Strange Tides

[DragonParadox]

Uneasy Companionship ​

The mood of the feast was subdued, the sound pipes quickly lost in the rumble of not-so-subtle whispers. It could not have been more different from what it had been but weeks ago, Argurios thought. No, it could have, they could be trying to kill you...

When he had walked out of the heavy spring rain, returning reluctantly to a place he had last left followed by flung curses, he had at least expected the local shepherds to have some grasp of the sacrifice he was making, some respect for the blood flowing in his veins, among the oldest and most storied in all of Orchomenos. Perhaps he had he been more skilled skilled in impressing the truth of that fact upon these crude herders they would not have demanded that he shackle himself to a wife whose only quality seemed to be a quick smile before laying together and a sharp tongue after.

He could the look on the old goat-fucker Lecne's face just fine, he could hear the disdain in his voice, as though Argurios were some landless, fatherless, wanderer who bedded his daughter by guile... The bastard had been hoping gifts and restitution instead of handing over due pride price, and things had gone down hill from there. More than once the Hyphyrian warrior's hand had slipped to the smooth bone hilt of his dagger when one or another of the locals muttered-not-so-soft curses, perhaps thinking he would not understand it, or worse still not caring.

Relationship with Mountain Shepherds Decreased by 5 (Now at -5)

"Husband..." Semni spoke up beside him. Oh how he hated that word on her lips. "The time has come to drink from the cup of Gradivus again that my father can be sure that this time you may not claim not to have understood the words."

"Of course," the Greek lord managed to force a smile though he knew it to be a wan thing compared to his usual attempts. He had realized the business with the cup had some sort of special significance, but he had thought it was just a show of good faith, drink from the same cup to prove there is no poison or other foulness in it. He had thought it a reasonable show of trust before man and woman joined together at least... A small dim voice in the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like his father returned from the Underworld noted that he had been thinking less of cups and more of the joining to come.

His new wife was still comely to his eyes as she walked a step behind him towards the glare of the bonfire, but her face had a chill cast to it like a image of some aloof nymph disdaining the presence of a lusty satyr. She had liked it well enough before, Argurios thought angrily.

Shaking the thought off he kept his attention on the rocks beneath his feet, still slick with the blood of suckling lambs offered up to this Gradivus, lord of the fields, the skies and protector of the home besides, a strange gathering of titles of Argurios had ever heard one. Perhaps these mountain men could only remember so many gods, so they heaped upon one the dominion of many.

The heat of the bonfire scorched the sweat from his brows and in the crackling of logs he thought he heard the grumble of some distant voice...

The Hyphyrian quickly banished the thought from his mind, lest he garner attention of a sort no mortal wished for. "So what are we supposed to do now? Dance around this? Just the two of us?"

"Dance over it," Semni replied, sounding like she enjoyed correcting him more than she ever had. "We have to jump the fire hand in hand. If we do then we will be blessed, otherwise... well it is never good to touch the flames least ye be burned," she finished bitterly.

They managed it just, but Argurios could swear he felt those flames licking at his sandals for a long long time to come.

***​

As spring turned to summer King Isidoros of Hyphyria pondered what he had heard of the second meeting with their neighbors, his brow furrowed, his mood dark. They would not be buying sheep near so cheaply as they had that first feast he suspected, though they had gotten something out of the whole mess. The girl Semni was not only fair of face but quick of wit. She learned Greek with a swiftness that surprised many, though less kindly voices whispered it was so that she could speak with someone other than her husband. The woman might be of some use in mending the rift her very marriage had opened, if that is she could be trusted to work in the interests of her new people and not the old.

Gained Semni (Diplomat)

Spoiler: Senmi

Semni
Age: Adult
Culture: Barbaroi
Faith: Worship of Gradivus

Flaws: Disgraced (-1 FD on Diplomacy checks against nobility)
Qualities: Favor of the Low-Born (+1 SD on Diplomacy checks against low-born)

Diplomacy 4
- Charm 1
- Persuasion 1
- Deception 2
Combat 1
Warfare 2
Rulership 2
Learning 3
- Art 1
- Mysticism 1

Isidoros sighed. At least the wood cutting was yielding as it should, with no strange spirits or troublesome locals getting in the way. The trees were tall and strong perfect for ships, though for now they would be mostly going towards ensuring that that the houses of Hyphyria would not themselves looks like ships scattered ashore.

Gained Woodcutting Camp (1d6 Wealth)

Gained 3 wealth

The troubled spring has passed and now it is time to decide what you will do under the gaze of the summer sun.

The wood from the ships is nearly used up, but some small projects can still be achieved with it.
Pick one free construction action:
[] [Construction] Farms
Though good land grows scarce you could still try to eke out more food from the earth
Check: Learning - Mysticism, -2 FD due to lack of good space for it

[] [Construction] Temple of Demeter
Here in this strange earth was a chance to start anew. The people would give due reverence to the Lady of the Harvest so that her wrath was quenched. The fall of Orchomenos would not repeat itself.
Check: Learning - Mysticism, -1 FD due to ongoing enmity of Demeter

What should the soldiers do in the summer months?
[] [Military] Stay at home to defend Hyphyria in case of attack.

[] [Military] Try to explore some more. (Pick up to 2 options. Can double down on one option.)
-[] The southern shores.
-[] The northern shores.

With the addition of another pair of hands the work of rule goes easier. Pick up to one personal action each.
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available actions:

Spoiler: General

-[] The soldiers are a bit restless after a year of idleness. See if you can organize drills and training to keep them sharp and to potentially expand your forces.
Check: Warfare - Command

-[] Organize the cults. It is well past time to resume proper worship, lest the gods grow angry for this slight.
Check: Learning - Mysticism

-[] The wet valleys between the hills are very fertile. Though no work can start yet, winter would be a good time to take measurements and plan how to drain them.
Check: Learning - Sciences

-[] Learn the tongue of the local folk. Though not the most skillful or diligent pupil, Argurios is sure to get the most use from it, but Isidoros would be swifter in study
Check: Learning - Art

Spoiler: Construction

Note: A construction project takes one action to start and will then continue without the need for further attention. Costs are consumed per turn, and if the costs can't be paid, construction stalls. Should the construction stall too long, progress might be lost.

-[] Small Palisade
While the amount of lumber left over from the ships doesn't suffice anymore to see this done, you could still build a small palisade around each hill. It would separate parts of the city in case of an attack and not protect the farmlands, but it is cheap and better then nothing.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn

-[] Large Palisade
Some of proposed to use the fresh lumber for a grander defensive work. By encircling all the villages and some land around it too, you could protect Hyphyria much better and even the farms would be wholly enclosed by this defense.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn

-[] Logging Camp
The forest to the north is ample and there is little reason to not expand your logging operations.
Construction Cost: 3 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn

-[] Limestone Quarry
The masons who have fled Orchomenos would like to get back to work and a source of stone would certainly help other construction efforts.
Construction Cost: 5 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 3 Wealth / Turn
Income: 2d6 Wealth / Turn

-[] Pottery Kilns
The potters of Orchomenos have already begun to gather clay from a place further up the river and to resume their work, though without some aid, they will not produce much of note.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 3 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn

-[] Olive Grove
Back in Greece, one of the most common trading goods is olive oil, highly sought after for it's taste and the ability to preserve foods.
Converts one Farmstead to a Olive Grove. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 1 Wealth / Turn
Time: 20 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn

-[] Vineyard
What would a feast be without wine? And what should the gods be sacrificed as a drink? Goat milk? It is time to produce wine in Hyphyria, lest it forget the taste altogether.
Converts one Farmstead to a Vineyard. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn

Spoiler: Diplomacy

-[] Send someone to negotiate with the local people to deepen ties or heal past insults.
--[] The Woodsfolk
--[] The Northern Villages
--[] The Mountain Shepherds
---[] (Optional) Bring gifts: Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to gift

OOC: Not the worst this could have gone but definitely not the best either.

 

[Azel]

Blessings and Curses​

The news that had reached the palace had been too strange to be true, so Isidoros had decided to come and see in person what had been described to him. Though even now when he saw it with his own eyes, it boggled the mind. He had not expected much success from the attempts to erect more farms. The lower slopes of the hills were just too wet most of the year to grow anything but weeds and a single good rain might have made the tilled soil turn into mud and run off. This was what he had expected. He had made some offerings to Demeter and asked the priests to do the same, but all things considered, it seemed a foregone conclusion that not much would come out of this. Now, though?

"It is a sign of Demeter, my king. Of that what we are sure." Slowly, Isidoros turned to the priest who had spoken while he thought, throwing him a incredulous look.

"I would have never guessed." The response was less sarcastic than he had meant, for the wonder still struck him somewhat dumb. Rows of cornflowers now grew on the slopes, having grown and flowered apparently over night. Not in a chaotic pattern though, but in clear and purposeful lines. And the patches in between these rows had sprouted poppys in an equally impossible swiftness, bathing the hillside in a rich pattern of red and blue. The purpose of the cornflowers were quite clear, and if Isidoros hurried back to the palace to fetch his plans for the drainage ditches to be dug between the hills, he would most likely find that those flowers grew just right to drain the hillside into his small channels.

