Strange Tides

DragonParadox · Dec 5, 2018

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:

-[] 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

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

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

-[] 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 · Dec 6, 2018

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

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:

-[] 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

-[] 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

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

-[] 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

-[] 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 · Dec 7, 2018

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 · Dec 9, 2018

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 · Dec 10, 2018

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:

-[] 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

-[] 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

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

-[] 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

-[] 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 · Dec 12, 2018

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.

Azel · Dec 13, 2018

Old Blood

As Argurios carefully walked to the sitting soldier, his nerves were taut as a bowstring. Yet nothing happened. No sudden cries from hidden attackers. No strange occurrences heralding the presence of something other. Not even the man leaning against the stump made any motion at his approach. For a moment he thought himself foolish for coming here just to see another corpse. The body lay still, and he could make out the faint shapes of thorny vines growing over it. Yet then the clouds shifted and the moon came out in full, its light flowing over the world and revealing the truth.

The body was not rotten, the flesh still hale and healthy. Yet the vines were not draped over it, but growing out of it. All over the arms and face of the man he could see the vines erupting from his skin, thorns pushing up the skin from underneath and pulling it taut like a tent in some places. And yet, no single drop of blood was to be seen. And yet, the man was breathing. Shallowly, only the slightest movement of his chest giving at away, though there was no denying that the soldier yet lived.

With trepidation, Argurios made the last few steps towards him, his spear clutched tightly in his fist. When the man didn't stir, he mulled about what to do, what to say. But what could he say to a man that lived despite his body being torn apart from within? In the end, he settled for the obvious. "Soldier. Report."

Ever so slowly, the man lifted his head, awkwardly angling it towards Argurios. "I know your voice. You are important, aren't you?" He opened his lids, though no eyes were revealed beneath, only tightly wrapped, barbed vines. The man tried to look around, sweeping his head from side to side, but it was clear that he would never find the one who had spoken to him. "I don't remember... and I can't see your face... That is bad, isn't it?"

Argurios crouched down next to him, getting a tiny bit closer to the dying man to better hear his faint words. "Who are you?"

For a moment, the mans face scrounged up as if in deep thought before returning to the vacant expression he bore before. "I don't remember that either. I think this is bad, but I don't know why. That should worry me. Right?" With every movement of his head, the vines pulled and twisted on his face in what should have been a painful mess of thorns, yet the soldier bore just that empty, lost look.

"Yes, it should." The reply was awkward and Argurios knew that the warrior would barely comprehend it, yet it was worth a try. For some reason, he was still alive and thus he was their only chance to learn more about the attacker. "What do you remember?"

It took so long for him to answer that Argurios nearly repeated the question. "I remember coming here and being happy about that, yet not why. That's when I started forgetting things, but I think I was happy about that at first too. But here is not where here is. It was another here. I think I was supposed to wait here for a while."

Even before he had finished, Argurios had risen to his feet again, spear and shield at the ready. He gazed through the trees, looking for the trap he now knew was coming, but nothing came forth. Instead he noticed something different. Above the trees, the sky was clear, yet the moon nowhere in sight. And worse yet, he could no longer see the mountains, just an endless expanse of stars that looked nothing like the sky he was used to. "What do you mean by 'another here'?" He did not look back to the dying soldier at first, instead looking for the monster that that had done this to him. Though when the silence dragged on, he saw back and his heart sank. The warriors flesh was rotten now, not a single spark of life left in it.

For all his bravery, the scion of house Alexis could not deny the fear he felt in that moment. All alone he now was, lost in a place that he had no idea how he gotten to and the killer of his men apparently toying him like a cat with a mouse. Would this be his end then? Waiting on a clearing to wait for a monster to slay him? Just another corpse found in the woods? It would be easy to just sit down and wait for the inevitable like the other man has apparently done. No. He shook his head again to dislodge the thread of despair tangling around it. He was not a common soldier. He was Argurios Alexis of Hyphyria, and even if he died here, he would face death with dignity becoming of his station. And so he raised shield and spear, alert for any kind of movement around him, and set out into the forest again.

