Mythic Odysseys of Boonta

Sun 11th July 2021 18:00

Session 0: let's recap~

Campaign recap up until now. where we might go, and how we're doing on those first session 0 goals/dynamics. character creation for Mohammad, character levelling for everyone else.

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Sun 2nd May 2021 16:00

Session XV: Games, day 3

pankration semi finals. Alkyone beat phaedra.

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Sun 21st March 2021 19:00

Session XII: The games evening 1 (the Great Revel)

Demur won the great revel! Takes home a leonin paramour, has loads of clout. +2 to charisma checks with anyone who attended the Great Revel and free drinks at the Maudlin Philosopher

Alkyone went on a late nite date with Phaedra, then they cuddled to sleep together

Katourima, by chance, ran into a cousin who lives locally! he crashes with her.

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Sun 7th March 2021 19:00

Session X: The games, day 1

alkyone wins pankration qualifier vs younger brother of diagoras IV

demur loses pankration qualifier vs random satyr

antigonos gets high with feyfolk and then gets lost in the city

almost gets hit by a runaway cart, then saved by Phaedra

Bath house

meet up outside

deposit items at an inn

ended off in the afternoon of that same day

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Sun 21st February 2021 5:00

Session IX: Carousing before the games

return to Akros, party all night

crash at Maudlin Philosopher

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Wed 20th January 2021 19:00

Session VII: Tomb of Orestes (Part 2)

CRYPTS OF THE DEATHLESS Stairs ascend to a hall lined with door frames barred by rusted grates. An iron brazier, its sides sculpted with furious-looking faces, stands in the middle of the hall, midway along its length. Not far beyond, the ceiling has collapsed, burying whatever lies there. [Religion 18 check:] These crypts hold the bodies of Phenax worshipers who were expected to return from the afterlife. None did.   Brazier. The brazier that once lit this hall is sculpted with faces reminiscent of the masks the Returned wear. Any character who examines the brazier and succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check notices that one of the faces is smiling, and that it’s looking south toward crypt D. Crypts. There are five largely intact crypts here, four of which are sealed by rusty metal grates. The grate of each crypt can be wrenched free or otherwise bypassed with a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check. The lid of a sarcophagus can be opened with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check—though the partially buried sarcophagi in crypts C and E need to be dug out before they can be opened, taking 10 minutes for each one. The crypts contain the remains of the following ne’er-do-wells: Crypt A holds “Here lies Yerda Ever-Coin, who paid her debts with stolen stars.” loot: mundane clay burial mask. Crypt B holds “Here lies “Cyclops” Phelnidus, beloved by numerals and friend of dice.” the skeleton inside wears an eyepatch. Loot: [upon removing the eyepatch] It’s not actually an eyepatch -- it’s a sling. Crypt C holds “Here lies Solt, who was born Returned.” the skeleton is rather small. loot: sorrowful silver burial mask worth 50 gp. Crypt D: “Here lies Gathus Gadus, who could whisper anyone and anything to sleep.” loot: a mundane clay burial mask. Secret Door. Those who enter the crypt immediately notice what looks like a crooked wall. Any character who looks into crypt D and succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the secret door. The secret door opens easily.   Crypt E is empty. The name on the sarcophagus is violently scratched out, and the engraved images are of robed figures lamenting the loss of their eyes. SHRINE OF PHENAX Much of the ceiling in the southwestern part of this chamber has collapsed into the rot-tinged water partially filling this room. In alcoves flanking the door to the north stand twin life-sized statues of a willowy humanoid with ashen gray skin, clad in elegant robes and wearing a burial mask. Both reach out, as if to accept or offer a gift. Much of this shrine has been destroyed, its altar and most of its trappings ruined by earth and time. The two statues depict the god Phenax; the depictions are slightly disturbing. The 2-foot-deep standing water that you found in the flooded catacombs fills this chamber as well. Obscured by water and debris, a mosaic covers the floor between the statues. Only a great effort would reveal the ancient artwork. Any Phenax worshiper who enters the room, however, sees the mosaic clearly, its tiles depicting coins falling from a crumbling skull. Secret Door. The east wall bears a secret door. Any character who succeeds on a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a movable wall panel. Tomb of Orestes This chamber’s ancient masonry rises to form a corbelled dome. At the room’s center lies a pool of sludge. A broad sarcophagus rises from the pool, its lid caked in crumbling candle wax and rotted offerings. Whatever rites were performed here were overseen by a larger-than-life statue in the alcove to the south, a sculpture depicting the upper body of a grim, masked man. The statue reaches out, as if to accept what it has been offered. To the east, a portion of the tomb’s wall has collapsed, exposing a deep crevasse in the rock. This