Establish Farmsteads: Critical Success
Gained 2x Farmstead

Farming Income: 13
Consumption: 15
Current Supplies: 4

"Why?" There was no denying that this was the handiwork of the Lady of the Harvest, the only sign that could have been more obvious then the poppys would have been the goddess herself coming to Hyphyria and saying as much in person. Yet she was the one who had brought blight and rot to Orchomenos and this reversal of her favor just seemed to good to be true.

The priest just shrugged. Interpreting the will of the gods was his calling, though he seemed just as dumbfounded by this. "Many have died in Orchomenos, and death is not her nature."

More the priest did not say, though Isidoros caught what he implied. She might regret her actions and this was her way of showing as much. Saying out loud that the gods might have done something wrong was dangerous, though, and even thinking it not always without cost, so he banished the idea quickly from his mind. It was a blessing, pure and simple, and he would not waste it by overthinking it. "Then I will organize some workers to have those ditches made and the fields tilled."

Isidoros turned to leave, but the priest spoke up again. "My king. Maybe it would be wise to show our appreciation for this gift, lest Demeter think we are ungrateful for it."

Demeter has blessed your field despite her past wrath. Maybe it is time to show your appreciation.

[] [Demeter] Do nothing. This hardly makes up for the calamities she had inflicted on your people in the past.

[] [Demeter] Organize a festival in her honor.
-[] Write-In how much supplies to spend. (Minimum: 2)

---

Alas, not everything went equally well in that summer. While Isidoros had been hard at work to make the most out of the blessing the city had received, trouble brewed elsewhere. Argurios was still rather cold towards his lord, seeing not why he should suffer a wife he didn't want because of issues he accepted no responsibility in causing. His ire just grew even more when his new wife Semni was called upon to aid the fledgling city with her skills. She was quick of wit and her tongue sharp, so it felt only natural for Isidoros to give her a meaningful task where she could use both. So he had sent her to the logging camp on the other side of the river, apparently named Rumon by the shepherds, while Argurios was tasked to oversee the efforts by the potters to set up kilns and a proper clay pit.

Now that Isidoros had more time again and could listen to all the complaints the two had caused, he dearly regretted his decisions. It was a disaster. No other word could truly express the messes they had made.

When he was honest with himself, he should have seen it coming with Argurios. The young man was not exactly dull, but neither did he show any semblance of aptitude at rulership or careful planning. For Isidoros, setting up a few kilns and digging a pit on a clay deposit sounded like something he could have done in his sleep, but Argurios had clearly struggled. The pit had been dug close to the river and water seepage had been a constant problem, causing him to send ever more workers to try the impossible in holding back the water. The kilns on the other hand, he had constructed right in the small village and it took a grand total of three days before the first hut caught fire from a stray ember. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and the fire quickly extinguished, but the people tore down the kilns all the same.

That the clay pit had collapsed just a night later was too much for his temper, though, and Argurios had abandoned the project in a huff, claiming that he had to work with imbeciles who could not follow even the most simple order. The potters who had come to the palace to inform Isidoros about the events were understandably incensed about this, especially as two of their apprentices had died in the collapsing pit. When he had first given them audience, their anger seemed rather overblown, especially the threat to stuff Argurios into a oven if he ever again bothered them, though now that he had the full picture, Isidoros could just agree with them.

Argurios: Pottery Kilns - Major Failure
Lost 2 Wealth. No progress made. Project needs to be restarted.

On the other side of the river, things had not gone any better. Things had started off decently well, with Semni getting along reasonably well with the workers. Even a Greek peasant felt himself better then any barbaroi, wife of a lord or not, though she managed to bridge that gap with her charm and got some of them to listen to her. The problem was, it had not been all of them and things escalated quickly. From what Isidoros could piece together of the events, her first order had already set the tone for the whole ordeal. When she told all workers to make a clearing a bit deeper in the forest, some went off and did as told. Others, either not understanding her still shaky Greek or not caring what she had told them, instead kept up their previous work.

A few even went so far as loudly arguing with her, and when she didn't listen to their 'well meaning advice', they went off and started cutting in a completely different location. Given what the king had heard from some of the other workers, said well meaning advice had been prefaced with the words 'stupid barbaroi whore', so he couldn't quite fault her for not listening to them. The damage was done though and instead of doing something meaningful, the logging camp had descended into arguing, barked orders, and people either doing all the wrong things out of confusion or simply to spite Semni.

It nearly came to a riot a few days past, though she had managed to prevent it from escalating. One senseless squabble to many had been had, and someone had thrown a punch. A few short brawls and shouting followed, and before anyone knew how and why, some of the workers had brandished their axes. Isidoros had always admired the eloquence of other people, but that Semni had managed to break them up was truly impressive. She gave a heartfelt speech that she did not wish for blood to be spilled over her presence and that she did not mean to drive a wedge between friends and families. Then she left, leaving the befuddled workers to sort out their disagreements in their own time, though with her gone, there was not truly any point in their feuds anymore.

Semni: Expand Logging Camp - Critical Failure
Lost 2 Wealth. No logging income this turn.
Potential riot.
Semni - Diplomacy - Charm: Success
Riot prevented. No further damage caused.

The blessing from Demeter of all the gods seemed to good to be true when he had seen it, but now Isidoros was convinced that fate was the most capricious of all mistresses. Now he was left with disgruntled potters and disgruntled woodcutters. Neither of those groups was truly furious at him, but that might have been just a matter of time. Something needed to be done to get their minds off things.


What do you do about the angry people left in the wake of these failures?

[] [Semni] Do nothing. She did nothing wrong and the workers will clam down in time.

[] [Semni] Send Argurios to calm down the workers. The attention of a proper Greek noble should reassure them.

[] [Semni] Promise at court to never again put a barbaroi in charge of any Greek people. (Unable to use Semni for actions that would have her give orders to Greek people.)

[] [Semni] Punish those workers who did not follow Semni's orders. It is the right of the king to choose his representatives, but not the right of the peasants to disregard their words.


[] [Argurios] Do nothing. The potters should calm down as long as they don't have to see Argurios near the workshops anymore.

[] [Argurios] Send Semni to calm down the potters. She managed to quite down a riot, so she should be able to handle them.

[] [Argurios] Promise the potters your personal attention come fall. (Isidoros locked into Construct Pottery Kilns next turn)

[] [Argurios] Give the potters the right to requisition materials and to organize their work themselves. (Project restarts without another action. Might have unforeseen consequences.)

AN: The dice giveth and the dice taketh. It could have been worse, though. Had Semni not salvaged the mess in the forest, there would have been damage to the logging camp.

 

[DragonParadox]

Riches in the Sunset Gleaming ​

Though Isidoros performed all his duties during the festival to the Lady of the Harvest with the same somber formality he had long ago learned walking the corridors of the palace in lost Orchomenos inside he was unsettled as a man stepping on icy mountain trails in winter. The modest bounty of the feast was drawn from stocks that were worryingly close empty. Would their good fortune hold another season? Would it be enough to see them through the winter? These were the questions the King of Hyphyria struggled with in the stillness of his heart as his people settled to a tempered, tentative celebration.

Lost 2 Supplies

Demeter mildly appeased

The potters had been content enough to be given an assurance of royal attention in the fall while the woodsmen had settled into a low rumble about Semni. Their encounter with the woodsfolk earlier in the year had even left a few of them calling her a witch, figuring that one kind of foreigner was much the same as another, but those waters would doubtless settle once the young woman would fail to show any sign of magic. Only a mother waiting to see the birth of her first child... Had Isidoros the time to worry about such things he would have counseled Argurios to pay more attention to his wife, but alas his time was soon called upon in another matter.

From the south Hyphyria received news that the ships had found a sheltered cove that would make a fine anchorage, perhaps a port of trade in the future, but to the north they had found something far more intriguing.

Southern Coastal Exploration Success: Discovered sheltered anchorage (Potential City Location)

***​

Poseidon has smiled upon us, Ekhinos thought as the galley's prow cut the waves in a shower of foam with nary a single oar having to dip into the sea. The wind seemed to have been made for their purpose, but he knew better than to trust the favor of the Earth Shaker and still less the whims of this unknown sea.

"Smoke! Smoke on the shore!" Orestes called. He was a man grey of hair and rich in years with the long sight upon him, and so he was the ship's lookout and rightly so.

"How many and how large?" the captain asked, pondering if these others might be a danger, or an opportunity.

The answer was slow in coming for wariness as a virtue when sailing unknown seas, but the sight of the locals' three ships, rough craft, like the tin traders were said to use, was enough to drive Ekhinos to sending men ashore. A bull, the Greek captain thought, looking at the prow of the largest of the locals' vessels where such an effigy was carved in wood, save for the horns which had been taken from a true beast. Had the children of Minos passed this way...

Alas that the Hyphyrias did not find themselves quite so fortunate for they shared none of the civilized tongues of the east and neither were their holds filled with tin, but still these mariners proved hospitable enough and it was soon discovered, interested in trade.

From the vague signs and gestures Ekhinos guessed that they came from the west, where a great island lay. Though he could guess but a little of the passage due to knowing not the tongue, the works of these western men were finer than those he had seen brought from the shepherds: cloth of a finer weave and pottery with a more careful glaze. Nothing of course to good Greek work, but still better than he would have expected of men lost among the western sea. Honey they had also and proper mead made from it, not the goat's piss he had heard the mountain men drunk. It sweet it as upon the tongue and sweeter still thinking of all the praise he was sure to get.