How long he had walked, he could not tell. Without a moon to tell the time, it could have been just moment or more then a day, though no sun had risen either. There was still just the stars above them and apparently it was them that shed the light that filled this strange forest. There was still no sign of life among it, just endless tracts of trees and underbrush. Argurios tunic had been torn again and again, fraying at the edges after being caught in one bush or thorn after another. Even his bronze shield, which he proudly polished to a mirror's shine every time he was to set out to battle, was looking dull from all the scratches upon it. And beneath it, his flesh ached. Not a drop of blood he had lost, but the pain of each thorn brushing over his skin lingered. It had begun to build on each other, his entire skin now feeling raw and itchy. His body begged him to stop. To rest. Just a few moments of respite.

Then a voice cut through the silence as if answering his unspoken prayers. "Come." Only that word she spoke, and a she it was without a doubt, the rich and alluring voice stirring hope and longing in his chest. Unthinking, he walked on, but now that he had a goal again the thorns brushing over him seemed less troublesome than before. It took not many steps until he reached a clearing again, and what he saw there made his breath catch in his throat.

Amidst the tall grass, stones were strewn and on them he saw a feast laid out fit for a king. Sweet fruits of any kind he knew and some he didn't laid on them. Next to the stones the woman who had called him lay. Long, black locks fell from her head towards her ample, bared chest. Her skin as white as snow, not a single blemish on it, and red lips were drawn into a smile as he staggered forward. "Come, Argurios. You have traveled far indeed and deserve some rest. Lay with me for a while." With this she took a cup from behind the stone she leaned on, filling it from a carafe of wine whose sweet scent wafted all the way to the weary warrior.

Before he knew it, he was next to her, unable to draw his gaze from her beauty. It seemed the gods had finally shown mercy, for why else should he find a kind Nymph in these far away lands? His spear clattered to the ground, simply dropped in his haste to take the cup she had offered him. The dark red of proper Greek wine filled the cup, the smell alone enough to evoke memories of better times. He recalled the feasts of Orchomenos, when his father called other noble houses into their home to dine and drink and make merry with each other. He recalled the grand festival in honor of Dionysus, performed to celebrate the day he had taken refuge in the city from Heras wrath. He recalled the simple times when he went to a tavern with a few friends.

A twinge of sadness darkened his mood. Most of these friends were dead now, claimed by sickness and hunger, and those that yet lived were not the same as before, not after seeing all they knew turning into ash around them. The tavern they loved so much had been a smoking a ruin last time he saw it. The owner had put it to the torch and was consumed in the flames. The grief was too much for him to bear after he lost his son, the final member of his family. The sickness had claimed him last after already robbing him of his wife and daughter. He still remembered them well, the jovial man joking with his patrons while his wife cooked in the back, and the beauty that was his daughter waiting on the guests. She was...

With a start Argurios realized that the cup had nearly been to his lips already, and with all his might he threw it away. In one smooth movement he grabbed for his spear and backed away, leveling it at the monster before him. "You dare to mock me by wearing a dead woman's face to fool me? Show yourself, creature!"

The pleasant smile on the girl's face turned into something ugly as she rose. All warmth drained from it, making her look more like a wolf eyeing its prey. "How come you call it mockery, when you barely recognized me? You laid with her so often, yet you can't even recall her name. Just another pleasing shape to warm your bed." With these words she stepped towards him, all the while running her hands over her naked curves. Argurios stepped back, wary of the monster, yet he couldn't gainsay its words. He recalled her face, yet not her name.

"Maybe another shape, then? There are so many I could choose from." Like water her face began to ripple and flow and two steps later, she bore the face of another woman. Brown tresses falling over a face cut like that of the local people. To his shame, Argurios took a moment to recognize the farmer's daughter from that village to the north. "Or maybe you would prefer some other fare tonight?" Again she stepped forward, again Argurios stepped back and again her face shifted.

Now it was no woman any longer, the angular lines of an old comrade greeting him. They had lain with each other during that campaign to quell the barbaroi north of Orchomenos, but he had not returned from those fights. The fear slowly gave way to anger as the thing that bore his lover's face advanced. "Why are you doing this? I shared my bed with these people, that is true, but never did I harm them. Is that what you want? To lay with me?"

A mocking laughter rung from the throat of his dead friend, wholly at odds with the kind man who once bore that face. "Never did you harm? All of them you used for your amusement, but in the end, discarded them like broken cups. You know quite well how they thought about you in the end. After all, there is one whose presence you had to bear after you tired of her." When the face shifted again, the vicious grin finally found a proper home. On Semni's face it looked natural, and every cutting remark that would pass those lips was almost soothing normalcy.

