Campaign Summary: Etrusca

They made landfall at a small port city and (leaving the dragons with the ship and the ship at the port) began to investigate. It soon became clear there was slavery in Etrusca - most of the laborers and servants were wearing chains (some practical, others more symbolic) and that gladiator combat was common in "the games". Fantastic exotic wild beasts (a zebra, a tiger and a giraffe - although they did not know what they were) were being unloaded from one ship and were being bought by a slave for his master.
Gin & Meade exchanged some money for the local currency, and also bought some icons of the goddess of Love to wear. They then bought a private box for the games, along with the "attentions" of two slave attendants. Investigation suggested that exotic fighters - like an Uruk - would be in the capital city, not this small provincial town. They hired a former-slave - they could tell because he had scars on his wrists and neck and ankles from the chains, but also because he told them he had served a Praetor in the capital city until he was freed - called M'fume who said he could take them to the capital.
They went to the games and saw people fighting in gladiator combat, together with a clown entertaining people. They also saw the master of the games - a fat, wealthy-looking man with many slaves - in a private box. Then a group of innocent prisoners were dragged out, to be fed to a wild beast (the tiger). The prisoners made the sign of the goddess of Love, praying before their death.
Gin and Meade could now allow that, so they summoned the dragons and attacked, driving the beast back injured but then getting into a fight with a group of soldiers who used their discipline to good advantage and severely injured them. With the help of the dragons, they defeated the soldiers . . . and then saw, through the gate where the soldiers had entered, more soldiers coming! But then, from the side, a group of gladiator-slaves charged the soldiers, led by a muscular man in a loincloth and nothing else shouting in a strange accent about freedom and rebellion!
There was a tremendous fight, during which exotic beasts were released and all Hell broke loose. The prisoners and the gladiator slaves escaped with Gin & Meade onto their boat and sailed away. The leader of the gladiators introduced himself as Kurt.
After a brief stop in a port village to get some clothes (some fine leather pants for Kurt) they traveled to a port city which linked directly to the capital. Nedjemet stayed on the ship, taking the former-prisoners to Levane (where they came from) and saying she would return for the heroes. Gin, Meade, Kurt and M'fume travelled inland, moving towards the capital city.
En route, two disasters occurred! First they stopped at an inn (where Kurt made it clear he was "not a homo") but the two former slaves (Kurt and M'fume) were captured by soldiers of the Legions as runaway slaves and marched towards the capital. Gun & Meade followed them, realizing they had more people to rescue now!
And then Gin & Meade began to feel funny and weak, and realized their dragons - who had been sent to fly off so they were not noticed - had been drugged! Without their dragons, and surrounded by a force of men, they were easily captured and taken on wagons - with the drugged dragons - to the capital.
The city was impressive, but they did not see much of it - they were taken to cells below the coliseum, and were told they had been captured by Brutus and now belonged to him. They were placed in cells with other slaves, and told they would fight in the arena. One bright spot was hearing that a fierce warrioress, an Uruk, was the champion of the arena and slaughtered everyone, even when clemency was asked. Clearly, this was Chun!
While considering what to do, Kurt was brought to the cell - he had arrived the day before and had caught they eye of an Etruscan domina and been rented by her for "entertainment" for her . . . and her daughters, and her sister, and her daughter. Kurt was much pleased with himself, but Gin & Meade were frustrated with his lascivious ways . . . until he revealed it was a ruse and that she had not wanted him simply for sex (although he had had sex with all the women, because he was not a homo) and had given him a key to the cells . . .
Before they could do anything sensible (or just punch Kurt in his smug, yet handsome, face) servants came and said Brutus wished to speak with them. They were taken in a carriage to Brutus' villa on the hills overlooking the capital city. It was very luxurious and there were many slaves there. Gin and Meade noticed the garden was lain out in the shape of a moon, suggesting Brutus was a devotee of the Goddess of the Moon and therefore evil.
This was borne out by his suggestion to them - they would give up their heroism and spend their lives in indolent debauchery with him (there were various attractive and scantily-clad female slaves with vacant expressions offering them fine food and wine at this point to emphasize the point) or they would die in the arena fighting against the "Green Terror" who slaughtered all comers . . .
Wisely, the lads stayed schtum about the identity of the Green Terror and their relationship to her.
