill. I am one of these – the women tell me I will be sick until the child is born.” Your wife smiles thinly – you know her well enough to know her thoughts – so be it! whatever it takes! She continues:

“We ascended Larissa this afternoon to give our thanks to Dionysus for his gift. When I heard you had returned to the city, I had sent the acolyte to you in all haste. Forgive me for frightening you – I was so overwhelmed when I saw you, I could not speak at all – my tongue could not move…”

You assure your wife that all is forgiven, and behind you, the procession of Dionysians follow – waving their thyrsuses, extolling the virtues of Dionysius Φαλλην…

“Boy or girl?” you inquire, as you approach the gates.

“Idiot!” Euanippe hisses, before her emerald eyes catch the light, and she laughs. “Don’t you know anything? We must wait until winter, when the child is born. Only the gods know whether we will have a son or daughter.” Happiness fills your breast, suffuses your limbs – after so long, so many fears and doubts and anxieties...

You think of your father on the funeral pyre.

You think of the moment when you first laid eyes on your wife.

You will have a child.

You will have a child.

You will have a child!

By the evening, as you rest in bed with Euanippe after your gentle lovemaking, you feel a new strength inside you – something has changed in you, something significant…

You drift off to sleep, and wonder what tomorrow will bring.

- THREAD END -

>Fatherhood is good for Hippomedon – this narrative event has triggered a level-up!

>Please vote on the assignment of TWO (2) stat points to Hippomedon’s spread. Please note that these can be assigned in any fashion, and can even be assigned twice to the same area.

Strength- (20/24) (+10)
Agility- (18/20) (+6)
Constitution- (17/24) (+5)
Willpower- (13/20) (+1)
Intelligence- (13/24) (+1)
Charisma- (11/20) (+0)

>This vote will close in 24 hours.

Anonymous

>>6014873
I say well I say-uh we need
>1 into CON
and
>1 into WILL

>>6014873
I'll admit that I wasn't expecting a level-up anytime soon. I'm interested how the conversation about Nira's eyes will go.

>1 AGI
>1 CON
Pure murder machine, if we can get Hippo to 20 AGI (+10) , I'd imagine near nothing will be able to hit him. Besides Hippo don't got that healing factor that Nikon does.

Niggapolys

>>6014873
>+1 Will
>+1 Int
Both of which will slightly raise our bonuses.

Anonymous

>>6014849
So does our kid have three parents, or did Dionysus straight up cuck us... Or, as I'm interpreting it, did he just make our wife fertile for US?

>>6014873
>2 into strength

Who needs siege engines when we can open Thebes ourselves.

>>6015022
Fun fact, Capaneus invents the siege ladder here. I think. Don't quote me. Maybe he's just the first guy to see a ladder and think "Yeah I could climb that while people try to stab me and get up there, easy.".

I'm a bit confused on why anons are voting for +1 WILL

>>6015033
I quite like having the ability to say "No".

>>6015044
But will saying 'No' help when Hippo runs into one of the seven defenders of Thebes?

Admittedly, the wife could probably hook Hippo up with some drugs/poisons that could help.

>>6015046
Considering that they could very well talk mad shit about us that makes us do something stupid we normally wouldn't? Yes it would help.

>>6014976
Considering that both Nikon and Nira have a divine grandpa and neither us nor our wife are half divine, it is VERY safe to say that Hippo got cucked. The superpowered morning illness is probably our wifes body reacting to the divine blooded child in her body. Now the question becomes, what demigod knocked up our wife while we werent looking?

Lesches

This vote will continue to run until 11:30pm EST, but some "QM's Notes" about char-building in Homer's system.

>The system rewards specialization - points are literally worth more at the top end of the scale. Beginning at 19, each stat point actually provides a +2 bonus to relevant activities, instead of a +1.

>For Hippomedon, points assigned to STR/AGI/CON will have greater impact since he is already close to the top end of the scale. You might think - "oh, there's no need to invest further in Hippomedon's combat capabilities, he already effortlessly BTFOs everything he meets." Trust me when I say that greater dangers lie ahead - this is a quest about a war between demigods, and the war hasn't started yet!

>AGI is the most important combat stat, seeing as it provides both to-hit and dodge bonii. Hippomedon's Giant trait means that he (along with a rare few other characters) can ascend beyond 20 in STR and CON. Hippomedon is relatively frail despite his penchant for melee combat - his access to excellent armor partially rectifies this failing.

>Players are free to vote as they please, but going from a +1 to a +2 WILL bonus is not likely to have a huge impact when Hippomedon is confronted with Odysseus-tier smooth-talkers (and Polynices is vaguely in this area, with >10+ CHA bonus)

---

In other news, we can probably also start some Q+A, if players have any particular questions. I'll preserve any narrative secrets but will otherwise answer honestly.