chamber serves as the resting place of the oracle-thief Orestes. [Religion check DC 15] According to legend, Orestes could divine how long someone would live by reading a pool of the person’s blood. Those who, in his vision, bled black were destined to one day follow the Path of Phenax, coming back from death as Returned. After Orestes’s death, his tomb was consecrated as a holy site by Phenax’s followers, in part due to Orestes’s sarcophagus taking on the oracle’s powers of prophecy. The room’s domed ceiling rises 20 feet. The area around Orestes’s sarcophagus is difficult terrain, not because of the shallow, murky water there, but because of the hundreds of stray bones that lie beneath the water. Antigonos: “the remains of animals sacrificed to Phenax.” A lampad is inside, pacing around the edge of the sarcophagus, whisper-muttering to itself. approach? Antiophes: “I am Antiophes, and I serve Athreos. An errant soul has fled the god of passage and hidden here in this tomb, inside this sarcophagus. The god of passage has sent me to retrieve the foolish spirit and return it to its place in the natural order. But this lid is too heavy to lift. Will one of you attempt the feat? I will stand by, ready to catch it, as it will likely attempt to flee again.” Eidolon. Varyas’s flitterstep eidolon (see chapter 6) dwells in this room. It doesn’t know why, but it was attracted to the tomb after returning from death. It doesn’t know how much time has passed since then, but eventually it encountered the menacing lampad Antiophes, who threatened to deliver the eidolon to Athreos. To escape the lampad, the eidolon hid inside Orestes’s sarcophagus, where it has lurked ever since. Sarcophagus. The sarcophagus holds the skeleton of Orestes, a few grave goods, and Varyas’s cowering eidolon. Additionally, it possesses two magical properties. First, the sarcophagus is blessed by Phenax with a ward against defilement. The lid is supernaturally heavy, requiring a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check to dislodge. Any creature who worships Phenax, though, or who wears a funerary mask, finds the lid to be far lighter, gaining a +10 bonus on this check. Additionally, reliefs on the sarcophagus depict Phenax worshipers and Returned, as well as a prominent image of blood dripping onto scales bearing a Returned mask. Images of pale drops hover over a skeleton, while black drops loom over a Returned. Any character who succeeds at a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check learns that the sarcophagus itself bears a measure of Orestes’s oracular gifts. If blood is spilled on the lid, it turns black if the blood’s owner is destined to become a Returned. Most of the time, spilled blood doesn’t change color. If a character drips their blood upon the sarcophagus lid, though, you can decide if their blood turns black or not—choosing if you want the character’s story to go in that direction (and you think the character’s player will accept it), or rolling a d10 and having it turn black on a 1. The ramifications of this revelation are up to you. Development. If the characters open Orestes’s sarcophagus, they find Varyas’s eidolon inside. The eidolon is a cowardly creature that tries to flee if attacked. Even through its flickering form, though, its general shape suggests the form and mask of Varyas the Returned. Any character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check recognizes the spirit as Varyas’s eidolon, and realizes it might be Phenax’s Silence. If the characters protect the eidolon or use it for their own ends, Antiophes treats this as an affront and attacks. If called to battle by Antiophes, or if audible conflict continues in area 7 for more than 3 rounds, Callisos enters the fray. After any resulting battle with the lampads, the party can converse with Varyas’s eidolon, who lethargically agrees to leave with them and help decipher the message on Varyas’s mask (see “Deciphering the Mask”). Treasure. Aside from Orestes’s ancient bones, the sarcophagus holds gold burial jewelry: an amulet (worth 65 gp), a cloak clasp (worth 35 gp), and a broad armband bearing green tourmalines etched to look like serpentine eyes (worth 150 gp). Additionally, Orestes’s clay burial mask is sculpted with a look of wide-eyed shock. The mask functions as slippers of spider climbing. Cave and Tunnel On the crumbling eastern wall of the tomb is a rough-edged hole that leads to an uneven cavity in the earth. Two ancient urns and beds of crushed bones lie inside. To the south, a narrow tunnel stretches into darkness. Antiophes and Callisos use this cave as their dwelling, heaping bones here to suit their tastes. Callisos spends much time here, etching grimly poetic prayers to Athreos on the walls with ink and bone chisels. The tunnel here leads to a cave system that, after days of travel, eventually winds through the lair of the wolf-toothed night hag, Stolsluko, then to the shores of the Tartyx River. Details of these endless chambers are beyond the scope of this adventure. Treasure. There are two 2-foot-tall lekythoi (jugs used in some burial rites) in this room. One holds muddy ashes that Callisos employs as ink. The other contains a quantity of amber liquid amounting to three potions of healing—sacrifices to Phenax pilfered from the nearby tomb. The potions can be collected in empty containers the characters might have with them, or the full urn (weighing 15 pounds) can be taken.

