Characters:
Ajax Karo - Gregarious Hunter and Aspiring Kostis, God of Death and PlaguesNeilos - Aspiring God of The Sun and Plants
Steidis - Aspiring God of Fire and Smiths
The Konstoninus Estate
While waiting in their apartments, Neilos tried to use his powers to fill in the missing half of the map of the Raptis estate, but they weren't working. A while later, Kallisto came to fetch them and took them out into the street to rendezvous with the 10-man goon squad she'd been able to call up on such short notice, and they headed to one of the side entrances of the Konstoninus estate. Kallisto was sent forward to intimidate the pair of guards into letting them through on "Hunter's business", and they parted and unlocked the door, but stayed at their posts.
As they crossed the grounds to the inner doors, Kallisto suggested going in loud because nobody other than herself (and possibly Ajax) were remotely capable of stealth. This lead to a discussion of how suitable their powers were for taking prisoners (Neilos somewhat, the others not at all), and a decision for the gods to take point as they headed to the second-floor apartments, where prisoners would likely be held. Predictably, their large group was spotted by a lone man who cried out that there were intruders and ran off.
Neilos grabbed him with some decorative flowers nearby, and the party decided to rush forward and engage the foe before they could organize themselves. They spilled into a long hall where 15 armed men were trying to form up and the two forces clashed. Up the stairs, a dozen of the house Raptis guards in blue tabards waited, blocking one hallway but not intervening. What was left of the warped mirror was brought out, and several of the enemy drew shards of it, but the gods wisely sent their goon squad in to engage the shard-wielders while they hung back and tried to use their powers.
Steidis shot out a few fiery beams from his eyes before freezing in terror upon seeing the mirror, while Neilos made only a few dim flickers instead of the blinding lights he'd been trying for. In the end, Ajax was the only one able to use his powers effectively, firing sickly purple beams that struck those they touched dead. When the dust settled, only two of their foes were alive, if unconscious, and Kallisto sent half of the goon squad to search for Natasa while the gods carefully gathered up the remaining shards.
Voula Raptis
Neilos went up to the Raptis guards and asked if they knew where Konstoninus was; one of them pointed out a body that had been bisected by Ajax's attacks. Looking closer at the guard who'd responded, Neilos realized that they'd met at the oracle's temple when they'd spooked Voula Raptis. Then, the portly man had been "disguised" as a priest, but now it was obvious he was a commander of her house guard. Neilos asked if Voula Raptis was behind the guards, and the commander turned to look behind himself before obviously lying "no?".
Despite assurances that they meant no harm and merely wished to speak with her, the guards would not let him pass. Steidis walked over and stared down the commander, who caved under the pressure and ordered his men to stand aside, ashamed. Neilos asked if she was alone, and the commander confirmed she was; just before walking through, though, he remembered that Voula probably still had her pet lion with her. They panicked at first but then realized that three gods could handle a single lion. Steidis mentioned that he needed a "golden hide" for one of his prophecies and may need to kill it in the future.
The gods walked in to find Voula Raptis seated on a luxurious couch, her infant son in a crib at her side, and the lion in silver armour resting just a few feet away. The gods introduced themselves, and apologized for the "ruckus" just now, but the noblewoman did not respond, only glaring at them. Neilos launched into a sales pitch for his new idea of public trials in an attempt to win her vote, and insisted they had come here in peace, not bringing Chelak (aka Ursula) as a sign of good faith.
Voula finally responded, mocking his idea of "peace" considering the number of dead just outside. He insisted that he only meant harm to those who were undermining the city in service of Eniad, and warned her that she had made a deal with foreign spies. In a tone that suggested she doubted his intelligence, Voula asked if he really thought she'd work with someone who was set against her city. Neilos continued, pointing out that it wouldn't have come to this if she'd met with them earlier, but she retorted that she'd evidently been correct not to trust them, and asked how many of her men were dead because of their actions.
Neilos claimed that none had been harmed; a lie which Voula claimed to accept. He stated that he had it on good authority from a Hunter, Natasa, that the people she'd met with were Eniadnan spies, but Voula simply told him that Natasa was wrong. She had been negotiating with a group of people who claimed to be able to protect herself and her son from the "dangerously unstable individuals" who were plotting to kill her, and had already killed her husband. Neilos asked for the name of the organization she was working with, and she begrudgingly started to tell him.
As during their last interrogation, however, the name was silenced, and Voula seemed surprised. Ajax chipped in that an organization that hid its name with magic was surely less trustworthy than the god of light, but she shot back that the god of light was travelling with her murderer (Neilos: "Well they haven't murdered you yet. You're still alive."). Neilos tried to argue that this group with a name you couldn't say seemed pretty suspicious. Voula replied that "Times are strange, god".
Seeing that this was going nowhere, Neilos changed the subject, asking what had happened at the meeting, and was told that, after attacking them, something had happened to Ursula, while Natasa briefly fled before being captured. Realizing that Lambros had probably been involved in the fight, he asked if Voula could identify him, and she could. He was the only Mantean she'd met in the organization, and the typical pale skin and heterochromia would be a dead give away.