"So she bid you to do this." It all made such perfect sense to Argurios. The barbaroi woman must have called this spirit upon him to punish him for the slights she dreamed up. A shame that Isidoros would perhaps never learn what folly it was to dismiss his concerns about Semni's motives.

Another bought of laughter erupted from the thing, tinged with genuine mirth at his expense. "Spare me the hollow accusations. I have seen your heart Argurios of house Alexis. I know it better yet than you do yourself. You know just what it is that caused her grief and spite. You just buried it beneath all that hollow bluster and baseless pride of yours." Again she ran her hands over her body, though nothing sensual could he find about it now. Wicked claws now sprung from the tips of her fingers, digging into flesh that had Semni's semblance and making rivers of blood spring forth from it. "Let us begin our dance."

And with this, the creature crouched low and rushed the Greek warrior, a cruel laughter ripping from her throat. Argurios knew that she was coming, yet only barely managed to raise his shield in time. She was fast and agile like a dancer, yet the blow felt as if an oxen had tried to bowl him over. Her claws raked over his shield, digging deep gouges into the bronze and nearly crushing his arm with force alone. In desperation, he swung his spear at her, hoping to hit her head with the haft, though she easily turned under it and attacked again.

This time her claws found purchase, tearing the flesh on his left shoulder before digging into the edges of his cuiras. Not a crippling blow, but had he been just a heartbeat slower to turn from her, he would have lost that arm entirely. She was too close. She was too fast. His spear lashed out towards her belly, but struck just empty air. The creature tried to retaliate in kind, thrusting it's claws towards his own torso and Argurios knew that the bronze would never be able to stop her. This was a battle he had no hope to win, but in that shortest of moments he vowed not to run away. He would die standing here like a Greek nobleman, not running from this thing like a scared child.

Instead of trying to turn away from the blow to lessen the wound, he stood his ground and even dropped his shield. As he had anticipated, the metal parted easily to her might, five finger-sized holes punched into the cuirass and the flesh beneath. Yet now he had a chance to take the slippery creature. His left hand clasped around her elbow, holding her arm in place and confusion showed on Semni's face. Then his spear lashed out again, and this time she could not dodge so easily. It was not a good hit, but that didn't matter. Instead of piercing her heart, he had just clipped her shoulder, yet he had made her bleed.

The creature sprang back, clutching its shoulder, and again her form rippled. This time though, it was not a face that Argurios knew. It was not a human face at all. Her hair had become white and tangled, her eyes milky and her teeth rotten. It's face still bore a semblance of faded beauty, but marred by scars and the wrinkles of a crone. She was not naked anymore, instead wearing a dress made from blood-soaked rags hiding her hunched form, and on top of her head sat a crown made from thorny vines twisted around each other. From her shoulder, a thin stream of blood ran down her arm. It was not the red blood that sprang from the wounds she had inflicted upon herself, but reddish brown and reeking of offal.

Argurios tried to settle into a combat stance. He didn't dare to take up his shield, for he feared that he would never rise again if he crouched down to retrieve it. Idly he noted the blood clinging to the tip of his spear, sizzling and warping the metal by its mere presence. But instead of attacking him, the creature just screamed at him. A sound so overwhelming as if it was thunder and gut wrenching as the voices of the damned. He didn't know when he had fallen to his knees or when he tried to clutch his ears to stop the sound, yet he did know that it did nothing. His vision began to swim as the wailing threatened to tear his mind apart.

Then, though, just as blackness had nearly claimed him, the splash of water brought him back to his sense. Eagerly he tried to suck in breath, yet only water filled his mouth and he flailed around like drunkard for a moment. The next breath he took was air and so he took another, then another. His lungs burned with pain from the water he had inhaled, but even that sensation was a welcome respite from the senseless terror that scream had instilled in him. The thought jostled Argurios wide awake again and he hastily looked around him for the creature, yet it was nowhere in sight.

He was laying on the side of one of the small streams he had crossed on his journey that felt so long ago now. Around him were only his shield and spear, the trees and the occasional cry of an owl filled the night. And above him stood the moon in all its glory, shining silver light upon him that felt so much warmer then what he had seen in that other here. Then he heard something else. A cry of a man, in Greek no less, and soon after the light of torches came closer. Slowly he lowered his had again, laying it half into the warm water to feel the soothing current dragging on his hair. Suddenly the thought of returning to Hyphyria made him almost euphoric. Though there would be much to tell Isidoros upon his return.

What is to be done with the spear?