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Wed 13th January 2021 19:00

Session VI: Tomb of Orestes (Part 1)

(you’ve already done the Feud with Nylea) KHYSTONOS RIVER On the third day of following Khea’s directions, you reach the Khystonos. Its riverbed is nearly dry, the river reduced to a muddy trickle. [ACTIVATE riverbend SCENE] A shallow stream fills only a fraction of the riverbed. After following the lethargic flow for the better part of a day, you reach a bend where several prominent rocks jut from the mud. At a bend, an unnatural arrangement of mud-caked stones juts from the exposed riverbank. It appears to be a crude stone lintel, with posts supporting a rectangular slab roughly four feet wide and six feet high. The water here is roughly 30 feet wide and 2 feet deep. Though the river can be easily forded, the shallow waters count as difficult terrain. Amid the muck and gravel on the northern bank hides a deadly predator, an amphisbaena (see chapter 6). The serpent has concealed itself as it watches for prey, the mud covering its body granting it advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide. The amphisbaena targets the first creature to approach the stone slab. The snake creature has a head at either end of its serpentine body, and each head sports venomous fangs. To move, an amphisbaena uses one mouth to grip the neck of its other head, forming a hoop that rolls over the ground.   Once the serpent is dealt with, anyone who examines the rock formation quickly realizes it’s a door. requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check to shimmy the door out of place. The dirt-encrusted door is difficult to shimmy out of place, but you manage nonetheless. The dirt falls off of it, revealing an ancient etching of a phoenix wearing a mask, rising from a pile of bones. You enter the crumbling, centuries-old tomb. Inside, its walls are made of thick stone blocks, and the ceiling is about 10 feet high.   ANTECHAMBER The scent of warm, humid rot smothers this dismal chamber. Mosaics cover the walls, their colors faded and images scrambled by lost tiles. A thick layer of mud covers the floor, as well as stairs that descend to the east. A stone slab blocks the way to the north. The mosaics here once depicted the feats of Orestes, a scoundrel-hero who devoted his life to Phenax. Among the images, Orestes is portrayed stealing the sun from above the polis of Setessa, tricking a cerberus into devouring itself, stealing a kraken’s heart, and racing a skiff ahead of the River Guide, Athreos. All the mosaics are ruined now, but they can be repaired enough to reveal the gist of what they depicted if a creature spends an hour searching through the mud to find the missing pieces. If a worshiper of Phenax enters the room, though, that creature sees the mosaics in their complete, original forms—resplendent in gold and shades of royal purple. If that creature touches any of the images, it hears the name “Orestes” whispered in its mind. Then the illusion vanishes, revealing the mosaics’ actual state.   VIEWING ROOM Grave niches and alcoves holding funerary urns line the walls of this chamber. The ceiling in the northern part of the room has collapsed, burying much of the area. At its center, a broken marble bier stands atop a short dais. Graverobbin’ time? This room once served as a place to view the remains of those who died in Phenax’s service and offer final prayers. The bodies this room once held have rotted away in their burial niches, and the urns hold only gray muck. Any character who sifts through the goo must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw for each niche or urn they search or contract sewer plague (see chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Treasure. Amid the rotted remains on each of the six stacked burial niches lie small bits of jewelry, gold teeth, or ancient coins, with each haul worth 2d4 gp. FLOODED CATACOMB The stairs descend into a burial chamber partially flooded with muddy water. Ancient stone walls divide these catacombs, many lined with grave niches holding roughly humanoid shapes wrapped in tattered linen. More than one of these grim parcels floats freely in the stagnant water. These catacombs serve as the burial place of lesser Phenax worshipers who earned the honor of being interred near Orestes. Two feet of water fill the room, making the entire area difficult terrain. As you move through the water, you cause a few floating bodies to drift through the muck, bumping into walls. They are harmless but unsettling nonetheless. Roll initiative! In addition to the bodies, three Returned sentries (see chapter 6) lurk here. These Returned are tritons and, in addition to the statistics of a normal Returned sentry, each can breathe water and has a swim speed of 30 feet. Decades ago, anticipating Varyas’s mission, Phenax sent these Returned a vision instructing them to locate the tomb and guard it. The sentries infiltrated the crypt while it was submerged and waited here, drifting in a torpor. Expecting Varyas, the sentries attempt to ambush any non-Returned who enter the catacombs. These Returned are fanatics and fight to the death. The stone slab on the east wall can be moved aside to allow access to area 5, but any check to do so is made with disadvantage because of the room’s standing water. Age and water compromised the slab door leading to area 6, which now stands askew. Treasure. Each of the Returned sentries wears a piscine, gold funerary mask (see chapter 6). The bodies here bear no grave goods and deteriorate if disturbed.

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Wed 30th December 2020 19:00

Session V: Blood-toll Harpies at the Pool of Lyth

Harpies A shallow valley lies amid the rise and fall of the Katachthon foothills. At the dell’s far edge stands a great rock outcropping that looks vaguely like a satyr’s face. The stones weep a steady flow of water, which spreads into a serene, sky-blue pond. Willows grow along the waters’ shore, gently swaying in a light breeze. Wanna check your map to see what it is? This vale is not marked anywhere on khea’s map. Nonetheless, the setting exudes tranquility. The pool is no more than 10 feet deep at its center and only 1 or 2 feet deep near the edges. each character should make a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check. Those who succeed recognize this as the storied Pool of Lyth. Tales tell that the pool’s sweet blue waters grant visions of the drinker’s deepest desires and sometimes even fulfill those desires. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check sees Three natural caves open near the top of the 30-foot-high rock formation at the far end of the pool. They can be reached by climbing with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Anyone who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check OR tries to look beneath the pool’s surface notices animal and humanoid bones barely covered by the water.   GIVE EVERYONE A SOLID CHANCE TO CHOOSE WHETHER TO DRINK OR NOT BEFORE READING THE FOLLOWING: There’s truth to the tales of the pool’s remarkable qualities. Those properties don’t extend from some oracular magic, though, but from one of the god Pharika’s poisons, which seep from the surrounding rocks and taint the pool. If someone drinks from the pool, they must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw OR gain two levels of exhaustion for 1d4 hours as it is overcome with drowsiness and mild hallucinations. Any character who climbs up to the caves and investigates finds a considerable amount of feather-encrusted filth, along with SOME OTHER ITEMS THEY DON’T GET TIME TO INVESTIGATE BECAUSE-- SUDDENLY THEY SEE SOME EYES   IF NO ONE IS TAKING THE BAIT for either action THEN: Three creatures emerge from the caves near the pool. They are feathered, and glide down to a tall rock in the middle of the pool, where they perch together. In Unison, they say: “We sensed your arrival.” “I am Ahkno” “I am Hakno” “I am Jhamp” “Welcome to the pool,” they say, in unison. Successful Nature check DC13 recognizes these three creatures as HARPIES, Cruel, corpse-eating creatures, harpies endlessly seek their next meal, careless of whether it comes from the living or the dead. With equal zeal, these vicious scavengers set upon travelers or claw open fresh graves, stripping bodies of riches and flesh. Then they carry back any treasures or appealing bones they find to reeking nests situated in cramped caves or rotten trees. “We hope you enjoy the beauty of our home.” - Ahkno “Feel free to quench your thirst in our pools, blessed by the hands of the gods!” - Hakno. Jhamp adds “Yes, yes! B l e s s s s e d by Pharika herself!” snickering, which earns her a glare from Hakno. In unison, Hakno and Ahkno follow: “forgive our sister. She has the unusual quirk of laughing at inappropriate times.”

