Campaign Summary: Sarissa

For three years Gin and Meade traveled Pelopon, trying to do good and seeking news of Queen Penelope and Chun. They tried to help people, fighting bandits and robbers, but did not find any leads on where the two women were.
Traveling east on the road on the northern coastal road of the southern peninsular of Pelopon, they wanted food for themselves and the dragons. Seeing sheep on the hills, they sought out the shepherd - but she found them first. Hurling a stone into Gin's shield from her slingshot, the beautiful young blonde girl demanded who they were.
The girl's name was Sarissa, and she was stricken with grief - bandits had come and raided her flock and injured her father, almost to death. Even in her grief, she was enamored of the handsome Gin and when she invited them back to her house it was clear her motives were more than hospitality.
The house was very large, and her father was a cyclops - blinded and close to death. He told her the truth about her origin - that she was not his daughter, but he had found her on the hillside wrapped in a silken robe. She was surprised, but he reminded her she was a human he was a cyclops . . .
He passed away and she searched in a chest in the house, finding a fine robe with a silver clasp at the collar with the word "SARISSA" written on it. She put on the robe as the dragonriders heard distressed bleating of sheep - bandits were attacking again!
Sarissa insisted on fighting with them and climbed on the back of Gin's dragon Magmar. The dragonriders and the shepherdess fought the bandits, killing them all. Sarissa - overcome with grief and rage - sobbed as she killed and mutilated one of the bandits with her knife.
The sound of horses brought them back to their senses - a band of warriors was riding up, well-armed and -armored and wearing the same colors as Sarissa's robe. The leader introduced himself as Watch-Captain Ajax, son of Diomedes, in service to King Philip of Sarissa. The similarity of name piqued the interest of all of them, and it was revealed "Sarissa" is the name of a nearby city-state - clearly, the foundling girl had been named after the name on the robe she was wrapped in, a robe in the colors of the city and with its name engraved on.
Puzzled by the discovery of a girl abandoned on the hillside wrapped in a fine robe from his city, Ajax resolved to bring them all to Sarissa. A handsome and charismatic man, he was clearly interested in the shepherdess - inviting her to mount his horse - but she chose to remain with Gin and ride on Magmar with him. Acquiescing but watchful, he led them all along the road towards the city.
In the City Sarissa was welcomed with great ceremony; all the people came out and waved banners and laurel branches. King Philip and Queen Circe welcomed her as their daughter - she had been abandoned as a child because of a prophecy given by the soothsayer that she would be responsible for the "death of Philip's son and his line would end."
(Notes only follow now... not enough time to write up!)
The king announced Sarissa, as the eldest child, would be his heir and rule after him. The king's son reacted with anger, snatching a spear and throwing it at Sarissa. Gin blocked the spear with his shield and the son was guarded, but not killed or punished.
The soothsayer continued to issue dire warnings about letting Sarissa back in the city. The king grew angry and ordered him killed, but Gin interceded for him. The king relented and merely exiled him, charging Gin to escort him out of the city. Gin questioned him about possibly knowledge of Queen Penelope and Chun. He cast the bones and said they were both far to the west, one fighting for her life on the sands and the other enslaved and corrupted by the Moon.
A breakfast banquet was held to honor the new princess. A ceremony of mixing wine was performed by the Queen and cups were handed out. The prince foamed at the mouth and died, seemingly of poison. Overcome with rage, the Queen ordered the servants killed - but Sarissa took up the cup and threatened to drink if she did not relent, and Meade begged for clemency, saying an investigation should be performed. The Queen acquiesced.
The brothers, accompanied by Ajax, investigated. They went to the crypt where the body was laid out - it was clear he had died from poison, and they saw the candles of the god of the Underworld (five colors) ritually lit. They noticed the candles had burned down quite low.
They worked out only the cupbearer and the Queen had an opportunity to poison the cup, and that any poison must have been only in the cup or other people would have died.
In the village square, they found the city going into mourning (and the market shutting down) with a small stall rn by the candlemaker selling ritual candles in the five colors. Very small candles were sold cheaply, but larger candles were also available - the candlemaker said those candles would burn for a full day and night, and that they were high quality because the Queen bought them.
A wise-woman - hooded and hidden - identified the poison used as hellebore root; rarely used as an assassin's weapon and most commonly used in rituals honoring the god of the Underworld. It deadens sensation and opens a gate between this world and the Underworld ... take too much, and the gate opens too wide and you fall through and die! After touching the cup, she drifted her hand in the water of the fountain and the fish in it died . . .
The brothers considered the prophecy - that King Philip's line would end, and wondered at that. If Sarissa became the heir, how would his line end unless she was not his daughter? He and the prince had dark hair - but Sarissa and the Queen blonde hair. Was it possible she was not his daughter, but the result of an affair?