[] Destroy it, lest the accursed blood taint Hyphyria by its very presence.

[] Present it onto the Gods so that by their power Argurios might be rid of the horror hunting him. (locks in Offering to the Gods for Argurios next turn)
-[] To Hephaestus, most beloved of your people. May blessed bronze see victory where the work of mortal hands could not.
-[] To Demeter, Lady of the Harvest, she who had dominion over all the spirits of green growing things so that she may purge this blight.
-[] To Ares, the God of War. Rarely called upon by any other then soldiers, for his attention always brings strife, though a boon of his could end this matter swiftly.
-[] To Gradivus who is god of these lands and protector of its peoples. He should know these spirits bright and dark and could bestow the strength needed to vanquish them.
-[] To Culsans, God of Portends in these lands. He has shown his hand towards you once and he might do so again if proper offerings are made.

[] Travel to the lands of the Woodsfolk and seek their guidance. (diplomatic mission to the Woodsfolk locked in for Argurios next turn)

AN: Well, that was a very, very close fight, but Argurios barely managed to get a draw.

DragonParadox · Dec 14, 2018

In Twisting Script

Isidoros sighed, rubbing his temples in a mostly vain attempt to make the tangled mess in front of him make sense. He had not realized how much the mad rush to solve the city's most pressing concerns had masked a deeper faults, as the old system of patronage cracked and fell away like dead wood left standing. Perhaps he should have guessed that scribes would be no more warded against the loss of skills than soldiers, that they would scatter and need to be gathered again, tempted back with promises of rich rewards for themselves and their kin in the fullness of time.

Oh what I would not give for a palace of stone, its towers a silent monument to the city's power, Isidoros allowed himself but a moment's silent complaint, adding one more project onto a list that seemed more daunting by the day. Then he turned his head back towards his tablets determined to make it all add up. If nothing else this gave him a freer hand in organizing the palace officials.

Organize court: Failure: No progress made

***

When Argurios returned to Hyphyria upon the arms of his companions in the waning days of summer the people were discontent and muttering over yet another failure, some said at the behest of his wife, yet none who saw the warrior's spear could claim that he lied about confronting the horror that had hunted his men. The bronze was pitted and streaked with bubbling ichor that clung to it with unnatural tenacity, the mark of some fel power. Onto the altars of Hephaestus it would be offered to be forged anew, the king proclaimed, and the people thought it good trusting in He who had seen them to this new shore in defiance of His Divine Kin's wrath.

It was not only the weapon that had changed but the man that wielded it. More than the aches and pains of the body Argurios bore a far more serious mien, words slower to fall from his lips yet more thoughtful when they did. They said the swift wings of death brought wisdom when they chanced to pass over one without claiming them and so it seemed with Argurios

When Semni of the House of Alexis returned from her journey to seek out more trading partners for the city, her husband complimented her on her success, and though he still seemed ill at ease in doing so even Isidoros could see that he was trying to find some peace beneath his roof. Considering his own failed attempt to smooth things over last season perhaps a gift would not go amiss. A king, even one so poor as Isidoros, had much that he could give.

Trading mission: Success: Gain 1d3 additional trade income

Seasonal Supply Exchange Cap: 3

What do Isidoros do to help Semni and Argurios find peace?

[] Grant them wide lordships over the lands of what would one day become the Hyphyrian hinterlands. Though the lands are wild yet, the prestige the announcement will bring will do much to quiet whispers about Semni's rough origins, and it will please Argurios' pride
-[] The sparse forest to the north of Hyphyria on the banks of the river.
-[] The mountains to the east.
-[] The dense forest to the north-west of Hyphyria beyond the river.

[] Proclaim that should Argurios slay the monster in the mountains than he and his line shall be kings of Hyphyria with Isidoros' passing. Ambition for one's heirs had brought many a feuding couple together

[] Leave then to sort the matter out between them

[] Write in

***

With trade flowing into the city in spite of the dangers lurking in the wild lands many in Hyphyria were satisfied that the city would be well supplied next winter, though the toil of their hands and the working of the land. Praise onto Demeter was more heartfelt than it had been these past years. Though the pain of Orchomenos' passing could not be lessened by the passage of so brief a time, the worst of the sorrow, that which drove men to madness and cursing the gods, had faded from their hearts. In this the tales of Argurios' deeds provided unexpected solace. Here was a spirit that could be pierced with bronze and faced with courage, here was a foe they could vanquish and in so doing regain a measure of their lost pride.