With a whiplash-inducing topic change, Neilos tried to get Voula on board with his plan for public trials. Exasperated, she asked for clarification, and he pointed out that adding some openness to the system would hopefully reduce the amount of unregulated political violence going on in the city. Voula called him a hypocrite. Ajax remembered that he was skilled at interacting with nobles, and pointed out that public courts overseen by the Tetrarchs would give them more power.
For some reason, Voula wasn't pursuaded. Neilos attempted to offer his protection in exchange for her aid, but predictably, she refused, correctly assuming that the gods wouldn't be staying in Urbos permanently. He suggested faking her death or renouncing her family's divine lineage, and she asked if that would be enough to deter him from hunting down and killing her anyway. In a last ditch effort, Neilos offered for her to come with them on their travels, but Voula declined.
Ajax pulled the other gods over into a team huddle, and pointed out that they could always just kill her anyway. Neilos didn't rule it out, but wasn't ready to murder Voula just yet. He left the huddle, and announced his disappointment that she wouldn't aid them. Just before leaving, he remembered Lamia Michelakis' request, and asked Voula if, hypothetically, she were to receive a gift, what she would prefer? She chuckled, and cooly replied that the best gift she could think of would be for the gods to leave her presence and never return.
Polite negotiations having failed, Neilos started Revealing Secrets. First, he got Voula to repeat the name of the organization, and with his powers he was able to make the words audible: they were known as The Circle's End. Further questioning revealed the following:
- She was working with them because they had claimed that they would be able to protect her from the gods
- She was disappointed with how easily they'd been dispatched
- She knew little of Eniadnan spies or their efforts to undermine Urbos
- While many suggested the Eniadnans were behind her husband's assassination, she thought it had been a god
Neilos asked if she was working with the Eniadnans at all, but his powers failed. Voula replied that she wasn't, but the gods couldn't be sure. They took their leave to see if Lambros had survived the battle and returned to the hall, where a bloody Natasa was leaning one of the goons for support. Upon seeing them, Natasa furiously asked where the fuck they had gone. Neilos tried to apologize, mentioning the mirror, but was cut off when she asked what the fuck he meant by "the mirror", then cringed in pain from trying to do air quotes.
Lambros
Ajax offered to use his power to heal her, but needed to find a survivor. Natasa pointed at a man who was apparently breathing, but Neilos stepped in and inspected the man before Ajax could drain his life. This was a wise decision, as the man on the ground was a Mantean, and therefore must be Lambros. Ajax found another unlucky sacrifice, but failed to use his powers at any rate; Natasa dejectedly stated that they were full of disappointments tonight.
Now that he had a moment, Neilos explained that the mirror was some sort of weapon to be used against the gods. Natasa asked after Ursula, and Ajax and Neilos talked over each other to say that she was "incapacitated" and "indisposed" (Neilos: "Due in large part to, uh, the mirror"). Neilos informed Natasa that they'd discovered a secret organization, but that it wasn't the Eniadnans spies. Natasa declared the night to have been a waste of resources and time, and asked Kallisto to help her back to her estate.
Kallisto, who was surprisingly subservient to Natasa, set about getting a goon to carry Natasa, then sent the others to find a palanquin or something that would be more comfortable. Once they did, the Hunters and most of the goons left. Now outnumbered, the gods carefully eyed the House Raptis guards, unsure they could take them in a fight if necessary, and woke Lambros. Neilos began the questioning, asking about The Circle's End, but the man stayed silent. Resorting to his powers, Neilos again asked Lambros "what you know about The Circle's End organization".
- The Circle's End is a loose organization with the goal of killing the gods
- They believe they can stop the cycle where human society is ruined by the gods' rise and fall
- Their plan is to use artifacts like "the Godslayer" to eliminate the gods one at a time until there are none left
- They are organized in a cell structure seeded throughout the various cities with no single leader
- Lambros was the leader in Urbos; Venetia had been in charge, but had moved to another city when he arrived
- They have a code phrase so members can identify each other: "I am looking to meet with a man at the end of the circle"
- They had no association with the Eniadnan spies or the Emperor, and the cell there was small
- They had murdered the candidate of Doros, the god of healing and knowledge, in Metros
- Before murdering him, they had forced him to erase all knowledge of their organization from the gods
Ajax already knew of the cycle he spoke of, having seen the endless feast hall of the dead gods in the Starlit Desert, and was curious when The Circle's End had started. Neilos wondered if they'd known about the organization already, but forgotten due to the Doros candidate's powers. The gods ordered the goon squad to take Lambros to Natasa for further questioning, then Neilos tricked the commander of the Raptis guards to fill in the missing half of the map of the estate by claiming to be working to protect her. Their work her done, they gathered up the mirror shards, and took them, and the Warped Mirror, to the Metaxas estate, careful not to touch any.
The Scion of the Thief
In the morning, the gods sent a message to Arethusa Andreas, informing her that they had the map, and that they would meet tonight at the appointed location. Ajax went to Natasa's estate, intending to heal her by draining one of the two captives, but her housekeeper turned him away, informing him that her lady would no longer allow him on the premises. Back at the estate, the gods briefly discussed what to do with the mirror. Neilos asked if Steidis could turn it into a more easily-portable shape with his powers (he could, but it would burn him horrifically because he would have to touch it), while Steidis suggested they weaponize it for use against other candidates.