Three blood-toll harpies, sisters named Ahkno, Hakno, and Jhamp, lurk in the caves near the pool. The mangy, dull-witted sisters think they’re seers, but they’re actually just addicted to the pool’s tainted waters. They use the poisoned pool to attract and weaken creatures before setting upon their prey.

In unison: “Those who drink from the pool will be blessed with prophetic sight and magnificent visions! It is a privilege for any mortal to become so close with the Gods.” Ahkno: “we have resided here ever since this road has been built” Hakno: “...to serve the Gods as seers, so that any visitors who drink from the pool may have their mystic visions interpreted by we three Seers...” Jhamp: “...to nourish us, with their tender f-” [hakno pecks at her, causing Jhamp to exclaim] Ahkno: “... with your tender fortunes.” The harpies notice anyone who approaches the pool. Under the pretense of being dream interpreters, the harpies call out and flap close to visitors, encouraging them to drink from the supposedly magical pool so the sisters can interpret their visions. One of the harpies, Jhamp, is a particularly bad liar, snickering and casting obvious glances while her sisters attempt to dupe strangers. OTHER POSSIBLE ACTIONS PRIOR TO INITIATIVE ROLL   Anyone who drank from the pool might still ask the harpies to interpret their meaningless hallucinations. If they do, one of the sisters relates her own deepest desires, describing in detail the flavor profile and mouthfeel of eating one of the drinker’s favorite organs. “If you had to pick a favorite organ, which one would it be?” Hakno The harpies attack after most of the visitors have drunk from the pool—or earlier if these fraudulent seers grow frustrated. Treasure Over their years of minding the pool, the harpies have accumulated treasures in their caves, which hold the following items: A total of 39 sp Seven turquoise stones carved with the symbols of random deities (25 gp each) A potion of climbing (alkyone) A spell scroll of sleep (demur)

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Wed 2nd December 2020 19:00

Session IV: the Broken King

The champs leave town by the Sunset door on the East side of the Akros wall. You follow the paved city path upwards into the foothills. After an hour of travel, you pass the last cobblestone, and the road becomes dirt. As you make progress further East, you feel the air become thinner and thinner, drier and drier. The imposing, semi-arid mountainscape opens before you as you crest your first hill and enter the imposing Katachthon mountains. The trees are shorter and sparser here, with scattered shrubberies across the terrain, perhaps more rocky than you expected after traveling the much greener path you took to arrive in Akros from the southwest. Folk wisdom holds that the Oraniad Mountains, far to the East, are blessed by the gods. Not so for this smaller Western range. Dark, older magic supposedly holds sway in the Katachthons. While the Katachthons are a smaller range than the Oraniads, they are harsher and more volcanically active, with regular avalanches, storms, and unpredictable microclimates. Hawks circle in the air above the valley, hunting rodents that make their homes among the scattered grasses. Streams cut their way across the landscape with surrounding trails of lusher green, draining into lakes that are shallow, and will likely dry up before the fall. Animals of all sorts of species gather around these temporary watering holes, furtively keeping out eyes for potential predators. The wind cutting through this valley is welcome, for it keeps the summer’s insects away. Clouds obscure heavenly signs, guides become disoriented, and explorers wander in ever-smaller circles. And above it all, dragons rule the range—fire-belching creatures whose bellies, it is said, are filled with the flames of Purphoros’s forge. The journey should also provide the characters with ample time to get to know one another. Encourage each player to share why their character is remarkable or is destined for greatness. If the group comes to believe that fate has brought a band of extraordinary individuals together, feel free to encourage that thinking with signs or omens like those from earlier in the chapter. Random road traveler roll table?? Random creatures? Broken King Antigonos As you carry on through the foothills, a scree-choked gully runs between rugged hills, a dry streambed that offers a route through the rising rocks. A bend in the steep bluffs hides what lies ahead, but the sound of hacking coughs comes from around this corner. Just around the corner, some 30 feet from [the lead party member], a minotaur travels alone. Like others of his race, he is barrel-chested and tall, with a head resembling that of a bull. He is old and decrepit, garbed in ancient finery that has been worn to tatters. A dented crown rests on his brow, and has only one 2-foot horn; the other ends in a jagged stump. His remaining horn is carved to a point. Though other minotaurs you’ve seen have had their horns sheathed in bronze, this one’s remaining horn has been sheathed in what appears to be pure gold, with symbols etched in their native script. [if a player speaks minotaur, they can read the symbols; “might of Bozzri”] Fraying hair extends down his neck and powerful back, with uneven patches of salt-and-pepper hair on his chin and cheeks. His legs end in heavy, cloven hooves, and his long, tufted tail swats away the midsummer flies intermittently. He travels towards you, dragging a rusty greataxe in the dirt, and tied to his back is a 30-pound, clay amphora painted with images of warring, heavily armed foot soldiers called hoplites—all of whom have had horns crudely painted on them to make them look like minotaurs. The broad-mouthed amphora is large enough to hold roughly 55 gallons of wine. When he sets eyes on you, a wide smile fills his face, creasing the corners of his eyes. As soon as you are in earshot, he hails your group. “Greetings, travelers! I am King Antigonos of the Bozzri Kingdom.” respond? “I and my people make our home to the east of here, on the far side of the Oraniad Mountains. I am relieved to make your acquaintance, for I believe our paths have been crossed for a greater purpose. I travel alone along this path because I have been in search of a worthy heir to my Kingdom. Please, sit with me a moment by the roadside, and let me tell you of my quest.” respond? “I have reigned for thirty two years with dignity and respect. However, I was given only one child; my dear son Prodos. Would you like to see him?” He does not wait for a response before showing you a small portrait of the nerdiest, skinniest minotaur you’ve ever seen or heard of in your life. “T’was no one’s fault, but the boy was born sickly and never grew strong as he aged. Now, I am an old bull, and it seems I can father no more children, but still the throne must have a successor. A king of minotaurs must be strong of mind, but also of body, and so my war advisors did not favor my decision to make Prodos my heir. I went against them and did it anyway, so I was cast out, cursed by Mogis to wander the mountains in search of a worthy heir. And that is where I believe you might come in, Alkyone.” respond? “Well, without further ado -- will you submit to my test? It is a simple one.” He hefts his amphora from his back, setting it heavily on the ground. “I came across this relic during my travels through the Orianads, and I believe that the heir of my kingdom shall fit perfectly within. This can hold up to 55 grandJugs of wine, which is three jugs larger than the weight of my boy, so I am certain that a perfectly sized individual shall please my war advisors and restore my birthright and dynasty to its rightful glory! What say ye? Will ye take the chance to become a Queen of Bozzri?”