Wealth: 5 (Stocks) +9 (Industry) +3 (Trade Profits) -7 (Upkeep) -3 (Exchange) = 7

Supplies: 3 (Stocks)+ 25 (Farms) +3 (Herds) +3 (Exchange) - 17 (Upkeep) = 17

Fall comes with the promise of rich harvests and battle both. Let it be the blood of your foes.
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available actions:

-[] 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

-[] 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

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

-[] 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

-[] Sacrifice to the Gods [Locked in for Argurios]
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

[] Trade Wealth for Supplies at a 1:1 rate with your trading partners.
-[] Write-In how much.
Note: Can trade a maximum of 1d6 + 1d3 units per turn.

[] Trade Supplies for Wealth at a 1:1 rate with your trading partners.
-[] Write-In how much.

OOC: You are actually starting to get decent supply security now with one full season in stock

Azel · Dec 16, 2018

Flaming Bronze

The festivities had been going on for a few days already. Sheep and goats had been offered aplenty on the altar, the meat going to the people while the fat and bones went to the gods, as was the custom. A few barrels of wine had been gutted for the occasion, bolstered by a few more barrels of the fruit wine bought from the Terramare. It was a far cry from the great festivals of Orchomenos, yet by the standards of Hyphyria, it was a grand affair. The craftsmen had outdone themselves, producing many a wooden statue and charm to decorate the humble temple of Hephaestus. They would all be burned when the festival concluded, their beauty only glimpsed for these few days before cast into the flames to honor the the great smith.

But the four gathered before the altar now were in a far more somber mood than the music and merry sounds from outside the hall. Argurios carefully held the damaged spear that still gave off this acrid smell of burned tin. To his left stood Semni, looking slightly apprehensive of the whole ordeal. The Forge Father was not her god after all, and it was only good sense to be apprehensive of standing in the presence of the divine, yet she had insisted to be here for some reason that she hadn't shared with anyone. To call upon the gods so blatantly as they planned today was a mixture of foolhardiness and bravery, even when calling upon a even tempered deity like Hephaestus. As a result, Isidoros, who stood on the right of the group, walked stiff as a plank to the altar. His nerves were only slowly adjusting to holding court in the palace and standing face to face with a god was another thing altogether. Behind them, the high priest of Hephaestus brought up the rear, but he was not truly part of the procession. His task had been to organize the festival in hopes of putting the Great Smith in a good mood.

The altar itself was shaped like an anvil, carved from stone, and was a keepsake from Orchomenos. So were the two bronze braziers flanking it. The statue behind it, though, had been forged in Hyphyria, made of bronze scrounged up from here and there, layered over a wooden statue of a tall man that stood slightly hunched over. In his right clasped a smith's hammer, and in his left a pair of tongs. After a long moment of contemplation, Argurios took the last few steps towards it, the other two following behind. Carefully he placed the spear on the altar, not daring to touch the vile substance clinging to its tip, and indeed when it briefly touched the stone of the altar, even the rock seemed to sizzle and burn at the touch, leaving a scorch mark on the granite.

Then he bowed his head in a for him rare showing of humility and took a step back. "Oh great Hephaestus, Father of Forges, Teacher of Smiths. I, Argurios Alexis of Hyphyria, call upon you to request your aid. A terrible monster threatens this city. I claimed its blood in combat, but the vileness that spilled forth proved to much for the humble work of mortals. Its claws were rending bronze as if it was cloth, and no smith born to man could conceive of an armor that would have endured its wrath. Thus I ask you, god of smiths and smith of gods, to grant me the arms needed to defend this city."

For a long moment, nothing happened. The sounds of the festival seemed dim and far away to all within the temple, only the thumping of their hearts measuring the passage of time as they waited for something to occur. Argurios raised his head again after a while, thinking his prayer to have been in vain, but just then the braziers along the altar began to sway and rattle. Before anyone could have reacted, they both toppled towards the statue, setting it and the wooden floor alight. Yet the flames did not spread, instead crawling up the bronze-plated statue. The metal began to warp and twist, glowing red as if it had just left the forge.