Anonymous

>>6015134
>QA
What part of SATQ has surprised you the most so far?
How’d you expect the other Hippo builds to have fared if they’d been chosen?

Lesches

>>6015150

Was honestly surprised that Tisiphone showed up in this thread, she wasn’t “expected” until SATQ #3.

>how would the other builds fared?

Well, it’s easy to see that the Soldier build has informed player actions. Hippo has repeatedly thrown himself into physical danger and had players selected an alternate build, threads 1 and 2 would have looked very different. The only “fated” encounter was the Heraclid battle from thread 1, everything else has come up naturally. A silver-tongued Hippomedon would have spent much more time in the Royal Palace and would be much concerned with the political alliances within and without Thebes, and would much more about the Adrastus/Polynices/Tydeus triad. He might have traveled to Mycenae and Thebes, or instead made a diplomatic mission to Phthia to visit Peleus, that old bastard…

Anonymous

>>6014873
Why not two into Will? We're already a man-blender.

Lesches

General tally with ~3 hours to go.

>>6014878 - +1 CON, +1 WILL
>>6014889 - +1 AGI, +1 CON
>>6014905 - +1 WILL, +1 INT
>>6014974 - +1 WILL, +1 INT
>>6015022 - +2 STR
>>6015456 - +2 WILL

If I'm counting right -

5 - WILL
2 - CON
2 - INT
2 - STR
1 - AGI

Given that the majority of voters are looking to split the allocation between two stats, I'll dictate that the first point goes to WILL, assuming no drastic changes in the vote before cutoff. However, there's a 3-way tie for the second point between CON/INT/STR.

I'll give you guys until 11:30pm EST to come to a consensus, and otherwise roll a 1d3 if we're still deadlocked.

Anonymous

>>6015750
I'll change my Int vote to Str, in light of your earlier clarification today.

Wait, so if we put 1 in AGI and 1 in STR would we end up increasing both stat boni by +2.

>>6015134
>>6014873
I say we go
>2 into agi
then should add a +4 to our +6 if im understanding things correctly giving us a total of +10 making us practically untouchable when fighting normal people atleast.

Lesches

Rolled 2 (1d2)

Okay, final tally

>>6014878 - +1 CON, +1 WILL
>>6014889 - +1 AGI, +1 CON
>>6014905 - +1 WILL, +1 INT
>>6014974 - +1 WILL, +1 INT
>>6015022 - +2 STR
>>6015755 - +2 STR
>>6015830 - +2 AGI

4 - STR
3- AGI
3 - WILL
2 - CON
2 - INT

---

So, by QM fiat - a point will go into STR - our boy Hippomedon will have a mighty +12 STR bonus and truly mythic feats of strength start to become possible.

However, we now have a tie between AGI and WILL - will roll a d2 to determine this:

1 - AGI
2 - WILL

>>6016247

WILL it is - interesting enough, this is the same level up allocation that Nikandros took upon hitting level 2 - like father, like son! Hippomedon becomes slightly more resistant to the wiles of men and daimons alike, his supernatural presence growing slightly more daunting.

New stat block below:

Strength- (21/24) (+12)
Agility- (18/20) (+6)
Constitution- (17/24) (+5)
Willpower- (14/20) (+2)
Intelligence- (13/24) (+1)

Anonymous

So, uh, are the Hippo fastballs just straight up lethal with the new strength modifier?

Lesches

>>6016256

Hmm. Yes, they would be.

He’ll have to commission an even softer set behind the scenes - sand wrapped in padded leather, maybe.

Anonymous

I’ve just noticed that Hippo’s int cap is 24

Lesches

>>6016341

Oops, that’s a drafting error - will correct. His INT cap is 20

I’m going to try to put out one bonus update tonight, as long as the thread is still on the board…

Anonymous

>>6016277
>tfw Hippo invents baseball/dodgeball so he doesn't kill people

Niggapolys

>>6016250
We might have another level-up or two by the time Thebes has fell, so I'm thinking we boost Int by 1 to a get a +2 bonus, boost Con by 2 to get a +8 bonus, & then put any more points into Agil & Str.

Anonymous

>>6016629
I'd rather Will than Int be our mental focus given the divines are about.

Lesches

>>6016629
>>6016663

It’s a certainty that Hippo will hit Level 5, which is a dramatic power boost, 3 stat traits plus a minor trait. So there’s still quite a bit of flexibility in his future build.

Anonymous

>>6016629
>by the time Thebes has fell
You do know Hippo dies before that?

>>6016728
This quest is based on the Epic Poem of the Seven Against Thebes. Hippo dies in that, and since in TWQ Hippo is already dead and his family are LONG exiled from Argos, its safe to say that he died at Thebes and his family were made scapegoats and exiled for the loss.