These Bull-folk were just as impressed by the craftsmanship Ekhinos could show, and so they parted as friends, even exchanging slaves that each might learn the other's tongue in time and both might profit from it.

Northern Expedition Success: Friendly contact established with the Bull-men of the Sunset lands.

With the addition of another pair of hands the work of rule goes easier. Pick up to one personal action each.
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available actions:

Spoiler: General

-[] The soldiers are a bit restless after a year of idleness. See if you can organize drills and training to keep them sharp and to potentially expand your forces.
Check: Warfare - Command

-[] Organize the cults. It is well past time to resume proper worship, lest the gods grow angry for this slight.
Check: Learning - Mysticism

-[] Learn the tongue of the local folk. Though not the most skillful or diligent pupil, Argurios is sure to get the most use from it, but Isidoros would be swifter in study
Check: Learning - Art

Spoiler: Construction

Note: A construction project takes one action to start and will then continue without the need for further attention. Costs are consumed per turn, and if the costs can't be paid, construction stalls. Should the construction stall too long, progress might be lost.

-[] Small Palisade
While the amount of lumber left over from the ships doesn't suffice anymore to see this done, you could still build a small palisade around each hill. It would separate parts of the city in case of an attack and not protect the farmlands, but it is cheap and better then nothing.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Large Palisade
Some of proposed to use the fresh lumber for a grander defensive work. By encircling all the villages and some land around it too, you could protect Hyphyria much better and even the farms would be wholly enclosed by this defense.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Logging Camp
The forest to the north is ample and there is little reason to not expand your logging operations.
Construction Cost: 3 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Limestone Quarry
The masons who have fled Orchomenos would like to get back to work and a source of stone would certainly help other construction efforts.
Construction Cost: 5 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 3 Wealth / Turn
Income: 2d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Pottery Kilns
The potters of Orchomenos have already begun to gather clay from a place further up the river and to resume their work, though without some aid, they will not produce much of note.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 3 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade [Locked for Isidoros]

-[] Olive Grove
Back in Greece, one of the most common trading goods is olive oil, highly sought after for it's taste and the ability to preserve foods.
Converts one Farmstead to a Olive Grove. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 1 Wealth / Turn
Time: 20 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Vineyard
What would a feast be without wine? And what should the gods be sacrificed as a drink? Goat milk? It is time to produce wine in Hyphyria, lest it forget the taste altogether.
Converts one Farmstead to a Vineyard. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

Spoiler: Diplomacy

-[] Send someone to negotiate with the local people to deepen ties or heal past insults.
--[] The Woodsfolk
--[] The Northern Villages
--[] The Mountain Shepherds
---[] (Optional) Bring gifts: Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to gift

 

[Azel]

A Realm In Order​

The sound of spears striking shields filled the air. Men grunted from exertion, wrestling with each other. Sand crunching underneath the sandals of those running against each other. For Argurios, these sounds were more pleasing than the finest music. His father had ensured that he had learned the skills befitting of his station, and while he took well to lessons of comportment and speech, he always preferred the more martial teachings offered to him. What were craftsmen without the warriors protecting their homes? How could a city rise without walls to keep out the rabble? It was the work of artisans and poets to show the greatness and glory of a city, but it was the soldiers task make it great and glorious.

It felt like years since Argurios had last enjoyed himself like this. To be called into the council of the king first seemed like such a great opportunity. A chance to prove that for all its losses, house Alexis was still great. It was good that his father did not have to see the indignity heaped upon him, having departed to Hades during those days of divine wrath in Orchomenos. First that barbaroi girl tried to foist her bastard upon him and then the king even forced him to marry her. Never would this have happened in the old days! But try as he might, he could not pretend that they were still in Greece. Back then, he would have been expected to marry a woman of noble breeding to seal an alliance for his house, maybe even for the whole city if he married outside of it.

But here? These lands were not Greece, but Rumon, as the locals called it. There was no noble lady for him to marry here, and only barbaroi their neighbors as far as the eye could see. As much as he detested the thought, Semni was the closest thing to a woman of proper breeding he could have found here, the daughter of what passed for a king among her people. There was wisdom in what Isidoros had decreed, even though it took Argurios a long time to see it. Maybe one day Hyphyria would remember him all the more fondly for the sacrifice he had to make to ensure its first tentative ally.

If the woman in question just could have been at least somewhat pleasant company. True, he had picked her for her fair shape and the spark of cunning in her eyes, but what made her a good tumble in a lonely night in the mountains now had turned her into a harridan of a wife. Always a sharp retort on her lips, spoken just politely and hidden enough for him to be unable to reprimand her. Always the whispering behind his back and the unflattering rumors about him coming from nowhere. Good thing he didn't need to see the shrew for a while. She was back with her people, trying to mend the damage caused by the marriage being broken, and from what the messengers told, she seemed decently successful. He could already imagine her smug grin upon her return.

For now, though, he had other things to take care of, and he would make sure that he would outshine her efforts. Playing nice with her kin on Isidoros' behest was an easy thing to do, but he? He had finally a task that he could excel at. And sadly, it was direly necessary to perform a small miracle. Hyphyria's king had never paid much attention to military matters, just sending orders for the troops to go hither and yon, scouting the unknown lands and reporting back. There was no Strategos to turn vague orders into proper plans, though, and their efforts had suffered for it.

Worse yet, the soldiers themselves had suffered without some semblance of order. In the past, they had been Orchomenos' most well-traveled sons, more so even than the most successful merchant. From the shores of Aegyptus to the mountains of the Hittites they had fought, bringing back fat pay-chests for their services and rich plunder from these far lands. All the world feared and admired Greek soldiers of their discipline and prowess. Yet the year in Hyphyria had eroded much of what these men once had been.

Without guidance by a Strategos, they had organized themselves and mostly badly at that. Sure, there were patrols around the city, but haphazard and ineffectual ones. Worse yet, there had been barely any training been done in that year, the soldiers rather busying themselves to till the dirt for their own food or doing work for artisans. Without a proper city there was no pay, and while the soldiers had taken good care of their gear at last, they needed a place to sleep and a warm meal just like all other people in the city.

Did Isidoros know the issues lurking here? Probably not, Argurios decided. He had never shown great aptitude at matters of war, and with artisans, barbaroi, and priests yelling this and that at him all day, he probably considered it a good sign that the warriors had not joined the steady line of complainers waiting before the palace. Most likely, he would not have taken notice until the first time he would have had to call upon the military for an emergency, getting a few confused people milling around aimlessly instead of the organized fighting force they had in theory. The few officers left after the journey had been almost eager to see Argurios taking command and beginning to unravel the growing mess.

Organize Military: Success
Military regains some amount of order. Penalties to mobilization and organization removed.

Still, he could not lead these men as they were used to. Hyphyria had come far, but there were no proper smithies, no smelters making bronze, no bowyers making new bows and supplying arrows. The city barely produced enough food to last the winter, and the attacks of the Woodfolk had assured that even decent lumber was hard to come by, let alone good blades and spears for soldiers. For now they could make due with what they had, but any losses would be harshly felt. True, Isidoros had seen to it that things were beginning to get better, what with the Hyphyrian sheep flocks bringing mutton into the larders and cloth on the bodies. Even the potters seemed to have been able to get something done after he had given them his personal attention.

New Buildings
Gained 1x Shepherds (1d3 Supplies + 1d3 Wealth per turn)
Gained 1x Pottery Kilns (1d6 Wealth per turn, 1 Wealth Upkeep)

Turn Balance
Supplies: 2 (Stock) + 26 (Income) - 15 (Demand) = 13
Wealth: Wealth: 0 (Stock) + 12 (Income) - 2 (Building Upkeep) = 10

One matter though remained the same. The soldiers needed pay, but the chests in the palace were still too empty to properly feed them. A man who did nothing but train stayed sharp, but no one was willing to share his meager belongings for nothing but a promise of defense that might never even be necessary as far as most people were concerned. And they would be missed in other places. While Argurios wasn't quite certain about the extent of the issue, it seemed likely that some places would be bereft of workers entirely if he told the soldiers to drop the trades they had picked up and do nothing but train again. But something needed to be done all the same.

Military Upkeep and Building Cap revealed.
A city can't support more then one building per Population.
Each unit of a standing army counts as one building for the purpose of this cap. Levies don't count against it.
A standing unit costs 3 Wealth per turn to supply, a levies unit only 1 Wealth when not mobilized.
The army does not currently consume upkeep, but if battle damage is taken or the economy expands sufficiently, they will begin to need and demand payment.

Current Buildings: 8
Current Military:
- 2x Galley Squadron
- 2x Sailor Unit
- 2x Infantry Unit
- 2x Archer Unit

The military of Hyphyria is in theory a standing force, but almost all soldiers have spent their last year on other tasks. What should be done with them?

[] Leave things as they are. You can't afford a standing army right now. (All military units become Levies and will resume to slowly lose discipline and fighting ability. Military units must be mobilized before being able to fight, both in offensive and defensive engagements.)