The rest of the day was spent resting in the care of their retained healer so they could recover from their wounds, most of which had been self-inflicted by drawing in excess godly energy. Once night fell, Ajax and Steidis made their way to the wrecked mansion where they were to meet, though Neilos stayed behind due to his fear of darkness. In the courtyard, they found a short, hooded woman, probably Arethusa, waiting.
Ajax approached her and handed over the map. Arethusa examined it for a moment, seemed pleased, and asked what information they wanted, noting that "the guy who did the talking last time" wasn't there. Ajax said that they actually weren't interested in information any more, but would appreciate it if she would vote for a new law creating public trials. After some more negotiating, she agreed, then, their business concluded, she climbed up onto the estate's roof and out of sight. Steidis headed back to the Metaxas estate to tell Neilos what had happened, while Ajax went out and drank for the rest of the night.
As Pan Metaxas relaxed in his private hot springs, the gods informed him of recent events, and went over their numbers for the upcoming vote. Voula was out, but Arethusa was onboard, so provided Pan could strike a deal with Lamia Michelakis, the law would pass, and Neilos would (finally) have completed his prophecy. They asked for him to arrange another audience with Arethusa, and he agreed, though Ajax noted that he didn't seem enthusiastic.
A "Sincere" Apology
With plenty of time to kill until the meeting of the Tetrarchs, the gods checked in on Ursula and found that she was still in stasis. They then decided to meet with Natasa and apologize for their failures resulting in her getting captured and stabbed. Despite a statement that "gods don't apologize", Steidis, as the only one with any money left, scoured the markets to find up a bottle of her preferred Metran wine. At the door of Natasa's estate, her housekeeper tried again to turn them away, but Neilos was able to talk his way past her by pretending to feel bad.
They found Natasa resting in the usual lounge; her wounds had been wrapped, and she seemed on the path to recovery. Obviously not happy to see them, she claimed they had a lot of nerve showing up after getting her stabbed, and getting Ursula, her favourite, incapacitated. Never mind the five of her men that were now dead. Ajax offered their gift of wine and his deepest regrets for what had happened, and hoped that they would be able to continue to work together to remove the spies from the city. She accepted, but was understandably still cold towards them.
Not wanting to let an opportunity go, Natasa asked Ajax to heal her using Lambros as a human sacrifice; he agreed did so with no problems. The group then discussed what to do about Acantha, and whether Arethusa was working with the Eniadnans or not. Given Natasa's experience, and Arethusa's willingness to go along with the vote for so trivial a price, it seemed likely she was just ignorant. Eventually they settled on bringing Arethusa into the loop at the gods' upcoming audience, while being discreet to play into her affinity for secrecy. When they left, Natasa did not offer to hug anyone.
Arethusa Andreas
The gods got their audience with Arethusa the next day, and met in a private lounge in her estate. Surprisingly, she wore a dress, and wasn't concealing her face with a hood. A yellow marking of the moon had been painted onto her forehead. After being assured that they were alone, Neilos asked if she would be willing to allow him to use his power on her to ask a qusetion, and was immediately shut down with a harsh and unyielding "No".
Unsure whether they could trust her, Neilos decided proceed anyway, and informed Arethusa that she had a spy in her estate. When she asked for proof, he mentioned his abilities, and she exhaled heavily. Neilos went on, stating that the person in question was the leader of the spies in the city, and he planned to give them the first public trial. Arethusa wanted to know who it was before agreeing to anything, but Ajax was eventually able to convince her to get on board before they informed her that the spymaster was Acantha.
Arethusa seemed surprised; Acantha had been in her family's service since before she'd been born. Such long-term infiltration was incredibly unlikely. Ajax suggested that, perhaps, Eniad had found some leverage over her more recently. Not wanting to expose a private scandal without rock-solid proof, Arethusa offered to search Acantha's quarters herself to find evidence, and the gods agreed, then took their leave.
Several days later, the gods received word from Arethusa that she'd found damning proof. Neilos offered the secret information on the Circle's End in exchange for being present at the "arrest", and she agreed. It was hardly prestigious; Natasa and Kallisto abducted Acantha and transported her to Natasa's holding cells. The gods rested and recovered for the next few days until the meeting of the Tetrarchs.
Notes:
Prophecy Scoreboard:
Neilos 2
Ajax 1
Steidis 1
Missing Memories:
Neilos Family, Mortal Name
Ajax Mortal Appearance
Steidis Mortal Name
Ajax Life Expectancy: 17 days
I forgot to roll the damage they should have taken from the fight. 2d6 came out to 9, which they get to distribute however they see fit.
The dice gods favoured those who make a sacrifice. Almost every roll where HP or FP were spent on extra effort succeeded, and vice versa.
If the PCs had gone off to the Konstoninus estate on their own, they would have lost. The bonus of numbers from Kallisto and the goon squad were what let them win.
The players came up with their own names for the two secret organizations: the E.I.A. (Eniad Intelligence Agency) and Hydra.
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