Niggapolys

>>6016851
SPOILERS
but yeah, obviously he's a doomed hero, I'm just saying he isn't dying next post so we should plan ahead

Anonymous

>>6016884
If you played TWQ the OG then you KNOW Hippo is a doomed Hero. This is not a hard thing to figure out.

>>6016728
>>6016894
Dude what the FUCK, I was JUST about to read that! I had just gotten past Al'Naba'him's chaff-selling saga and was ready for the Greek classics. Goddammit anon.

Lesches

In the night, you awaken – tangled in your wife’s embrace, you find that your hand is resting upon Euanippe’s abdomen. Somewhere within, a child is growing. Drowsily, you wonder what sort of person they might become…

---

You are Deianira Hippomedion, and you are doing your best to keep your composure as you travel the streets of Phthia, capital of Thessaly. You’ve forgotten your effect on crowds – men of all ages and backgrounds stare at you with a comedic mixture of hapless lust and surprise, while women glare at you with open hostility. Soldier stumble into each other, becoming uncoordinated boys – and elderly men draw the ire of their wives and daughters as they gawk at you improperly. A crowd of young men trail in your wake, mostly commoners but a few low nobility as well, begging for your name and your attentions.

You ignore them all, of course.

You ride in a newly-purchased chariot along Argyros, trusted servant and lieutenant of your family for two generations. Soon, your brother will send for him along with fifty of your family’s best men, and you will be without a capable commander. Today, you will go to the palace of Peleus and seek out a new servant, an experienced soldier who can assist you on the battlefield and serve as your steward, while your brother and Argyros are away. A careful selection must be made and -

Your musings are interrupted by a choking sensation, an abominable pressure on your throat. The phantom sensation attacks at random, without warning – you hide your gasping as best you can. Once again, you curse the vile nymph, daughter of a river god, that shattered your ankle, nearly drowned you, and killed Iudus – even now, on a bright autumn day, her memory sees fit to strangle you. Markings of another sort freeze along your arm - the icy grip of a deity who once wore the skin of a vagrant...

“You will have your revenge in time, ‘Nira – but duty to the οἶκος first.” your brother whispers in your mind, and his words are a balm – the nymph’s invisible hands release their grip, and you breathe freely once more. You miss him dearly – every day, you pray for him.

The sky above is clear, as you travel the cleanly streets of Phthia, but stormclouds are nonetheless on the horizon – war is coming to Thessaly, just as Hellas is bringing war to the Troad. It is said that one hundred thousand men will travel to Ilion – your brother with them! – and this has not gone unnoticed by the northern barbaroi. You see the preparations everywhere in Phthia – always a military-oriented city, now it positively quakes with the rhythmic pounding of marching soldiers, armorers, and shipbuilders. Peleus is no fool, despite his advanced age – a storm is coming, while Hellas' fighting men are in the Troad – and it will come to your οἶκος as well.

You remember the man you freed from Damachides’ clutches – Pyraechmides, his name – and wonder where he has gone…

>cont

It has been two weeks since you wrote an original comedic play, Acinus, the Grape Prince, infiltrated the Damachidean estates under a false identity, and successfully staged your play. In the ensuing celebrations, you committed the murder of your wealthy neighbor, Damachides, freeing his prisoner Pyraechmides, and robbing the Damachidean vaults before making your escape. Upon his release, Pyraechmides had subsequently set the Damachidean palace ablaze before vanishing into the night. You brought his stolen gold back to your own “vault” – really, just a supply closet with a reinforced door on the second floor of your modest estate. Last week, you returned to the scorched Damachidean estates, which were subsequently seized by your conspirator, the brute Aristonax, and were further rewarded for your successful assassination. Of course, you did not tell the man that you had robbed "his" vaults a week before.

You’ve found that the murder does not bother you at all, your sleep untroubled by your deed. In fact, a great burden has been lifted from your shoulders - in a fortnight, your οἶκος, which your brother Nikandros had successfully wrestled out of poverty over a period of several years, now has real wealth at its disposal. Not boundless wealth, not unlimited wealth – but Timae enough to secure its future and do what must be done.

And there is much to do!

Passage into Phthia had not been difficult (although you found the gate guard lieutenant, Kopreus, to be quite slow-witted…) and gossip in the streets has brought you up to speed. Achilles has recently sent for his honorguard, and Peleus has sent his military contributions to High King Agamemnon’s war upon a large fleet of black-hulled warships. Thetis, as is her nature, has been an infrequent presence in the palace, and Peleus has reportedly turned his attentions to the north and west. News from Mycenae reveal that Achilles now busies himself with endless numbers of women and combat-training, but already rumor suggests that he might hunt for pirates amongst the Aegean rather than wait for the Hellenic army to assemble.