The heat radiating of the statue became sweltering, and Argurios nearly took another step back as sweat welled from his skin, turning scalding hot as it covered him from head to toe. The flames crawled up the full length of the statue, engulfing it completely and finally, it's eyes opened. Heat beyond heat radiated from its gaze, and no one present could even look at the blazing orbs of purest flame. Then the mouth opened too, spewing forth a torrent of blazing embers and a voice that sounded like a thousand bellows and a thousand hammers striking metal. The words were not so much heard as felt by all present. You are brave, Argurios Alexis, to ask so brazenly for my boons. In a temple wrought from wood instead of proper stone no less.

They all had feared to hear such words. The temple was not proper to honor the Father of Forges, wrought from left-over wood, and its treasures humble. But before the fear could take root in the mortals' hearts, the blazing statue spoke on. I will not be wroth about these things. Young and weak Hyphyria still is, and it would be ill befitting of me to rage against those who have given me what little they could offer. With these words, the God of Forges raised the tongs and touched them upon the shaft of the spear. Immediately the wood blackened and turned to ash, leaving just the mangled tip that were carefully grasped by the red hot tongs. He raised the tip to inspect it, even running his finger through the malignant mass clinging to it, which sizzled and burned at his touch. A deep corruption has filled this blood. An age of rage and pain has turned it black, and that blackness will consume all it touches.

"Surely, this fell power could never hope to challenge your works though, my lord." The role of sycophant was ill fitting for Argurios, and he swallowed deeply when the searing gaze was turned upon him once more. When no reply came, he began to fear that he had overstepped or offered offense, but neither did a reprimand follow. The statue just studied him with calculation, the violent and unruly flames hiding the sharp and calculating mind behind.

That is no small boon you are asking for, yet not one I am disinclined to grant. For a price, though. Slowly, he put down the tip of the spear upon the altar again before looking to Semni. You know what I will ask, don't you? He has sent you dreams to prepare you, after all.

Stunned, all in attendance looked over to the Lady of House Alexis who had begun to fidget under the attention. "Indeed, my lord. Culsans has sent me dreams and led me to the knowledge to fulfill your wishes." No one dared to interrupt the scene, and only when the statue waved with the hammer for her to proceed did she speak on. "On a shore of a lake in the north-west, the land is cracked and filled with foul air. A deep heat wells from within the earth, and strange creatures inhabit these lands that no man dares to approach. Here a forge could be raised for you, my lord, though the land would have to be claimed by us first and the monsters inhabiting it cast out. Still, it would take a mighty working of the divine to see the flames kindled, for they are weak and deep below."

With a curt nod, the statue acknowledged her words, then she spoke on. "To the south, the Woodsfolk lives. Their home was once of fire and smoke, but they tamed it, quelled it. It takes them power to keep it subdued, but so are they drawing power from the flames' futile licking at their works. Were they to be cast down, the fire would find its freedom quickly. For many years they have settled there, so long that man only recalls in legend of the time when it was flames that rules their lands. But Culsans was clear to me that their rule is not forever. With spear and blade, they can be cast down. By word and bribery, they could be turned to abandon their homes. And when they are gone a forge be erected in your name, my lord."

The statue smirked for a moment, then broke into a mirthful chuckle that blew embers over the assembled people. That Culsans seems quite interested in you, woman, for it is rare to see a mortal bestowed with such clear portends. Semni wilted a bit under the attention and praise, but nodded and mumbled a few words of thanks, her voice choked by her nerves. Meanwhile, the burning gaze swept over Argurios and Isidoros again. Hear my offer then, Argurios Alexis and Isidoros of Hyphyria. A spear you shall receive that will rend even stone apart, never to dull and never to break. Armor I will forge for you that no mortal weapon will ever pierce, beyond even that creature's strength to damage it. In return, though, you will pledge to build me a forge in these lands so that I can work in peace, away from the games and struggles of the gods of Greece.

What do they answer?

[] Accept the deal. Receive gear forged by Hephaestus himself to slay the woman in the mountains, and in return a forge will be erected for the God of Smiths.

[] Make a counter-offer:
-[] Write-In

[] Refuse the deal. You can't even build him a proper temple, so pledging to build a forge worthy of a god would be folly.

AN: Argurios nearly messed this up with a exceptionally poor roll, but the bonus from the sacrifices made and the good relationship to Hephaestus carried the day.