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Wed 25th November 2020 19:00

Session III: Khea

Morning has come, and you have reconvened in the tavern for brunch as you’ve agreed the day before. It is around 10AM. Demur’s majestic beard is visibly shedding. Anyone who runs their fingers through it will remove another full hairball from the beard. It’s shedding like, really heavy and really fast. Story beat for y’all to update one another and review what y’all know Town traversal Arrival at Khea’s: Khea dwells in an ivy-covered, but otherwise nondescript cottage near the edge of the polis. A The cottage door is partitioned into two sections that open independently of one another. Characters knock at her door. “Coming!” you hear from somewhere inside the house. After a few moments, the top half swings inward, revealing an elderly woman, stooping somewhat with age. You are also instantly greeted with a blast of perfumed air. The smell is pleasant, but a bit overpowering. [nature check of 11 or higher identifies the smell as lavender] There are a few greenish and purplish splotches on her apron. She seems to have just washed her hands, and is still toweling them off when she speaks. It’s apparent that she was in the middle of a task, which your knocking has interrupted. “How can I help you?” she says Characters dialog Khea’s a busy woman, and regardless of when the characters arrive, she initially refuses to see them until the next morning. If a character succeeds on a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check, though, Khea admits them immediately. A character has advantage on this check if they mention that the sage’s name is inscribed on the mask of a Returned. [DO THEY MAKE IT IN IMMEDIATELY? IF NOT, THEN MORE CITY TRAVERSAL. USE IMPROV TABLES]   Upon being invited inside: Her home is small and cramped, crowded with drying lavender and histories written in dozens of languages. “My consultation fee is 3 gold; 1 up front, then 2 more once I’ve finished. Does this suit you?” Well, does it? “I’ll take the first coin now then. Why don’t you three tell me who you are?” Khea’s usual consultation fee is 3 gp, but she waives it once she becomes aware that she is somehow involved in this situation. Khea is a sharp-witted, hearty woman who never says what a brow furrow or eyebrow arch could convey. After admitting the characters, judging their manners, and pointedly telling rude individuals to wait outside, she asks to examine the mask. “Oh my… Now this…” She seems to grow a bit distant in her self-dialogue. She gets up from the table, disappears to a back room, and reappears with several scrolls. After studying the mask for some time, repeatedly cross-referencing with her scrolls, Khea confirms that, other than her name, the text is an unusual code. “I can translate it,” she says, “But only the first stanza. It goes: ‘Hid from eyes of mortals and gods/Lies wither in Orestes’s rot.’This text is purposefully direct. It’s a line from a paean to Phenax. As for the rest, I’m afraid there’s not much I can do to help.” Let the characters have a chance to ask about that/digest the reveal As they chat: She hops up from her seat to fetch a small magnifying glass from a nearby shelf. Upon sitting back down, she explains: “It is a cipher, but an incomplete one; letters have been removed from the message in some indiscernible pattern. Without knowing what the other letters are, the writing is impossible to decode—even with magic—since it isn’t a meaningful message in its partial form.” She continues to scrutinize the spots of missing letters in an attempt to deduce what they might have been. Despite this effort, she comes up dry. “Well, it seems I can’t tell you much more about the cipher, I apologize. But seeing that I’m somehow involved in this, well, forget about the rest of the payment. You’ve done me a favor bringing this to my attention. In fact, here.” She produces the 1gp you paid her earlier from one of the many small pockets on her apron. “This consult’s on the house.” Give characters a chance to thank She repeats the first stanza: “‘Hid from eyes of mortals and gods/Lies wither in Orestes’s rot.’ she repeats a couple more times to herself. “Hm. I think this line of verse could refer to the Court of Orestes, the tomb of one of Phenax’s earliest followers. Its background is the stuff of legend -- i don’t have any primary sources here that can confirm some of the things people say about it, but the location itself is real enough.” One of her large pot lids has begun to whistle. She gets up to