Then, Penelope appeared, draping herself seductively over Brutus. The evil man was showing her to emphasize his power and domination. She was clearly drugged or otherwise controlled, with vacant eyes and a glazed expression. Clearly this was what was meant by her being under the influence of the Moon!
They said they would need to think about it and were taken back to their cell. There, they talked about it - but quietly, lest there was a spy among the gladiators in the cell with them.
That evening, a beautiful domina and her daughters appeared, and hired the services of handsome gladiators for entertainment. The domina - Claudia - said she would have "the same dish as last time" and chose Kurt, while her lovely daughters - Julia and Octavia - said they fancied something Pelopon and chose Gin and Meade. The ladies were flirtatious and suggestive, but once the slaves were in their carriage they became much more serious.
Claudia explained her history - she was the daughter of the Praetor who had owned M'fume, and had almost been raised by him. She had been gladdened when he was giving his freedom on her father's death, but had learned (from Kurt) that M'fume had been captured again and bought by Brutus and now she was was inspired to do something about the evil man. To this end, she had given Kurt a key to the cells (which she had obtained via . . . persuasion) and was arranged to speak to the Dragonriders. Gin & Meade explained the situation to them, and Claudia promised to assist them free Penelope, Chun and get their dragons back.
Then, a good time was had by all . . . .
The next morning, after being returned to the cells beneath the coliseum, Gin & Meade were armed in Peloponese armor and led to the elevator which would lift them into the arena. When they were lifted up onto the sands, they saw a dozen or more dead and dying gladiators, with a tall, muscular, blood-stained Uruk standing triumphant. She turned towards them and roared, charging towards them and swinging two axes.
It was Chun, but she recognized them and was overjoyed to see them, staging a fake fight in the middle of the arena while they explained things. But soon the crowd became surly as the fight didn't go anywhere . . . they would have to think of something!
At that moment, a gigantic beast with a snake for a nose and horns in its mouth with a whole castle on its back charged into the arena, with Kurt riding on its back! "Riding" might be a bit much - "clinging desperately" might be better. Behind him charged other beasts and gladiators - he had freed them from the cells and stables! "I cannot control this beast!" Kurt shouted, as legionaries poured into the arena.
An enormous fight broke out, with Gin & Meade trying to fight their way through the legionaries to get to Brutus and Penelope in the Imperial box. Kurt has freed some midget gladiators who were fighting alongside him, but - alas! - they were attacked by the wild beasts and were slaughtered. Kurt, aghast his "little friends" were being killed, attacked the wild beasts with his bare hands.
The legionaries were armed with spears and shields, as well as a flamethrower weapon and a scorpio ballista which was very dangerous. Once they had fought through the legionaries, they were surprised to see Claudia appear behind the scorpio crewman and slit his throat, allowing them to attack Brutus and attempt to rescue Penelope.
But Brutus was not what he seemed! He revealed himself to be a monstrous Lamia and fought the Dragonriders and Chun. They defeated him, but in the process Chun was killed and Penelope poisoned with Lamia venom, becoming petrified.
While this had been going on, a light had been glowing from the doors at the end of the arena - and Kurt had been drawn towards it. Now he appeared from the doors, riding a giraffe (which probably wasn't important), and glowing with golden light - he had been empowered by his deity, the god of the Sun! Similarly, Claudia was glowing pink-white and floating towards him - she had been empowered by thh goddess of Love. The two empowered mortals embraced in the center of the arena as the Dragonriders sadly approached them.
(Kurt was extremely apologetic the slave-masters had so dishonored them by dressing them "like homos" in the garb of Pelopon.)
Flapping drunkenly through the air were the dragons, and they landed awkwardly with Claudia's daughters falling off their backs. Using their feminine whiles, the women had got into Brutus' villa, freeing the dragons and M'fume. Claudia came forward, saying "my children!" Empowered as she was by the goddess of Love, it is unclear if she meant her daughters, the dragons... or both! She then lay her hands on her daughter's bellies and said "... and my grandchildren!"
Gin & Meade were a little concerned - were these their children, from the night of pleasure they had enjoyed with the sisters? Kurt quickly assured them that it was most likely there were his children, as he was the most mighty and most virile and - most importantly - "not a homo".
Kurt and Claudia said they would found a temple here in Etrusca, devoted to the true life-giving power of the god of the Sun and the goddess of Love. They would protect the body of Penelope, until Gin & Meade could return with an antidote to the poison. To do so, they would have to journey to the Pearl Sea where the Caarth lived.