DragonParadox · Dec 18, 2018

Of Works Enduring

Argurios Alexis was far indeed from a coward, that he had proved many a time, but he was not such a fool as to deny a god who stood before him under the light of day, not even a god as even-tempered as the Smith. It would be a hard task whatever the path they chose, but hard tasks made hard men, and they would need that strength in the days to come no less than the blessings of Hephaestus

So spoke the young lord before the Lord of the Forge: "Hear then my pledge, oh Giver of Flame, and through me that of all my people—you will have your forge where you may toil in peace even as we of Hyphyria found shelter on this foreign shore."

The idol alight with the power of the god nodded, its fiery gaze seeming to weigh the man by some arcane measure known only to him.

So be it, then! said the god, his voice alike to the roaring of the forge fire. He placed the blacked bronze onto the anvil of stone and struck it with his hammer, so mighty a blow that it seemed to shake the earth, but lo, the spearhead did not break but grew like a young shoot springing forth from a seed, a shaft of bronze springing from the tip. Letters bright as forge embers spiraled around the haft telling the tale of Hyphyria, brief as it yet was, of desperate flight and budding hope.

These words the Forge Father spoke onto his children then: Take up this spear in the name of your city that with each great victory you may honor it as you do me.

"I will... Lord." It was not the fire that made Argurios short of breath then, but the knowledge that so much would ride upon his shoulders. For the first time since the king had given him the mantle of Strategos the young man knew doubt for the enormity of the task ahead of him.

The god nodded, then there was silence for a long moment but for the crackling of the flames. Then the idol spoke again with a sort of gruff amusement, as a parent addressing a young child. Place your armor upon the altar, Argurios. Your flesh would make a poor anvil.

The young lord would have blushed crimson had his cheeks not already been ruddy from the heat, but he did not feel the bite of bitter shame as he so often did when others pointed out a fault. Instead a startled laugh burst from his lips. The king laughed with him, and even Semni smiled without her usual edge of mockery. "At once, Wise One."

Thus went the armor upon the stone. Just as the haft of wood had done, the belts and straps burned away to ash until only the bronze remained, patterns of leaping flame beaten into it by the strength of the Smith's own hammer.

Gained Artifact Spear and Armor

Vestments of Hephaestus
Artifact Spear and Artifact Armor
Base Damage: Combat + 1
Armor Rating: 8
Qualities: Piercing 2 (Ignores 2 AR.)
Special: Wearer gains +1 to Combat while wearing the Vestments.

As the will of the god left the idol so did it sunder into naught but ash and a puddle of melted bronze, a sign for all present of how much the artisans of Hyphyria had to work for the glory of their patron.

***

Much rejoicing there was that Fall for knowing that the hand of the Smith has showed itself in some fortuitous a way, and many were those who looked upon the arms and armor of Argurios with awe and wonder, but there was other talk of bronze also, not worked by the divine but simple mortal hands.

Court Organization: Major Success

Twas this that troubled Isidoros as he balanced his tablets and the polite, but insistent words of the artisans. Stone for the masons they would find and wood there was aplenty, but bronze Hyphyria had only so much as it could trade for with the Earth Folk and the Shepherds. The locals had but a little even among themselves. Bronze was a thing for the fortunate and wealthy, for chiefs and for priests, but the budding city hungered for more of the bright metal.

It was that very lack, however, that impelled the smiths to be most accommodating to the king's desires and wish to have his ear as swiftly as possible.

What do you?

[] Pledge to build a quarry within 5 seasons (On completion gain an Oikonomos from among the masons)

[] Take on one of the bronze smiths as Oikonomos (Gain an administrative hero immediately with a strong agenda to obtain more bronze supplies)

***

As the people of Hyphyria looked towards the winter they were content in seeing that the stocks could see them through the cold months and that they had gathered enough tools and supplies by trade and the work of their hands to continue growing their city.

Supplies: 15 (Stocks) + 20 (Farms) +1 (Herds) - 17 (Upkeep) = 19

Wealth: 4 (Stocks) +12 (Industry) +7 (Trade Profits) -7 (Upkeep) = 16

Winter is again upon you, though it is mild enough that the city can grow even under its dominion.
Choose one action each:
[] Isidoros
[] Argurios
[] Semni

Available Actions

-[] 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

-[] 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

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

-[] 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

-[] 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

[] Trade Wealth for Supplies at a 1:1 rate with your trading partners.
-[] Write-In how much.
Note: Can trade a maximum of 1d6 + 1d3 units per turn.

[] Trade Supplies for Wealth at a 1:1 rate with your trading partners.
-[] Write-In how much.

OOC: You guys had some pretty good rolls all around especially for resources.

Strange Tides

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