The candles in the crypt had burned down - but they should have lasted a day, and the ritual honoring the dead prince had only started just before (Ajax had seen it done) so the candles were burned before. The queen bought many of those candles... was she a devotee of the god of the Underworld? Would that explain access to poison?
If Sarissa wasn't the King's daughter but rather the Queen's only, there was a motive to murder the prince to make sure her heir would be on the throne.
The brothers went to the docks, leaving Ajax (who was flirting) with the young-sounding Hecate the wise-woman (who was flirting back . . . ) There they did some investigation, and found an Etruscan ship docked with sails the five colors of the Underworld. They heard gossip about the Queen - she was taken as spoils of war from Tunis when she was but a girl by King Philip when he was a young prince making war; she is clearly not (with blonde hair and blue eyes) native Tunisian, but the rumor is that she was some wild, exotic beauty and connected with strange rituals. She initially rejected Philip, but eventually came to love him or accept her position. They were told the Queen did not come to the docks, but "sometimes the docks go to the Queen . . ." - a clear implication the captain of the Etruscan ship, Captain Julius, was having an affair with her. The captain had gone into the city.
The brothers returned to the market square. Ajax said that the shortest route into the city, the main route, would come through the square - but he had seen no-one matching the description of an Etruscan sea captain. He had to have gone somewhere, so he must have gone via an unusual (perhaps a clandestine, not wishing to be seen) route.
The brothers asked Hecate to take down her hood - it was hot in the sun, and they had not seen her. She said she had a problem with the sun, but she agreed. She drew back her robe and - for an instant - they saw the Queen's face with blind white eyes, but then - as the sun hit her - her face became a skeleton!
There was much shock and horror. Gun asked why she had "the Queen's face". Hecate said that was her face, and demanded to know who the Queen was. They told her Circe, and she reacted with rage - telling them the story of how her twin sister (Circe) betrayed her in a ritual to the Underworld, taking her sight and banishing her to the Hells in exchange for something... clearly, being Queen was what she got. Ajax asked nervously if she was a shade, but Hecate said no - she was a prisoner in the Underworld. She had found herself here - she did not know how long had passed, how long she had been a prisoner - when a gate opened; clearly, that was the gate that Circe opened to take her son through and Hecate squeezed through because of their familial connection.
Hecate said she would have to return - the god of the Underworld would send "his hounds" after her, because her soul is forfeit in exchange, and the god of the Underworld never breaks a contract. Ajax bravely said he would fight the hounds of Hell for her, but it seemed a lot of bravado. Gin, with his knowledge of spirits, had a wild plan - if twins are one soul in two bodies, perhaps giving the god of the Underworld Circe would keep the pact and Hecate could remain? As they were pondering this, unearthly howls split the air - the hounds of the Underworld were coming!
The Crimson Huntsman and his hounds arrived, demanding Hecate. Meade put Hecate on the back of Prism and flew off while Gin and Ajax contended with the Crimson Huntsman. They attacked him as he shot an arrow at Hecate, but their spears passed right through him. The arrow passed through Meade (causing a cold pain) and hit Hecate, making her scream in pain and leaving her weak and wounded.
The Huntsman warned Gin and Ajax not to come between him and his prey, and the Crimson Hunt chased after their quarry.
Gin realized the Crimson Huntsman could not be bargained with, and the god of the Underworld holds always to his contracts, but that the goddess of the Harvest (the Queen of the Underworld, the Scythemistress) is known for being willing to make deals and even trick her husband. He knew that if he could invoke her anywhere, it would be in a crypt-temple to the Underworld, such as was in the cellars of the palace. Ajax mounted Magmar, and they flew towards the castle.
Meade and Prism flew towards the palace, trying to stay away from the Huntsman. They flew around it, and spotted Queen Circe with a man on a hidden balcony. They were nude and having sex, but the clothing discarded on the floor was that of an Etruscan sea captain.
Gin and Ajax reached the palace gate, which was thrown open just as they arrived and a fast chariot was driven out - there was a driver lashing he horses, but also in the back was an Etruscan sailor carrying the supine body of Sarissa! It rattled down the road towards the market square and the dock.
Prism grabbed Circe and pulled her off captain Julius.
Gin sent Magmar to "fetch" Sarissa and ran into the palace, knocking aside guards who tried to stop him and servants who got in his way. Behind him, he heard sounds of combat - but he wasn't sure who was fighting who.
Magmar chased after the chariot with the comatose Sarissa in and shot off a lava-bomb in front of the speeding horses, only just dodging a ballista shot from the Etruscan ship in the quay. The lava-bomb exploded and burned the horses, causing them to rear up and crash the chariot, sending Sarissa flying. Fortunately, Magmar was able to catch her before she hit the ground and fly back towards the palace.
Circe grasped Prism's forelimbs and used some kind of dark magic; his limbs became chilled and deadened and he dropped her to the balcony.