tend to it, and continues over her shoulder: “Orestes was said to be a master thief and an oracle, able to foresee who would become Returned. According to myth, the site also holds ‘Phenax’s Silence,’ whatever that means. The thing is, no one knows if it refers to an actual object or not. You’re a poet yeah?” Hey, how did you know that? “I’m an Oracle. I know things.” …”also, there are ink stains on your fingers. And by this point in my oracle career, I know the energies of the various Gods pretty well. Their chosen champs exude their vibes so strong I can sense it as plain as you can smell all my lavender in here! Alkyone is a champion of Ephara, and Katourima of Nylea. And you, Demur…” She trails off, arching an eyebrown and holding their gaze for a moment before chuckling away the slight tension and continuing- “Well, you tend to keep yourself to yourself, don’t you? At least, when it comes to spiritual affairs.” “Well, anyway, Alkyone: I’m sure you put plenty of lines in your verses that are just… flourishes, right? Lines that are just meant to be bright splashes of color on a mural, to bring some pleasure to Ephara, but nothing more. Well, whatever ‘phenax’s silence’ is, it could be nothing more than that. I will say this though. The fact that this direct, readable line begins the inscription leads me to surmise that the key to translating the full message lies in the tomb.” Khea goes to fetch something, once again, from the same room that holds a seemingly bottomless amount of scrolls. “The exact location of the Court of Orestes is lost to history, but ancient tales hint that it lies along the Khystonos River.” She returns with a map and spreads it out on the table. She scans, finds the Khystonos, and traces it with ink for the group to see. “That’s about 3 days away from Akros. You three spring chickens could surely go and come back in time for the games. Now, the river is long, so I know what I’ve told you so far is not very specific all on its own. But listen to this: recently, I heard tell of an earthquake that dammed the headwaters of the Khystonos deep in the Katachton Mountains. As a result, the river’s flow has been reduced to a trickle for nearly a month, parching the region downstream. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for the farmers, but the quake did lead to the discovery of ancient etchings and ruined structures hidden beneath the waterline. Roused many scholars’ interest, it did, including my own. Anyway, my only point being, it’s probably somewhere downstream of… here.” she said, pointing out the reported location of the quake. Potion bottling break for Khea, interaction beat for everyone else. She listens to them talk amongst themselves for a spell. “If you want to go and find this place, be my guest. You can take this map with you. The route I’ve marked for you avoids obvious dangers, but part of it runs through untamed lands, so you’ll need to be prepared.” Do they accept? “I’ll tell you what: bring back rubbings and artifacts for me from the Court of Orestes, and I’ll give you 200gp each.”   Beyond her suggestion about the Court of Orestes, Khea is a font of insights. If any of the characters mention the shared vision they experienced, Khea is certain that they witnessed a sign from Phenax, verification of the god’s ominous interest in this enigma. Khea can also answer most questions about Akros, the lands of Theros, the gods, the Underworld, and the Returned. If any characters balk at the idea of seeking out the Court of Orestes, Khea explains that the gods don’t look kindly upon those who ignore their omens, and that Phenax is a particularly dangerous enemy to make. Khea can also identify the name Varyas” “Varyas, varyas… now where do I know that name… *takes hit*. Ah! He was that dangerous oracle who died mysteriously years ago. He was devoted to Phenax in a more, how do I put this… conspicuous way than most Phenax followers. Most of them want to keep their devotion quiet, you know. Makes thieves and liars a little less successful when they go around proclaiming allegiance to the God of Thieves and Liars, hehe. What I mean is, they tend to stick to operating in the shadows of life. Not Varyas. He was a real rabble-rouser. Varyas’s obnoxious ass has caused me trouble more than once, all because I critically savaged his supposedly satirical comedy, The Satyr’s Half-Horn. I wouldn’t put it past the petty priest to harass me even in death.”  

y'all buy a mule for the road

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Wed 18th November 2020 19:00