[] Disband part of the military to fix the lack of workers and give the remainder a modest pay so that they can focus on training. (Military becomes a standing force again. Quality will be maintained and standing units will not need to be mobilized. Upkeep for standing units will be 1 Wealth per turn for the coming years.)
-[] Write-In at least one unit to disband to meet the cities demand for workers.

[] Write-In

AN: Needless to say, things would look worse the longer you would have waited with this action. As it is, you can still steer against the trend towards a lower-quality levies force, but it will cost you.

 

[DragonParadox]

Tales from the Outlands ​

The village of Ceii lay under low clouds that threatened rain but seemed unwilling or unable to disgorge their burden. Perhaps Gradivus was still pondering who his lightning bolts would strike, Hathi thought as she lay down the distaff with a huff. She did not really need to work thus at her age and due to being the headman's wife, but ever since the summer she had needed a distraction more than usual. Her little Semni was gone, following a fool's smile to the sea folk's city, and she knew not to what fate.

Then as though ‎Culsans himself had heard her thoughts and opened the way she heard raised voices outside: "The foreigners are coming, the foreigners are coming, under a branch of peace!" they called.

So it was under a green bough split in three, though it was not precisely foreigners at that. Semni had returned.

"What was that man thinking letting you go out so far when you are with child?" Hathi asked her daughter as soon as they were together.

The girl's eyes flashed with a familiar defiance: "Even my dear husband is not such a fool as to leave me locked inside like a sheep ready to drop a lamb, mother."

Hathi was at once happy to see the girl's spirit unbroken and worried about what it would mean for her in the future. Men did not love the sharpness of a woman's tongue, still less brash young men of the sort that acted with such folly as this Argurios had. "Well then what are you doing here? Surely it is not just to lighten an old woman's heart?"

"Not just that, but I would have found a way to come regardless once the little one is ready to travel," Semni replied, her mood changing at once to a sly smile. "I'm here to talk to peace and trade, of all the things Hyphyria has need of and how we and all our kinsmen might profit from those trades. Even their king admitted that I would be more skilled in speaking of such matters than my fool of a husband"

She had always been clever one, too clever maybe, the older woman thought. She just hoped her daughter would not outwit herself again. "The king. You aren't...?"

Semni recoiled as if struck. "I would never be such a fool as that, mother!"

"I'm sorry. I thought..." Hathi broke off, unsure of how to put her thought into words without being hurtful.

"That because I lay with one man who I thought myself wed to I would spread my legs for any other," her daughter finished bitterly. Then she sighed. "Come now, let us not quarrel. At least you asked it of me to my face and took my word for it when denied it. Tell me, what is the mood of the elders? Particularly cousin Fulni, his kinship to the Alvini will serve me well in this for Hyphyria needs far more trade than Ceii alone can provide, at least as it is now..."

And so they spoke, mother and daughter, not only of small and precious things, but of grand deeds such as might shift the fate of whole peoples inn due time.

Diplomacy Success: Relationship with the Mountain Shepard increased by 6, now at +1

***​

Isidoros received the news of Semni's success among her people with a quiet sigh of relief. Whatever Argurios said about the strength and skill of the men who still dedicated their full might to the defense of Hyphyria, he was glad indeed not to have to fight, for his people were yet weary and heartsick and no walls guarded the fledgling city. This talk of trading not only with one village but many was pleasing to his ear for Hyphyria still had many needs yet unfulfilled. Better yet the shepherds were not the only folk who seemed great opportunity...

The more the king of Hyphyria learned of those called 'the Bull-men' by the captain who had found them the more he thought it a subtle blessing of Poseidon that a Hyphyrian ship had found them drawn up alongside the shore. They were a people more like onto the Helens than any others in these lands though cruder in manner and dress just as they were in the work of their hands. They supposedly dwelt in stone keeps and paid homage to a gathering of seven kings who quarreled and made pacts among themselves in a manner than was familiar indeed to Isidoros. There was much opportunity there, to trade perhaps even to forge alliances that would gain the city more than sheepskin and meat.

However, there was also peril, for the lands of the Sards as they called themselves had recently fallen under the shadow of ill omen. According to the slave that had been traded to Hyphyria. Not quite one generation past King Naha, a wicked and impious man who had been lord among the Balari who settled the middle of the island sought out rumored treasure that lay in a sealed tomb said to be the entrance to the underworld. Though the priests proclaimed that it would bring ruin upon them all, the king would not be dissuaded. Yet none could say if there was gold beyond and none would care, for what emerged from the depths was a giant, fearsome of mien and savage of nature who devoured the king and ruled over his kindred as the cruelest of tyrant. No blade could cut the giant's stony skin though they be wrought of finest bronze, and so it laughed at all its foes saying that it would rule over all the island as a god among men, but the true gods loved the monsters' pride no more than they did that of the fool Naha, so it is said they sent a blood-red star to fall from the sky to be an omen of its doom.

So it was that a boy called Itxaro, seemingly a common shepherd's son from among the Corsi who dwell in the north of the island, came to challenge the giant, but where all others had failed Itxaro succeeded, though none save he can say for certain how. Some say he did so in honorable battle, others speak of poison, and still others whisper of witchcraft.

What is known clear as day even onto one as lowly as the slave who now recounted the tale in halting Greek is that Itxaro proclaimed himself king of all the island standing upon the corpse of his defeated foe. His own folk bent the knee at once as did many of the Balari, grateful for the slaying of the giant, but the Ilienses of the south, rich in crops and skilled mariners both, had refused to give obeisance onto Itxaro whom they named sorcerer and ill-worker, and so there has been war in the lands of the Sards, with some of their fortresses changing hands as many as three times in a year.

Perhaps those men who had once fought for Orchomenos could find again rich pay in the employ of one side or the other of this war.

The time comes again to face the winter, mild though it may be in these lands Pick up to one personal action each.
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available actions:

Spoiler: Military

-[] Organize Patrols
Now that some order has been reestablished in the military, it might be time to organize a better defense for Hyphyria. The lands around the city are full of hidden tracks and passages that could be used to move undetected, so patrolling them might make all the difference if foes approach. (Requires one action per area to set up.)
--[] The Northern Forests
--[] The Easterns Mountains
--[] Along the river to the sea.
--[] The Southern Forests (may cause issues with the Woodfolk if done without their agreement).
--[] By ship, along the coastline. (Requires one Galley Squadron, can take along one land unit per squadron).
--[] Write-In units to station in the area.
Check: Warfare - Strategy

-[] Start an Expedition
The immediate surroundings of Hyphyria are decently explored by now, but what lies beyond the mountains and the forests? It will require a decent force and quite some time to learn more about the lands, but it might yield interesting finds.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] Write-In Units to send
Check: Warfare - Strategy
Hero Unit will not be available while the expedition is ongoing and might need to perform other checks, depending on the events.

-[] Start an Invasion
So far you have not seen any place in these lands that boasted a decent force of warriors. The people here might be quarrelsome, but they are no match for Greek soldiers. It might be time to exploit this.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] Write-In Units to send
--[] Write-In War-Goal (Salve Raid, Conquest, etc.)
Starts War-Turns

Spoiler: General

-[] Organize the cults. It is well past time to resume proper worship, lest the gods grow angry for this slight.
Check: Learning - Mysticism

Spoiler: Construction

Note: A construction project takes one action to start and will then continue without the need for further attention. Costs are consumed per turn, and if the costs can't be paid, construction stalls. Should the construction stall too long, progress might be lost.

-[] Small Palisade
While the amount of lumber left over from the ships doesn't suffice anymore to see this done, you could still build a small palisade around each hill. It would separate parts of the city in case of an attack and not protect the farmlands, but it is cheap and better then nothing.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Large Palisade
Some of proposed to use the fresh lumber for a grander defensive work. By encircling all the villages and some land around it too, you could protect Hyphyria much better and even the farms would be wholly enclosed by this defense.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Logging Camp
The forest to the north is ample and there is little reason to not expand your logging operations.
Construction Cost: 3 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Limestone Quarry
The masons who have fled Orchomenos would like to get back to work and a source of stone would certainly help other construction efforts.
Construction Cost: 5 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 3 Wealth / Turn
Income: 2d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Pottery Kilns
With pottery being so appreciated by the locals the city might be well served increasing production.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 3 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade [Locked for Isidoros]

-[] Olive Grove
Back in Greece, one of the most common trading goods is olive oil, highly sought after for it's taste and the ability to preserve foods.
Converts one Farmstead to a Olive Grove. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 1 Wealth / Turn
Time: 20 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Vineyard
What would a feast be without wine? And what should the gods be sacrificed as a drink? Goat milk? It is time to produce wine in Hyphyria, lest it forget the taste altogether.
Converts one Farmstead to a Vineyard. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Drain the Valleys
The valleys between the hills of Hyphyria are fertile, but to wet to grow anything there. With the preliminary plans drawn up, it is time to start the long project of claiming this rich soil.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 12 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration & Learning - Sciences

Spoiler: Diplomacy

-[] Send someone to negotiate with the local people to deepen ties or heal past insults.
--[] The Woodsfolk
--[] The Northern Villages
--[] The Mountain Shepherds
---[] (Optional) Bring gifts: Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to gift

-[] Attract Workers
Hyphyria is yet small and able hands sometimes in short supply. It might be possible to convince some people from the other settlements to settle under Greek rule.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] (Optional) Offer incentives: Write-In how much Wealth to spend.
Check: Diplomacy - Charm

-[] Start Trading
While the locals have no great desire for lumber or wool, the talks with the shepherds have revealed that many would be keen to buy Hyphyrian pottery. With some effort, regular trade could be established, profiting all involved and forging closer ties between them.
--[] Write-In Target
Check: Diplomacy - Multiple

OOC: Some decent rolls this turn. The shepherds now actually like you ever so slightly.