Access to the impregnable palace of Peleus itself was likewise trivial; for a woman of your beauty and grace, the Royal Guard all but fell over one another to please you. Now, you wait in a small antechamber - rural nobility like yourself cannot simply stroll into Peleus’ megaron and demand his attentions. One must first convince his steward that you are worthy of a brief meeting. You are told that Lord Phoinix will be with you shortly by an attendant. You know Phoinix by reputation - he has served Peleus as his chief steward for a generation, and in return, Peleus crowned him king of his people, the Dolopians to the north. You understand he has ruled his people from afar, and has spent the last fifteen or so years tutoring Achilles in the intellectual arts.

>cont

When he strides into the room, you find him to be a trim man of sixty or so years, with graying hair and beard. His brown eyes are intelligent, and searching - he regards you respectfully. If not for the pale tone of his skin, you might think him a relative of your departed Iudas.

Phoinix begins without delay:

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Deianira Hippomedion. What brings you to the house of Peleus?" His affect is professional - you get the strange sense that your beauty does not matter to him one whit. He meets your eyes flatly, without desire. Perhaps best to be respectful and succinct.

"I seek a retainer for my household, King Phoinix. My previous steward has unfortunately drowned this past summer. Preferably, a man with martial experience, and who can help coordinate the defense of my small estate." Phoinix takes this information in - he remains silent, calculating.

"King Peleus has many men who might be of service to you, Deianira. But in what way may you serve Peleus? The appropriate gift will produce the appropriate man." Phoinix's eyes glitter - the man strikes at the heart of the issue without pretense.

Fortunately, you can think of several ways in which you might serve Peleus. As a witch, you have access to tinctures, potions, magic and supernatural services - although many men fear to tread in this domain. As a noblewoman, you now have access to a substantial sum of wealth - certainly, most stewards are bought and sold with gold. Finally, as a young, unmarried woman, you can offer a great prize indeed - betrothal. You are in a rare position in that you are able to sell yourself, should you choose to do so.

>well, /qst/? What do you choose to offer to Phoinix (and Peleus) for access to a military commander/steward? After this, Deianira will negotiate the final terms with Peleus directly, FWIW.

>Offer services as a witch. This is a rare and valuable thing, but you're uncertain of Peleus' opinions regarding witchcraft. This would be something of a gamble. (random bonus/malus to next encounter)

>Offer to pay in Timae and wealth, the typical means of hiring stewards. This is straightforward approach, and you trust that you'd be able to artfully haggle the price down. (no bonus/malus)

>Offer to pay in betrothal. Perhaps the most valuable gift of all - tying yourself to one of Peleus' close allies will strengthen your bonds with the house of Peleus. Of course, you would nominally surrender control of your estate to your new husband, but for a woman of your wiles, this is no real concern. (significant bonus to next encounter)

>Something else?

Anonymous

>>6017025
>Offer services as a witch. This is a rare and valuable thing, but you're uncertain of Peleus' opinions regarding witchcraft. This would be something of a gamble. (random bonus/malus to next encounter)
I think a ruthless man like Peleus will always have need of supernatural aid

>>6017025
>>Offer services as a witch. This is a rare and valuable thing, but you're uncertain of Peleus' opinions regarding witchcraft. This would be something of a gamble. (random bonus/malus to next encounter)
Peleus' wife is a goddess. I think he's used to weird shit happening around him, and is more than willing to use it to his advantage. I just hope he isn't having one of his YELLS AT CLOUDS moments.

>>6017025
>Offer to pay in Timae and wealth, the typical means of hiring stewards. This is straightforward approach, and you trust that you'd be able to artfully haggle the price down. (no bonus/malus)

Zero reason to offer anything else. Getting hitched would only be a temporary advantage, eventually we would get fucked over <s>gotta keep Nikon comping at the bit LMAO.</s> If we reveal our witchcraft and Peleus goes full fucking retard we get killed, <s>something he almost did to Nikon.</s>.
No we have cash, we can use it.

Lesches

Bump for any DQ players who may have missed the vote...

We're probably going to fall off the board in the next day or two, so some general QM announcements as well.

>I'm thinking about taking a four-week hiatus to rest and recharge; consult the source literature. Been running continuously for close to two months now.

>There's a 70% chance that I run a Kaiju-themed one-shot starting in July, just for fun.

>Seven Against Thebes Quest will begin again in August, and will likely need another two threads, at minimum, to conclude the war in Thebes. My goal is to conclude SATQ by the end of October, marking the one-year anniversary since Nikandros got BTFO in the halls of Ilion.

Anonymous

>>6017025
>Offer services as a witch. This is a rare and valuable thing, but you're uncertain of Peleus' opinions regarding witchcraft. This would be something of a gamble. (random bonus/malus to next encounter)
Thought admittedly, not having played previous quests, I feel a bit lost here.

>>6017392
Thanks for the update, QM!