In the crypt, Gin made an offering of his own blood to the goddess of the Harvest and prayed she would appear. He felt a deathly cold hand on his shoulder as the goddess appeared. He begged her to take Circe's soul instead of Hecate's, and the goddess asked why a wife should trick her husband. She said she would do it for a boon from Gin and his brother, which he agreed to. She sealed the contract with a deathly-cold kiss which knocked him out.
On the balcony, King Philip burst through the door with a wounded Ajax close behind - there were dead and injured soldiers and servants behind him; there had been some sort of running fight through the palace, and there were other servants standing looking shocked. The King was horrified to see his wife naked with Captain Julius. Circe screamed that he tried to rape her - Meade shouted "she wasn't unwilling!" but the King believed his wife and ran forward to comfort her, ordering Ajax to kill Julius. Figuring that he'd have killed him anyway, the Watch-Captain stabbed the Etruscan and he fell down, mortally wounded.
The Queen sat on the bed, sobbing, and was comforted by the King - but then she pulled out a dagger hidden among the sheets and stabbed him. She sucked his spirit or lifeforce out of him and used it to vanish away, fading like smoke.
A pentagram with the points being flames of the five colors of the Underworld formed on the balcony and a scythe sliced through reality, letting the goddess of the Harvest step through. She pointed with her scythe and told the Huntsman his prey was escaping, and he chased after Circe.
Circe - in the form of a monstrous harpy - appeared in front of Magmar, shrieking at him and sending him tumbling and dropping Sarissa. She grabbed Sarissa and flew towards the ship, even as the ballista continued to shoot at Magmar.
Sensing his dragon was in danger, Gin came to and ran from the palace, getting to Magmar just as the dragon was recovering. At the same time, Hecate slipped off Prism and embraced the injured Ajax, and Meade made to fly to aid his brother - but was confounded by set of a terrible dice rolls :)
Gin flew after the Harpy-Circe, being shot at by the ballista and being hit - twice! But, thanks to his fortitude and heroism, he was able to remain on his dragon. Magmar shot lava-bombs into the ship, destroying the ballista, burning the sail and sailors, and smashing through the deck.
The Crimson Huntsman and his hounds appeared, and the Huntsman shot his arrow at Circe - who screamed and dropped Sarissa into the burning boat! The Huntsman ordered his hounds forward, and Circe was torn limb from limb and vanished with the hounds into a rain of sparks and embers falling onto the ship. His work done, the Huntsman vanished in a pillar of flame.
Having now overcome their terrible rolls, Meade and Prism arrived and the two brothers and their dragons attacked the sailors. After landing on the deck, Gin dove below decks to try to find Sarissa. The boat was well on fire now and was sinking, listing towards the bow. Gin saw Sarissa, unconscious and drifting towards a hole in the bow. Meade and Prism continued to fight on deck while Magmar looked over the bow to see the anchor slipping through the hole in the bow.
Meade lowered a rope to his brother, who grabbed it so he would not be trapped in the sinking ship. Magmar dived into the water as Sarissa would slip through the anchor hole, and he wanted to catch her. But then he saw she was tangled in the anchor rope, and the anchor slipped, and she was dragged out of the ship! Magmar tried to cut the rope, but failed and she was dragged down to a watery grave! Alas.
The ship sank, and Gin clung to the rope as his brother flew him to safety. Magmar dived for Sarissa, cut her free of the rope and brought her to the surface. She was unresponsive and attempts to revive her were unsuccessful; she had drowned.
The dockworkers were shocked by what had happened, but Hecate and Ajax appeared. The witch stood in the shadows and pulled back her hood - revealing the identical face of Queen Circe, albeit with blind white eyes. She declared the Etruscans had been behind the poisoning of the prince and had attacked the city, killing the king. Thanks to the bravery of the dragonriders, disaster had been averted.
Gin was disconsolate, saying Sarissa was dead. But Hecate seemed less depressed, saying it was not done and that the Witch-Queen of Sarissa owed them a boon. Gin carried Sarissa's body back to the palace and lay it in the crypt below the palace.
Captain Julius was still writhing around in pain, and Captain Ajax was much concerned by this because he had stabbed him through the heart several times. Hecate said that Julius' knife - the knife that the minions of the god of the Underworld would use to separate his soul from his body at death - had been hidden or locked away, so he couldn't die. Ajax had the executioner cut off his head, but even then he did not die.
Gin asked Hecate what she meant by there was still hope, and she explained that it was possible to travel to the Underworld and bring someone back from there. To travel to the Underworld, one would need to go to a place where there was a gateway between Gaia and the Underworld and use a preparation of Hellebore root (as a tincture to be applied) to breach the gateway. She gave them such a preparation and said there was a gateway in the caverns below Mávriámmos.