 

[DragonParadox]

Specters of Winter ​

The winter dragged on grey and cold with an eye towards the dwindling stocks and another towards the forest edge, wondering if anyone or anything would emerge from under the trees restless and hungry. The people of Hyphyria took heart in seeing their remaining warriors still standing tall armed with fine bronze and ever watchful. They cheered for Argurios as he marched out beyond the boundaries to set guards against whatever may emerge from the mountains. They cheered him not when he returned...

Supplies: 13 (Stock) +2 (Herds) -15 (Upkeep) = 0

***​

Nothing so dark as a forest at night, the old saying passed through Argurios' thoughts. Clearly whoever had first said that had never had to go traipsing through mountain passes in winter. With a shiver as he drew his wool cloak tight around his shoulders. The young warrior could feel the chill sinking into the bronze of his armor even trhough the padding underneath, sharper than any dagger. Just a bit farther and they would reach the cave the scouts had found, out of the worst of the cold.

The torch ahead of his flickered in a gust of wind...

The hairs on the back of Argurios neck stood on end. Something was watching, he knew with the certainty of one who had hunted both beast and brigands before. Something that meant him ill.

"Ware, there's something..."

A distant screech broke the silence high and cold like a woman in pain. Just the wind, it was probably just the wind, Argurios tried to tell himself, but in his heart of hearts he was not so certain. Still he could not show fear before his men.

"Get moving!" he barked the order.

For a long while no other sound came save the crunch of gravel underfoot as they walked through the dry gully. The stones were eerily white in the failing moonlight, like the bones of some ancient battle field left unhurried...

A skull staring at him with a cold grin and hollow eyes from the crumbling banks.

When he looked again it was only another chunk of limestone. He unclenched his hand from the hilt of his leaf-bladed sword, knuckles hurting from more than just the cold.

Never had a cave mouth looked more inviting than the opening had. Finally they could have fire and light and food to warm body and soul.

"Betrayer..." The word was softer than a whisper on the wind, so soft that Argurios could have rightly thought he imagined it, were it not for the fact that it was so out of place.

What had he betrayed? Had not been been a loyal son of Orchomenos and then of Hyphyria? Had he not wed his shrew of a wife to keep her barbarous kinsmen from making war on his people?

"Treacherous flesh..." come the answer, a hiss on the night wind. In his mind's eye he saw Eritha's eyes alight with desire. He could almost feel her warm and willing form just out of reach.

"What is it, my lord?" one of the men behind him asked, more bemused than frightened.

They could not hear it, Argurios realized, the challenge he had almost spoken dying in his throat lest his men think him mad or haunted by evil spirits. He had to...

Another screech, this one much closer, sounded through the valley, this one heard by all as the Hyphyrians made camp in haste.

As the flame took to kindling the red feeble flames revealed for the briefest instant the ragged figure of a woman garbed in bloody rags, that same corpse's grin upon her face.

Soon...

The patrol did not linger long in the mountains, nor did they find the paths they sought.

Patrol Failure: Action Wasted, ???

***​

Happy is the man whom the gods know not either by face or name, Isidoros thought very privately as he personally escorted the last would-be high priest from his chambers. The doom of Orchomenos had given him a sharp appreciation for divine apathy, so he was most happy indeed to hear priest after priest say that the signs were 'evenly split' or 'hardly of note'. That one exception besides the Smith was Demeter did not surprise him. However, that the Lady of the Harvest was still mildly well disposed towards Hyphyria was a thing to be treasured.

How long the current time of grace would last until the gods began to demand temples of their own and sacrifices upon them Isidoros did not know. For certain the priests were already asking for both.

Cult Organization Major success: No Gods are displeased. Hyphyria is seemingly in a divine grace period

Spoiler: Divine Opinions

Demeter +4
Poseidon +1
Zeus 0
Hades 0

***​

For all the fears that plagued Hyphyria, it still seemed an inviting place if you knew how to speak of it and who to speak to. Semni did not go among the elders, the shepherds with rich flocks. She spent the winter seeking out and enticing the lowly and ambitious that could be found at the edges of any village. She spoke of the arts of the Helens, of their great skill at war and their weapons of bronze that could put man and beast alike to flight. The envoy showed them pottery finer than any seen in these lands, and she said onto them: 'A shadow's shadow of their true arts this is.'

With half the wealth she had been sent forth with she had bribed the indecisive, and with the other half she had bought them supplies for the journey to Hyphyria.

Recruitment action success: Gained 2 Population

Wealth: 2 (Stock) +8 (Pottery Wood and Herds) - 7 (Upkeep) -2 (Diplomacy action) = 1

Spring comes with hope, but also with the grim reality of a storehouses almost emptied bare. Pick up to one personal action each.
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available actions:

Spoiler: Military

-[] Organize Patrols
Now that some order has been reestablished in the military, it might be time to organize a better defense for Hyphyria. The lands around the city are full of hidden tracks and passages that could be used to move undetected, so patrolling them might make all the difference if foes approach. (Requires one action per area to set up.)
--[] The Northern Forests
--[] The Eastern Mountains
--[] Along the river to the sea.
--[] The Southern Forests (may cause issues with the Woodsfolk if done without their agreement).
--[] By ship, along the coastline. (Requires one Galley Squadron, can take along one land unit per squadron).
--[] Write-In units to station in the area.
Check: Warfare - Strategy

-[] Start an Expedition
The immediate surroundings of Hyphyria are decently explored by now, but what lies beyond the mountains and the forests? It will require a decent force and quite some time to learn more about the lands, but it might yield interesting finds.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] Write-In Units to send
Check: Warfare - Strategy
Hero Unit will not be available while the expedition is ongoing and might need to perform other checks, depending on the events.

-[] Start an Invasion
So far you have not seen any place in these lands that boasted a decent force of warriors. The people here might be quarrelsome, but they are no match for Greek soldiers. It might be time to exploit this.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] Write-In Units to send
--[] Write-In War-Goal (Salve Raid, Conquest, etc.)
Starts War-Turns

Spoiler: Rulership

-[] Organize a proper court.
It is past time that Hyphyria gains a proper court. With the military, the artisans and the priests having returned to some semblance of order, all the is left is to fill the palace with life as it deserves. Hyphyria will be a refugee camp no longer, but a proper Greek city.
Time Needed: Unknown
Check: Rulership - Administration

Spoiler: Construction

Note: A construction project takes one action to start and will then continue without the need for further attention. Costs are consumed per turn, and if the costs can't be paid, construction stalls. Should the construction stall too long, progress might be lost.

-[] Small Palisade
While the amount of lumber left over from the ships doesn't suffice anymore to see this done, you could still build a small palisade around each hill. It would separate parts of the city in case of an attack and not protect the farmlands, but it is cheap and better then nothing.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Large Palisade
Some of proposed to use the fresh lumber for a grander defensive work. By encircling all the villages and some land around it too, you could protect Hyphyria much better and even the farms would be wholly enclosed by this defense.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Logging Camp
The forest to the north is ample and there is little reason to not expand your logging operations.
Construction Cost: 3 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Limestone Quarry
The masons who have fled Orchomenos would like to get back to work and a source of stone would certainly help other construction efforts.
Construction Cost: 5 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 3 Wealth / Turn
Income: 2d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Pottery Kilns
With pottery being so appreciated by the locals the city might be well served increasing production.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 3 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Olive Grove
Back in Greece, one of the most common trading goods is olive oil, highly sought after for its taste and the ability to preserve foods.
Converts one Farmstead to a Olive Grove. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 1 Wealth / Turn
Time: 20 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Vineyard
What would a feast be without wine? And what drink should be sacrificed to the gods? Goat milk? It is time to produce wine in Hyphyria, lest it forget the taste altogether.
Converts one Farmstead to a Vineyard. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Drain the Valleys
The valleys between the hills of Hyphyria are fertile, but too wet to grow anything there. With the preliminary plans drawn up, it is time to start the long project of claiming this rich soil.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 12 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration & Learning - Sciences

Spoiler: Diplomacy

-[] Send someone to negotiate with the local people to deepen ties or heal past insults.
--[] The Woodsfolk
--[] The Northern Villages
--[] The Mountain Shepherds
---[] (Optional) Bring gifts: Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to gift

-[] Attract Workers
Hyphyria is yet small and able hands sometimes in short supply. It might be possible to convince some people from the other settlements to settle under Greek rule.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] (Optional) Offer incentives: Write-In how much Wealth to spend.
Check: Diplomacy - Charm

-[] Start Trading
While the locals have no great desire for lumber or wool, the talks with the shepherds have revealed that many would be keen to buy Hyphyrian pottery. With some effort, regular trade could be established, profiting all involved and forging closer ties between them.
--[] Write-In Target
Check: Diplomacy - Multiple

Spoiler: Learning

-[] Sacrifice to the Gods
The gods are fickle beings and demand obedience and sacrifices from mortal men. Those who do not make offerings to them tend to draw their ire while those willing to render unto them great riches might earn their love.
--[] Write-In which God
--[] Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to offer
Check: Learning - Mysticism

-[] Study Local Legends
Strange tales are told by those daring to venture close to the Woodsfolk's forests, and even Argurios seemed spooked by something uncanny on his latest journey. Maybe it would help to learn from the local people what manner of things stalk the nights in these lands.

