Session 30 - Many Tangled Paths Ahead

General Summary

In the tranquil surroundings of Master Phasias' estate, the party of adventurers licked their wounds. For several days, Candid would wander to the shore in hopes of finding the old hermit Looking for Herbs near the seaside grotto they hid in for several days before coming to their current haven. He did not find the hermit, but on the second day, he managed to locate Pyro, who had again taken up residence there. Pyro told him about his adventures as a fish, his encounter with Glaukos, and Glaukos' story about Sisyphus, and the latter's capture of the hermit, who, he said, was actually Thanatos. The capture of Thanatos would mean that mortals would no longer die. After speaking to Phasias and his goatherd, that story seemed to be born out - slaughtered goats would rise up, with pieces missing.
After seven days of rest, when the wounds started to heal, Candid worked on managing the curse of gluttony, the adventurers gathered to discuss their next course of action. Each member bore the scars of their recent battles, a testament to the dangers they had faced and the trials that lay ahead.Xenobia, ever eager and perhaps overly so, was the first to speak, her words filled with excitement and a hint of impatience. She pressed for swift action, eager to embark on their next quest - the hunting of the Erymanthian Boar without delay. Candid, the voice of caution, urged careful consideration of their options, pointing out potential pitfalls and risks. With Thanatos being absent, there was nothing they could do to slay the serpent, and without this, they could not hope to accomplish their other goals. Candid also feared engaging in battle with borken ribs, and wished to stay at Phasias' to heal. Abraxas, the healer and mediator, sought to find a balance between caution and action, offering insights into the potential consequences of their decisions. Ischyrós, ever stalwart, stood ready to lend his strength to whatever path they chose, his determination unwavering despite the discord that simmered among the group. But above all, the Ammayati merchant wanted to sell cloth to their host, which caused Phasias to question what role he played in a heroic band. Theresa, the astute leader, tried to steer the discussion towards a unified plan, and spoke to Phasias about his hemp plantation. She showed him novel techniques of weaving rope, and the grateful host gifted her and her companions a sizeable length of hemp rope, which she helped weave. Now they had rope for binding the beast. But still, the differing priorities and perspectives of her companions made unity elusive. Pyro, for his part, grew increasingly restive about the lengthy discussion, his impulsive nature chafing against the prolonged debate. The self-proclaimed Second-in-Command of Hades, he wanted to free Thanatos and return him to his proper role as his master's emissary.
As the debate continued, tensions mounted, each member advocating for their own concerns and priorities. The sense of unity that had once bound them together began to fray, replaced by a growing sense of discord and division. Phasias, for his part, grew increasingly fearful that the serpent the party had faced recently would come to his estate, and devastate it. He tried to get them to agree to help deal with it before this happened.
With so many courses of action before them, the party sought guidance from the gods. Abraxas performed a sacrifice, and received an insight, which he formulated thusly:

The Lord of Gloom has performed his calculations. The snake has swallowed its tail - where is the end, where the beginning.

While the meaning may have been obscured, the group, prompted by Candid, took a vote on what to do next. With the exception of Theresa, the group voted in favor of trying to free Thanatos, because on this everything else hinged. Abraxas then decided that he could contribute best by returning to his temple, and eliciting the aid of Polydoros. Pyro and Xenobia, frustrated by the lack of progress, decided to take matters into their own hands. They set off to spread word of Candid's supposed success in defeating Thanatos to Eidyla, hoping to rally support for their cause. They found a nearby estate owned by a man named Pammon, whom they told that the great hero Candid had vanquished Death, and was coming south at the head of a large army. Pammon seemed willing to support the hero, but he did not want to commit without seeing this army. Worse, he informed the two of them that King Sisyphus was already claiming to have accomplished the same feat, and any counterclaim was likely to elicit his wrath. Caught in a web of fabrications, the two of them retreated back to Phasias' estate to consult with the others, and to see what they could do to come up with an army.

* * *

Ischyros also set off. He wanted to visit a temple of Yam, or  Poseidon,as he is known in this land, to participate in the simple rites he has always known. Perhaps, if he prayed well, Yam would offer some guidance. The villagers respected Yam, but they were not devotees. Ischyros needed to be with folks who knew the prayers and how to honor Yam without ritual sacrifice, as that was no longer possible or at least no longer pleasing to the gods. He decided he must go to Eidyla – the city of Sisyphus itself.
When Ischyros got to the gates of Eidyla, the city was celebrating the “end of death”. He would have celebrated too a few months ago, but today he has misgivings. He found his way up through the city to the high ground of the palace district where the temple of Poseidon sits. He bought some white wool cloth and incense from the merchants outside, and enters the temple.
The temple was built around a spring which comes from the cliffside. Ischyros left his cloth in a cranny on the cliff face, burnt the incense, and bathed himself in the pool under the spring. He came out refreshed but still not relieved. The offerings were paltry compared to a ritual sacrifice, but how could he offer an animal if the animal would not die?
While he was thinking about how he may better appease Yam, a fellow devotee happens to sit down next to him, and Ischyros talked with him. The man told him the story of how this spring was created. Asopus, Poseidon’s son, created the spring where Zeus ravished Poseidon’s daughter. It was King Sisyphus who informed Poseidon of the event. When Zeus learned Sisyphus had ratted him out, Zeus sent Thanatos to drag him down to Tartarus.
It seems Sisyphus has captured Thanatos, and now nothing will die. The city is celebrating this, but it is an aberration. The man agreed and told him that if Thanatos were imprisoned, it could not be beneath a temple like this one; the Gods would not stand for it. It must be below the palace. He points out the palace in an area above the temple quarter.
As he leaves, Ischyros notices a green scaly leg beneath his friend’s tunic.
Ischyros stays the night in the city, then tought about heading back to the villa to meet the others.

Report Date

12 Mar 2024