Session II: arrival in Akros

Heroes finish traveling the road to Akros Read: You have continued down the winding road from where you encountered the Returned. Still fresh on your mind are the events of an hour ago -- the Returned assassins, their victim the “heretic”, and the mysterious mask you now carry in your possession, lined on its inner surface with unparseable glyphs, save for the single name “Khea”, accompanied by an omen from Phenax. Along the way, you pass a guard outpost within view of the city gates they waves you down the road and welcomes you for the games! Meletian traveler: “Every year when I come for the games and pass the outposts, I think to myself, ‘only a fool would attempt to invade the heartlands of Akros’. Makes these towers seem like overkill.” His wife: “It’s true, yet Akroans obsessively guard against invasion nonetheless. I suppose after incidents like today, it makes sense. There must be more threats in these mountains than we think…” The townsfolk feel much safer traveling with you, and make sure to let you know as you all continue the journey. In particular, you to have garnered one enthusiastic teenage fan who tries to strike up conversation: “Hi! I don’t mean to bother you, my name is Dimitri. I- I just wanted to thank you all for saving our lives! I’ve never seen anything like that before. A rider without a face? And why was his skin gray? So weird. But your spellcasting … I hope that other guy doesn’t come back, haha! [A FEW OF THE TRAVELLERS NERVOUSLY GLANCE OVER THEIR SHOULDERS]” [pause to give characters a chance to interact with the lad] Beyond the tower, the treeline begins to thin, and soon you find yourself travelling a smoother, cobblestoned road. You are greeted with a breathtaking view of Akros. The walled city stands defiantly atop a precipitous cliff. The unforgiving mountains around it serve as a shield between its holdings and the rest of Theros. At the center of the city of Akros rises the Kolophon, a mighty fortress and the seat of Akroan power. This many-tiered structure perches upon a vast cliff, which drops into a deep canyon carved by the Deyda River. Beyond the polis stretch craggy hills and mountains broken by narrow stretches of arable plains. It is a nearly impassable landscape, save for a few roads hewn through passes, like the one you travel on.         Heroes arrive at city gate You arrive and wait to enter the city gate for some time. Stuck behind a particularly large caravan of leonin that seems to have earned themselves extra scrutiny from a gathered group of guards, you are a captive audience for the kid. The guards are sorting through the wares and questioning individuals. [successful Insight checks (DC12) reveal:] The leonin are annoyed, but not nervous. “Ugh, that’s the only drawback of the games, am I right? Waiting to get inside. Another traveller pipes up: “The gates turn into a freak show with all these tourists coming in.” Another: “Leonin always leave such a mess wherever they go, fur e v e r y w h e r e. Honestly, I think the lektoi are charitable to even allow them into the city for the games.” Another: “ Good thing it’s the only time of year they do... Could you imagine dealing with the noise when they’re in heat?” A leonin overhears this and growls at the traveler. Another leonin, possibly a sibling, puts her hand on his arm. She speaks low words to him, quieting his growl somewhat, but joins him in throwing an intimidating glare at the racists. The tension is palpable, but given the reactions of those around them, such an interaction is not unusual. The tension of the moment is broken by an alarm being raised from the watch tower you passed before. A rider is barrelling his way down the road, pursued by a contingent of guards. Other guards depart from their posts around the gate to go and meet them. The rider is downed rapidly. It seems he was coming right for you…! [successful perception check DC10 reveals: this was the same rider as before. The spell must have worn off.] The rider is subdued before reaching the range of the characters.   Entering Akros Beyond its thick walls, the streets of Akros are dotted with towering statues of heroes. Red-tiled roofs soar over square-topped sandstone columns, and holy sites dedicated to Iroas, Purphoros, and Keranos, among the other gods, are many. The architecture is formidable, spare, and militaristic, thick with sharp, angular shapes. A wide plaza connects the stadium to the city’s outer gates, offering plenty of room for celebration around the annual games. This greets you as soon as you cross the threshold of the walls, and enter town. Everything is set up for the opening festivities, [DC 13 history check] the torch-lighting ceremony will be tonight, where the priests of Iroas will jog through town, down every major thoroughfare, the youngest of whom will carry a large torch. The torch will light the grand goblet at the doors of the Temple of Triumph, signaling the official start of the games. Then, everyone will party their way through the first night. It seems you’ve all arrived just in time for a gathering in the plaza ahead of these events. Dimitri: huh… that’s weird. I wonder what’s going on? It’s too early for the torch-lighting to start, it’s still daylight. [will you follow the crowd toward the center of town?] At the heart of the walled city is the huge stadium that hosts Theros’s greatest sporting event, the Iroan Games. A grand temple of Iroas stands beside it, the Temple of Triumph, serving as the venue for award ceremonies. In front of a large goblet, several well-dressed humans stand behind one, who has taken center stage at the top of the Temple’s stairs to address the crowd. he is already speaking by the time you get into earshot: “...Many of you here are guests to Akros, and may not be aware that just a season ago, our mighty leader, King Anax, was taken in death. His Wise Queen, Cymede, has taken his place at the helm of our polis, and has ruled ever since. She has now fallen too ill to participate in the opening ceremonies, and since the royal couple has borne no heirs, there are none to preside in her place. We have consulted with the priests of Iroas,” the orator says, turning to gesture towards a small group of humans in red robes and hempen, braided arm bands. “Were we to continue the games as scheduled, we would be without a monarch to honor Iroas with the highest station of Akros. The god would perceive this as a sleight, and be rightfully displeased. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the games-” a roar of displeasure rumbles throughout the crowd. The orator waits to continue until the din quiets to a mumbling after a few moments.”-we will postpone the games for ten days. It is our hope that this will allow sufficient time for the Queen to recuperate from her malady.” The letkoi steps down, and one of the red-robed humans steps up. “In the temple of Iroas, we will be pleased to assist you with rituals and athletic training to show your devotion to Iroas as we await the Games. Even if you do not come to the temple, please lift prayers to Iroas to seek his blessing for the Queen’s rapid recovery and bring forth offerings to express gratitude for his patience as you and he together await the Games. Ephara’s peace be upon you, visitors, long as you are in our city!” Everyone is disappointed. Dimitri: “Well, seems like you’ll be stuck in Akros longer than you expected, huh? At least you’ll have time to heal up from that wound before you compete, Alkyone! [pause for beat] Well anyway, if you all need anything while you’re in town, I live just off the main thoroughfare, not far from the northern gate. It’s the house with the green door. Drop by any time! I know almost everything there is to know about Akros, but even if I don’t know something, my grandfather sure will!”   Heroes are loose in the town!