Check: Learning - Mysticism

-[] Study Local Faiths
Little do the Hyphyrians know about the gods of the land, even though they seem to somewhat resemble those of Greece. It would be wise to learn more about these beings, lest the people draw their ire unknowingly.
Check: Learning - Mysticism

OOC: Well you are walking the razor's edge in terms of resources. You might want to get those expensive warriors earnings their keep.

 

[Azel]

Legend: The Serpent And The Maiden​

The story goes that there once was a chieftain's son in these lands, a boy that was both charming and cunning, strong his arms and his will. Many in the village liked him, and they were glad to know that he would one day lead them, but the boy himself thought different. The dour life of the villagers did not satisfy him, for he was young and wanted to see the world. So he often went out on his own, climbing the hills and striking out into the deepest forests. Never did he find the excitement he craved, the beasts roaming the lands too easily outwitted, the new vistas he found too much alike the things he already knew.

One day, though, he met a girl in the forest, and she was strange and exiting indeed. Vines grew in her hair, adorned with lushest green, her skin smooth and pristine as the fresh snow, and though she bore no clothes neither discomfort nor grime seemed known to her. He spoke to her, first hesitant, for even he knew caution before the things that are other, but soon with confidence. For three days and three nights they spoke, about themselves and their lives, about their fancies and their desires. When they finally parted ways again, it was not as strangers but as friends, and they would meet again and again. On the hidden glades they played with each other, on the side of the pond where she lived they told tales to each other. And as they spent their days together, from friendship grew love, and from love an oath. Never would they part, so they swore.

But the boy grew into a man as they won't to do, and with age came expectations. Less and less they could see each other as the young man's days were spent training at arms and being taught the wisdom of his elders. For all these years he had kept the girl a secret from his village, worrying that the dour people might fear his love, and so there was no reason he could give to his teachers for why he often missed his lessons. His father grew angry with him, seeing his heir waste his time instead of pursuing the greatness that so clearly was his due. So a plan was hatched to see him grounded, a reason for him to stay in the village instead of traipsing through forests and hills.

A fair maiden was chosen from a nearby village, her hand in marriage to the young man meant to seal an alliance. But for all her beauty, her charm and her wit, the young man felt only dread when seeing her for the first time. All her virtues meant nothing to him, for she was not the girl that waited for him in the forests. So when his father spoke that he would marry her, he felt dread, and when he was told that it was to be done by the morrow, the dread grew to despair. He pleaded and begged, saying that he would be terrible husband, for he loved her not, but his father was unmoved. Thus in his desperation, he offered him a bargain. One more day he asked from his father. One more day to spend as he please, then he would return home to marry the maiden and take his place in the village, never to leave it behind again. To this, his father agreed.

When he walked into the forest his heart grew lighter again, the shadows on his mind banished while he walked among the trees. And when he came upon the pond, the air filled by a whimsy song of the girl from the woods, he forgot about his worries. One more day he had and he would make good use of it. That night, he laid with her for the first time.

Though when the morning came, he knew what he had to do. He had given his word and thus he would have to leave his beloved, now and forever. She asked him to stay some more when he turned to leave, but he said nothing and the dread came back to him tenfold. With each step he took, his heart became heavier and with each step he took, her pleas became more desperate. When he had reached the edge of the glade, he pondered to turn around. To behold her one last time. But he knew that he could not do it. Were he to see her tears, he would not leave her. And so he walked away, not turning back, no matter her pleas.

That evening, he was wed to the woman who so many envied him for, yet he cared nothing about. He planted the crown of flowers upon her head, though he felt nothing as he did. There was drink and food aplenty, a bonfire and merriment, but he just sat on his stool and waited for it to be over, each song and each dance a dagger in his heart for how false they felt. He drank and drank, to forget and to numb, but he could not drown out the memory of her sobs. So when the songs stopped, he thought he was just drunk. When the people became quiet, he did not understand. Though when he looked up, he saw her face again. His beloved had come and the villagers parted in fright at her approach. Tears still streaked down her face, but not in sorrow. Her face was set in wrath.

"You swore an oath, but it was broken." She passed the bonfire, the flames high as two men, but the wind blew it out like mere embers. "You took my heart, but it was broken." In his stupor he looked around himself, but where there once were people all around, he now was alone on the table. Even his wife having forsaken his side, huddling behind his father in fear. "You took me, but I was broken." He tried to raise his voice, to shout a denial, but he could not. His breath had forsaken him, for try as he might, he could not deny her words.

"A serpent you are, no warmth in your heart, and your lips hiding poison." Her voice was chill as the winter and each word cutting like the cold. "May you take the shape befitting of you." And as these words were spoken, pain wracked the young man. His skin drew tight upon his flesh, his arms and legs seizing up. He heard the cries and shouts, but only knew the pain. His beloved was gone as sudden as she had come, and in her stead, the warriors of the village came. Spears did they thrust into his face and he knew not why, but they dug into his flesh all the same, adding to his torment. Torches they thrust into his eyes, blinding him though just for moments, just to do it again whenever he could see again.

And from pain grew panic and from panic wroth. And so he twisted and turned, blindly flailing at his attackers, biting and twisting to turn them away. How long it went, he did not know, but when the pain faded, he saw what he had done. The village lay broken, no house still standing. The villagers lay dead, their bodies crushed and torn, wounds of spears in their chests and the marks of poison on their cheeks. And among them all, he saw his beloved again. Above the broken body of his wife she stood, the crown of flowers held in her hands. And as he saw her, he saw that she was bloodied, just as the crown of flowers.

And so the young men wept, for he knew that it was him who had spilled that blood upon her, and turned in shame. He fled in blind anguish, pausing not to look back, and all the way to the sea he went. The sea was calm on that day, and when he approached it's edges, he saw his reflection upon the still waters. A serpent she had named him, for he had forsaken all those that loved him, and a serpent she had made him in truth. So he wept again, for all the things he had lost, and yet he felt shame for doing so. A beast he was, not now, but since long ago, and it was not a beast's due to cry. Thus he went into the sea, his tears mingling with the waters and hidden from view so that no man might see his sorrow, and striking in wrath at all those might see and pity him.

And there he is until this day.

AN: Argurios had some success, giving you a first glimpse of the local folklore. More on the circumstances of said success in the next chapter.

 

[Azel]

Omens​

With slow, deliberate motions, Argurios drained his wooden cup. The swill the locals called wine left a slight burning in his throat on its way down. Too sour by half and only truly enjoyable after the fifth or so cup, but it was better than nothing. Before him, the waves gently lapped at the beach beneath the hill, the full moon and the stars reflecting in the water. The peaceful sight felt almost mocking after the tale he had just heard. He was not a superstitious man, but neither was he a fool. It was no coincidence that it was this story he had been told tonight.

Something stirred in the grass behind him and it took him a moment to remember her presence, so deep had he been in thought. "What troubles you, kurios?" The last word was spoken hesitantly, the unfamiliarity with it shining through. But how could someone expect a barbaroi farmer's daughter to know how to address a Greek nobleman? And a farmer's daughter she was, of that Argurios had made sure. The mistake with Semni would see no repeat.

"I empathize with the boy from your tale..." He trailed off awkwardly, grasping for her name, but could not recall it. Her skin was smooth and her face fair, what name she had of little consequence in the end. He had promised nothing except a night of enjoyment after all.

She slowly stirred from the nest of cloaks and linen she had made for herself afterwards, though made no motion to robe herself just yet. "I assure you that I am no woodland sprite, kurios." It was meant as a joke, but the remark still stung. It was not a nameless peasant girl that troubled Argurios. It was the end of the tale. A whole village brought low because the boy had fallen for the sweet temptations of a monster. Had he ever known what his 'lover' truly was? What the creature was capable of?

Did he truly know who Semni was? Mayhaps he had made the same mistake and had laid the groundwork to invite a monster to Hyphyria and all of them would pay for it in the end.

---

If the sounds were speech at all or just noises made to soothe the screaming woman Metrophanes could not tell. Here he was, the finest physician that had made it to Hyphyria, usually attending to nobles and the king himself, standing in the corner of a hut made from loam and twigs. And he was not even doing anything, just watching as a half-blind barbaroi woman that smelled like rancid goat milk took care of a lady of his home city. He understood why it had come to this.

The lady Alexis wanted the aid of the woman that had taken care of her for all her life, even if that meant traveling into the hills on a cart. Trust was sometimes more important than skill, and the old hag had delivered three brothers, two sisters, and Semni herself, but it still rankled to be shouted at for the whole night to stay out of her way. He spoke not a single word of the local tongue and the woman spook no Greek either. Only Semni spoke both languages, but the mother to be could do little else than moan and scream since sunset. No wonder there, for this birth was a harsh one for her.

Not one child, but two she bore, that Metrophanes had recognized a good while ago already. And now she was late for her birth, very late. Twins tended to be born early and were often sickly and weak for it, but her children had been carried far longer than was normal, a good omen for the health of the children and a bad one for that of the mother. Would the king understand if he saved the children but lost the mother?

The lord Alexis might not mourn his departed wife overly, his disdain for her an open secret at court, but others liked the charm and wits of the lady Semni and might yet blame him for not averting disaster. Metrophanes might as well have tried to lift a mountain for all the good his objections to this had done, the sharp tongue and stubbornness of the lady far mightier than his own, but he would not have been the first messenger to be condemned for bringing ill tidings.

But while he thought and fretted, playing the part of the father to be in some twisted sense, there was another cry of pain. A strong voice, even its first cry seeming to shake the entire hut. Before he knew what happened, the barbaoi woman thrust a small bundle in his arms to hold. When he glanced down, he saw the little boy. Hale and strong, his green eyes not scrounged shut, but gazing back at him for a long moment. Then the little head sunk down again and the boy snuggled up to Metrophanes chest.

Then the second cry came and again the bundle was brought to him. It was a girl this time, a bit smaller than the boy and shivering in the cold night air. He brought her up to his chest with his other arm, careful to balance both children, yet the girl kept squirming as if in discomfort. Then, though, the boy stretched his arm a bit, brushing his hand against that of his sister, and like that the girl calmed down. They were beautiful babes, that much was certain, and healthy looking, too.

With some annoyed tones that might have been words, the old woman came over to him and practically shoved Metrophanes forward towards Semni. With a start he realized that the crone apparently did think he was the father, but with a babe in each arm and not a single shared word between them, he could just bear the awkward situation. Semni looked up at him, then at the bundles. She was pale, her skin waxen, and sweat ran in streams from her body, but given the stressful birth she seemed fine. It would be a bit until she fully recovered, though the woman was of good constitution.

Now, though, she was just exhausted, her eyes roaming around with jerky movements. "Good?" It was the first word in Greek she had spoken since going into labor and Metrophanes took a moment to get her meaning. "Good," he said in turn and nodded deeply, hoping she would understand the answer.

Then, though, something changed in her posture. Her quivering limbs went deadly still, and her gaze gained a focus of startling intensity, yet she apparently stared into the air. When her mouth opened to speak, there was no sign of hesitation or exhaustion. "Tᴡᴏ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ, ʙᴏʀɴ ᴀs ᴏɴᴇ. Tᴡᴏ ʜᴇɪʀs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʙᴏʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. Bʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴡɴ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴇʀᴀʟᴅ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴜɴɪᴏɴ ᴘᴜʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴏᴡ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛɴᴇss."

It had been spoken in Greek. Metrophanes would have sworn any oath to any god that this was what he had heard. Yet next to him, the crone gasped just at the same moment as he did so. If he needed to have any confirmation about what this had been, that alone would have been enough on it's own. Prophecy. He looked down on the two babes in his arms again, the two holding hands and apparently sleeping, blissfully unknowing about the burden just placed upon them.

---

Was it a kingly thing to pace through one's study in the middle of the night? It must have been, because Isidoros couldn't recall doing nearly as much of that back when his duties had been lesser. The last days certainly caused a lot of it. First a runner had come from the hills, a sealed message from the court physician in his hands. Semni had birthed two healthy children, and then a prophecy had passed from her lips. The mountain shepherds believed it to be a sign from Culsans, a deity their seers worshiped and who was said to send portends even to those not seeking them now and then.

One the next day, Argurios had come back from his journey, having gleamed not much in regards to local legends, yet in a oddly pensive mood. That alone had Isidoros worried, for pensive was nothing usually associated with the boisterous man. Then he had began to ask about Semni, about her health and who was with her. It sounded worried and thus others at court had assumed it to be a husband finally learning to care for his wife, though Isidoros wasn't fooled by this simple explanation. He was worried alright and it was about Semni too, but the lord Alexis acted as if he was inquiring about a suspected assassin, not a member of his family.

Then the priests of Hephaestus and Demeter had come to him with the results of the soothsaying he had asked them to perform. Discretely of course, it would not do for people to think he put too much stock in barbaroi ravings about prophecies. And they both said the same thing as the message he had received. The Forge Father and the Lady of the Harvest agreed on this. Sure, one soothsaying spoke of the fire that consumes or the fire that creates, the other about a blight upon the land or a time of plenty, but they were quite obviously the very same portends.

Apparently the gods had taken an interest in the fruits of that strange union he had created, and was that not a good reason for a man to fret for a few nights?

What should be done about the quarrelsome pair and their children?

[] Do nothing. To meddle with the designs of the gods rarely ends well for mortals.

[] Bid Semni to stay with her people. This marriage was a mistake and if she stays away with her children, whatever ill fate they carry will not fall upon Hyphyria.

[] Have the children seized and killed. As horrible a deed it would be, it is the only way that surely twarts the prophecy spoken about them.

[] Speak with Argurios to salvage this marriage. If he can learn to accept his wife, so might she accept him.

[] Declare Argurios and Semni unfit to care for the children and take them in as Isidoros' wards. This prophecy might yet turn into a boon if the children are taken proper care of.

[] Write-In

AN: Congratulations. It's a boy, a girl and a prophecy. You may scream now.

 

[DragonParadox]

Words Tangled and Deft​

Isidoros did not consider himself a softhearted man, for none such could have climbed so high in the service of the kings of Orchomenos, yet the thought of slaying babes in arms over what they may yet do sickened him. He would not see Hyphyria raised upon such a legacy of butchery. Briefly, very briefly, he had considered simply taking the children himself, but the notion could not withstand a serious weighing, He had no heirs of his body and precious little experience with children and their ways. To tear them from their mother's breast thinking that he would do a better job raising them seemed thus a fool's presumption.

All other options expended he was left with trying to mend the chasm that had grown between Argurios and Semni. Thus did the king of Hyphyria call upon the young warrior who had stood at his right hand and asked of him that he try to salvage something of his marriage for the good of Hyphyria for the good of the city. Alas that those were not the words he aught to have spoken.

"The city?" Argurios' voice was dangerously soft. "Did I not wed the wench for Hyphyria's sake? Do I not let her wander loose to over the hills to dicker with the rest of her savage kin? What more would you ask me to surrender? Should I abandon my own manhood before my hearth and pour ashes in my head for her pleasure? To that I say nay. A king you may be, but you are no god to command my heart and soul."

With that Argurios swept from the room without a backwards look, leaving Isidoros to stare at his retreating back with helpless foreboding.

Diplomacy Check: Critical Failure (Argurios offended)

In response Isidoros threw himself into his work, for the ordering of numbers he knew and he reasoned that a well-ordered court would be better suited to dealing with the turmoil to come than he alone ever could.

Court Organization Success: A task well begun

***​

Sometimes when walking through the steep hills and rich vales of this new land you could almost trick yourself into thinking it was home, thought Karpathia once of Orchomenos. The whisper of the wind though aspen leaves was no different, nor the murmur of a mountains stream. Then she would look to the faces of her traveling companions and see the weariness there that was more than the simple watchfulness of any traveler upon the road, the understanding that they were well and truly alone here, strangers in a strange land.

When Karpathia was still a child hanging by her mother's skirts she dimly recalled one of her uncles, a captain of some note, saying that the worst thing about sailing was the loneliness. She had not been able to understand how sailors could be lonely packed together in a boat until they were practically falling into each other's laps. When she had asked her mother how that could be, the young woman remembered getting a pat on the head and a reminder that she would not be sailing to any far off lands in any case.

The Fates had a sense of irony it seemed, for she had sailed farther than her mother ever could have imagined along with all that was left of Orchomenos, but that was not when she got her answer. No, it was here and now, feet firmly planted on dry ground and aching from all the walking that Karpathia understood what true loneliness was, seeing fires in the distance and knowing that those around them new not your gods and kept not to your customs. Of face and even of dress the folk of this land were not so different from the poor shepherds of the heights but the very way their tongue shaped their faces as they spoke was strange, a reminder of how very few the Hyphyrians truly were.

Yet looking towards the new lady of the House Alexis, Karpathia could not keep back a small smile also. Here was one high in the counsels of the king, one upon which rested the wealth and prosperity of all Hyphyria, and she had been chosen as a companion. Granted there had not been than many noble ladies clamoring for the honor given the danger of the journey and the... unusual circumstances of the lady's marriage, but the more fool those who kept silent, Karpathia thought. Just as it had been with the twins new-born the soul of Hyphyria would be blood and bone of both peoples, just as it was said Orchomenos was begotten when the Achaians came down into the lowlands of Boeotia and and found there the sons and daughters of Pelasgus. Did not the gods themselves proclaim the grand fate of her children?

Trade was a good field to sow, but it would not be the last nor the most enduring Hyphyria would bring forth.

Trade Success: Gain 1d6 Wealth income

As the traders returned and spring gave way to summer, the people of Hyphyria found their granaries slowly gathering stocks, though still not as many as the more cautious among them would have liked, especially with more mouths to feed.