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16th May 2021

Session XVI: The games day 4

pankration finals!

introduction of the queen's errand

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18th Apr 2021

Session XIV: The games day 2

archery

javelin

longjump

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Read the Report

11th Apr 2021

Session XIII: The games night 1

in the night, the city's guards are summoned..

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Read the Report

14th Mar 2021

Session XI: the games, day 1 afternoon

next events are the javelin toss and rodeo!

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Read the Report

6th Feb 2021

Session VIII: Return to Akros

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Read the Report

11th Nov 2020

Session I: Assassins on the road to Akros

The sun sinks low in the west, stretching shadows across the well-traveled road only a mile or so from the polis’s edge. At your current rate, you—along with a loose crowd of other travelers—should reach the polis outskirts just before dark.   Not everyone’s moving at a leisurely pace, though.   Behind you, a horse rounds a bend in the road, galloping at top speed. The beast looks frantic, terrified and frothing with exertion. Upon it sways a figure wearing a gold mask. The rider barely manages to stay in the saddle, his body bristling with cruel black arrows.   Blind with panic, the horse plows on, threatening to trample travelers in its path. Before it can, though, the beast’s legs give way. Both mount and rider topple, crashing into the dust with a piercing whinny and a sound like snapping branches.   Give the characters a moment to react, encouraging the players to leap into action—in the first moments after an accident, time is of the essence!   Anyone who rushes to the horse and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Animal Handling or Medicine) check can tell that the animal is exhausted and suffering from a multitude of minor abrasions. If it is given water, food, and rest, though, the horse—a red roan mare—will recover fully in a day. Simple tooling on the horse’s bridle reveals the horse’s name: Photina.   Characters more interested in the rider find that he’s dead. In fact, he’s been dead for some time. The figure’s skin is gray, and his wounds weep black blood. His mask is clearly a funerary mask, though it’s cast of gold rather than clay. Characters who succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence check recognize the strange individual as one of the Returned, someone who has died and come back from the Underworld. A character who removes the victim’s mask finds no face beneath it—only blank gray flesh over a black-lipped mouth—and dozens of lines of finely etched symbols covering its interior. Most are written in a strange cipher, but among the unreadable glyphs, the word “Khea” stands out prominently.   Before the characters can investigate further, read the following text:   The sound of racing hooves rises like rolling thunder from the direction the fallen rider emerged. Two more riders round the bend, both wearing dark tunics. The fading light glints upon the snarling gold masks both wear.   The riders are both Returned sentries (see chapter 6) from the necropolis of Odunos. One wields a shortbow rather than a sling:   Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.   These assassins have dogged Varyas across the countryside. They’ve been sent by an influential figure in Odunos who caught wind of Varyas’s agenda and who seeks to silence any who know Phenax’s secret. The oracle managed to get away from them at a ferry crossing some distance back, but not before catching several arrows in the back. He remained astride his mount despite his wounds, but Varyas expired moments before his horse crashed in front of the characters. His pursuers don’t know that, though.   These Returned resent all living people but especially those aiding their target. They assume anyone investigating Varyas’s body is assisting him and move to cut them down. Even if no one goes to Varyas’s aid, the riders attack the mortals closest to the body, trying to ensure that no witnesses escape. “Get away from the heretic, bleeder,” one Returned snarls as she strides into battle. Both ignore any mortals’ explanations and fight to the death. Their horses bolt if their riders are slain.   If the battle turns against the characters, a patrol of three guards from the polis stumbles upon the scene. The Returned attack them as well. In the aftermath, the guards are quick to rush the characters along, but they don’t interfere if anyone searches the bodies.   Treasure The Returned carry little beyond the gold funerary masks they wear (see chapter 6) and their equipment. In addition, one has a pouch containing 20 sp and a broken piece of pottery. Any character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check recognizes the shard as an ostraka, a shard from a clay funerary mask, which is used as currency in the Underworld. On it is scratched a brief order from the assassins’ commander: “Silence the heretic Varyas. His secrets must remain dead.” This leader’s identity and agenda speak toward a larger threat beyond this adventure (see “Myths to Be Told” at the end of this adventure for a few possibilities).   What the Dead See In the wake of the battle with the Returned, the characters have an opportunity to continue along their way. Before they can, though, all of them witness an incredible sight: an omen from the god Phenax. For a moment, all sounds turn to whispers, and color drains from the world, turning everything shades of gray—everything except for the gleaming golden mask. Seconds later, things return to normal. Any character who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes it as a sign from Phenax, but its exact meaning is unclear. If anyone else is nearby and the characters ask them about the omen, it’s clear no bystanders witnessed the vision.   A character who scrutinizes the mask finds nothing supernatural about it, but it is plainly marked with the word “Khea” followed by line after line of cramped glyphs. If a character seeks out a library in the polis and spends a day trying to decrypt the text, they can make a DC 16 Intelligence check. On a successful check, the character deciphers the simplest part of the cipher: “Hid from eyes of mortals and gods/Lies wither in Orestes’s rot.” On a failure, they learn nothing.   Beyond this, the text remains undecipherable, and the word “Khea” is also a mystery. If a character spends an hour inquiring in the polis about “Khea,” or succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (History) check (characters native to the nearby polis have advantage on this check), they determine that Khea is the name of a local sage of some renown. Once this fact is ascertained, the way to Khea’s ivy-covered home is easy to learn or recall.

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