Supplies: 0 (Stocks) +19 (Farming) +1 (Herds) -17 (Upkeep) = 3

Wealth: 1 (Stocks) + 10 (Industry) +1 (Trade) -7 (Upkeep) = 5

Summer is upon you once more the best time for bold deeds under Helios' burning gaze
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available actions:

Spoiler: Military

-[] Organize Patrols
Now that some order has been reestablished in the military, it might be time to organize a better defense for Hyphyria. The lands around the city are full of hidden tracks and passages that could be used to move undetected, so patrolling them might make all the difference if foes approach. (Requires one action per area to set up.)
--[] The Northern Forests
--[] The Eastern Mountains
--[] Along the river to the sea.
--[] The Southern Forests (may cause issues with the Woodsfolk if done without their agreement).
--[] By ship, along the coastline. (Requires one Galley Squadron, can take along one land unit per squadron).
--[] Write-In units to station in the area.
Check: Warfare - Strategy

-[] Start an Expedition
The immediate surroundings of Hyphyria are decently explored by now, but what lies beyond the mountains and the forests? It will require a decent force and quite some time to learn more about the lands, but it might yield interesting finds.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] Write-In Units to send
Check: Warfare - Strategy
Hero Unit will not be available while the expedition is ongoing and might need to perform other checks, depending on the events.

-[] Start an Invasion
So far you have not seen any place in these lands that boasted a decent force of warriors. The people here might be quarrelsome, but they are no match for Greek soldiers. It might be time to exploit this.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] Write-In Units to send
--[] Write-In War-Goal (Salve Raid, Conquest, etc.)
Starts War-Turns

Spoiler: Rulership

-[] Organize a proper court.
It is past time that Hyphyria gains a proper court. With the military, the artisans and the priests having returned to some semblance of order, all the is left is to fill the palace with life as it deserves. Hyphyria will be a refugee camp no longer, but a proper Greek city.
Time Needed: Unknown
Check: Rulership - Administration

Spoiler: Construction

Note: A construction project takes one action to start and will then continue without the need for further attention. Costs are consumed per turn, and if the costs can't be paid, construction stalls. Should the construction stall too long, progress might be lost.

-[] Small Palisade
While the amount of lumber left over from the ships doesn't suffice anymore to see this done, you could still build a small palisade around each hill. It would separate parts of the city in case of an attack and not protect the farmlands, but it is cheap and better then nothing.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Large Palisade
Some of proposed to use the fresh lumber for a grander defensive work. By encircling all the villages and some land around it too, you could protect Hyphyria much better and even the farms would be wholly enclosed by this defense.
Construction Cost: 4 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration

-[] Logging Camp
The forest to the north is ample and there is little reason to not expand your logging operations.
Construction Cost: 3 Wealth / Turn
Time: 1 Turn
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Limestone Quarry
The masons who have fled Orchomenos would like to get back to work and a source of stone would certainly help other construction efforts.
Construction Cost: 5 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 3 Wealth / Turn
Income: 2d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Pottery Kilns
With pottery being so appreciated by the locals the city might be well served increasing production.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 3 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Olive Grove
Back in Greece, one of the most common trading goods is olive oil, highly sought after for its taste and the ability to preserve foods.
Converts one Farmstead to a Olive Grove. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 1 Wealth / Turn
Time: 20 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Vineyard
What would a feast be without wine? And what drink should be sacrificed to the gods? Goat milk? It is time to produce wine in Hyphyria, lest it forget the taste altogether.
Converts one Farmstead to a Vineyard. The building will not produce anything during conversion.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 4 Turns
Upkeep: 1 Wealth / Turn
Income: 1d6 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Trade

-[] Drain the Valleys
The valleys between the hills of Hyphyria are fertile, but too wet to grow anything there. With the preliminary plans drawn up, it is time to start the long project of claiming this rich soil.
Construction Cost: 2 Wealth / Turn
Time: 12 Turns
Upkeep: 2 Wealth / Turn
Check: Rulership - Administration & Learning - Sciences

Spoiler: Diplomacy

-[] Send someone to negotiate with the local people to deepen ties or heal past insults.
--[] The Woodsfolk
--[] The Northern Villages
--[] The Mountain Shepherds
---[] (Optional) Bring gifts: Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to gift

-[] Attract Workers
Hyphyria is yet small and able hands sometimes in short supply. It might be possible to convince some people from the other settlements to settle under Greek rule.
--[] Write-In Target
--[] (Optional) Offer incentives: Write-In how much Wealth to spend.
Check: Diplomacy - Charm

-[] Start Trading
While the locals have no great desire for lumber or wool, the talks with the shepherds have revealed that many would be keen to buy Hyphyrian pottery. With some effort, regular trade could be established, profiting all involved and forging closer ties between them.
--[] Write-In Target
Check: Diplomacy - Multiple

Spoiler: Learning

-[] Sacrifice to the Gods
The gods are fickle beings and demand obedience and sacrifices from mortal men. Those who do not make offerings to them tend to draw their ire while those willing to render unto them great riches might earn their love.
--[] Write-In which God
--[] Write-In amount of Supplies or Wealth to offer
Check: Learning - Mysticism

-[] Study Local Legends
Strange tales are told by those daring to venture close to the Woodsfolk's forests, and even Argurios seemed spooked by something uncanny on his latest journey. Maybe it would help to learn from the local people what manner of things stalk the nights in these lands.

Check: Learning - Mysticism

-[] Study Local Faiths
Little do the Hyphyrians know about the gods of the land, even though they seem to somewhat resemble those of Greece. It would be wise to learn more about these beings, lest the people draw their ire unknowingly.
Check: Learning - Mysticism

OOC: The shy low diplo skill character was not the best equipped to handle marriage counseling, but at least you got your trade.

 

[Azel]

Hunted​

No sound was heard in the forest on the mountain slope. The air was still and heavy with the heat of the day, even though the sun had sunk beneath the horizon quite a while ago. Not a single leaf moved, no owls could be heard, and only his own footsteps broke the silence. He was alone. Utterly. Not a single soldier was willing to brave the forest with him after what they had seen, and Argurios couldn't bring himself to find a fault with that.

The men only remained in their camps, huddled around the fire and behind the simple fences that had been erected. It was an empty promise of safety that they clung to, and while the warriors were loyal enough not to desert outright, it was obvious that this whole task was a failure. The patrols barely dared to leave sight of the camps, and with the terror growing with each passing day, there was no longer any chance that they would remain in these cursed mountains. Soon they would have to march back to Hyphyria, and they would pray to the gods that nothing would follow them to their homes.

But before he gave the order to retreat, Argurios needed to see it with his own eyes. He needed to see what it was that had killed his men. It was just a few deaths, no great loss in comparison to the toll a true battle took on an army, but it was the way they died that put terror into the hearts of their comrades. Soldiers had gone missing, sometimes not returning from investigating a noise that only they had heard or just wandering off without any reason. And when their comrades looked for them, they would only found their corpses, rotten and bloated as if they had been dead for a month. Plants were growing out of the putrid flesh, which crawled with worms and flies.

It was an image out of nightmares, even for the veterans of many Greek wars. It was not natural. Nothing mortal could have done this to these poor sods and as the rumors began, the soldiers trembled. What could mortal men with spears of bronze do against the wrath of gods or spirits? One or two occasions they might have stomached, but it was far too many who had died by now, and there was no telling when the assailant would strike next. As distasteful as it was to Argurios, retreat was the only option left to him.

Establish Patrols - Mountains: Failure

This time, though, something was different, and thus he had decided to brave the journey on his own. The latest victim wasn't dead yet, though his terrified comrades were too out of it to describe what state they had found him. When they had set out to find the missing soldier, they only wanted to retrieve his corpse so that he may be properly put to rest, yet what they found had shaken them to the very core. No one wanted to join Argurios after seeing their state, and it seemed that even the animals of the forest dared not to approach the horror in their lands.

A while longer he walked, crossing a small stream meandering lazily through the valley before climbing the foothills of the mountain where his goal lay. The moon was nearly full, and even the thin wisps of clouds could not blot it out entirely, so the forests were bathed in an eery, silvery light. No torch he had taken along on his journey, not daring to attract even more attention to himself, just a shield, his bronze cuirass, and his spear. If it would do him any good, Argurios did not know. Then he reached the clearing he had been told about and indeed, there was a shape like a man, leaning on the broken stump of a fallen tree.

For a long moment he stood there between the last few trees before the clearing began, looking all around himself and listening for the slightest movement. Was this a trap? Had the assailant tired of ambushing soldiers one at a time and laid out bait to lure him out? Unbidden came the memory of his last journey in these mountains. Of that strange voice that only he was able to hear and of the promise it had uttered to him.

No one, not even the priests had he trusted with this knowledge, for nobody would follow a man who heard the mocking voices of the gods in his head, and a small sliver of guilt wormed its way back into his mind. Could he have prevented this if he had told someone about it? But then again, the next question would be if they would have believed him. Semni would most likely have mocked him and gone on to spread rumors about his wits being addled. And Isidoros? There was no telling what the old coot would have done, but he had shown no aptitude at handling anything except trade and construction. Argurios shook his head to clear away the distractions conjured by his mind. This was neither the time nor the place.

And so, with a deep breath, he stepped forward onto the clearing.

AN: Sorry for the delay, but real-life got in the way. While a bit short, I wanted to not keep you waiting that much longer and part 2 of this chapter will follow tomorrow morning.