>>5610431
“Let them now therefore be punished as their crime requires, and do not, while you condemn the aristocracy, absolve the people. This is certain, that all attacked you without distinction, … they thought it safer to throw in their lot with the aristocracy… Their offence was not involuntary, but of malice and deliberate; and mercy is only for unwilling offenders. I therefore, now as before, persist against your reversing your first decision, or giving way to the three failings most fatal to empire- pity, sentiment, and indulgence. Compassion is due to those who can reciprocate the feeling, not to those who will never pity us in return, but are our natural and necessary foes… Do not, therefore, be traitors to yourselves, but recall as nearly as possible the moment of suffering and the supreme importance which you then attached to their reduction; and now pay them back in their turn, without yielding to present weakness or forgetting the peril that once hung over you.”

"Now of course communities have enacted the penalty of death for many offences far lighter than this: still hope leads men to venture, and no one ever yet put himself in peril without the inward conviction that he would succeed in his design. … All, states and individuals, are alike prone to err, and there is no law that will prevent them; or why should men have exhausted the list of punishments in search of enactments to protect them from evildoers? … We must not, therefore, commit ourselves to a false policy through a belief in the efficacy of the punishment of death, or exclude rebels from the hope of repentance and an early atonement of their error… On the contrary, even if they were guilty, you ought to seem not to notice it… In short, I consider it far more useful for the preservation of our empire voluntarily to put up with injustice, than to put to death, however justly, those whom it is our interest to keep alive.”

-Kleon and Diodotus concerning the fate of Mytilene, in roughly eight-hundred years.

File: Trojan War Quest Mechanics.pdf (79 KB, PDF)

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>>5610438
Nikandros (Nikon)

Level Two

Height: 6’10”

Kleos: You’re almost famous! +0 to Kleos checks. Deeds below.
• Petteia Champion of Skyros, He Who Found Achilles

Timae: That of a typical impoverished country lord. -5 to Timae checks. Riches below.
• Mycenean Chariot: Courtesy of Electra.
• Ancestral Arms and Armor: Bronze Panoplia, Spear, Sword, Shield, all of Royal Quality

STATS

Strength- (18/24) (+6)
Agility- (13/20) (+1)
Constitution- (14/24) (+2)
Willpower- (12/20)(-2) (+0)
Intelligence- (17/24)(-2) (+3)
Charisma- (11/20)(-2) (+0)

Regional Alignment: Thessalian (+3 STR, +3 AGI)

Epithets:

• Bouleeis: Of good counsel (from Tactical Genius)

Traits:

• Dutiful: You get an extra stat point per level.

• Tactical Genius: +6 intelligence, +4 intelligence cap, +4 skill at relevant matters. This trait also makes it so that (within reason, non-technical) military write-ins are accepted.

• Giant: 4 to strength and strength cap and +4 to constitution and constitution cap.

• Disfavored of the Rivers: 1 agility, -1 strength, -1 constitution. You will also be hit with 1 automatic failure per thread on rolls pertaining to these deities’ interests: these are understood to be divine intercession IC. -3 when interacting with aquatic daemons. Additionally, this trait may be later upgraded to Enmity.

• Fresh Olympian Blood: +1 to all stats and regenerate 2 health per turn of combat. +3 when interacting with daemons. You can see and talk to supernatural entities without assistance.

• Sympathy- +2 to social rolls with suffering persons, may later change to Empathy.

STATUS

HP- (10/10)

• Concussed: For a limited time, you suffer a -2 to all social stats.

Skills:

• Petteia: +4 to the game. (Tactical Genius)
• Command: +4 when commanding your troops personally in battle. (Tactical Genius)
• Sympathetic: +2 when interacting with suffering persons. (Sympathy)
• Divine Aura: +3 when interacting with daemons. (FOB)
• River Gossip: -3 when interacting with aquatic daemons (DotR)
• Divine Regeneration: Heal 2 health per combat turn (FOB)
• More skills to be uncovered as circumstances and traits necessitate.

Inventory:
• Two charges of Nepenthe, a potent drug. Purgation of all sadness, all grief, and more importantly any curse of the psyche. Worth a kingly sum.
• Ancestral Armor: +2 to wound rolls
• Ancestral Shield: +1 to wound rolls
• Spear: 1d5 + Str + Spearplay damage
• Sword: 1d5 + Str + Swordplay damage, -2 to hit against a spear user, -2 to wound against a shield user.

>>5610450
Your Forces Presently not with you
• Second In Command: Argyros, veteran of the Second Argo-Theban war. An experienced campaigner who is utterly devoted to your family. He can be trusted to command the men in your stead but is a commoner in every other sense. When he is independently commanding your troops, they receive a +3 bonus in combat and another die. His bonus (but not the die) adds to yours when you directly command.

• First Platoon: Your House troops, fifty picked men from your home estates. Exceedingly well trained, experienced, loyal, and high morale: some of the best troops in the whole Hellenic Expedition. However, poorly armed in rural Hellenic style: smallish wooden shields with leather overlay, linothorax armor, no helmets, short spears. (Tier Three Troops: +1 for Thessalian, +1 for Argyros, +1 for Tactical Genius. +0 bonus in fighting.)

File: theBoysTraining.png (1016 KB, 1000x586)

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The arena is dark, empty but for your folded-over bulk. Stretching is a necessary evil, the beginning and end of training for any serious athlete or warrior. Limber limbs provide for finesse and power in blows. The rosy fingers of Eos have yet to creep over the walls of the palace complex.

It has been about a week since you agreed to join the peace talks with Troy. In that time you have continued to recover from the hardest bout of sparring in your life. The ribs are healed in full, although periods of mental fogginess still come and go. You’ve yet to recover any personal memories of the fight itself. This morning is an important benchmark- the first you’ve felt good enough to train in full since Diomedes beat you.

Over the week nothing very significant happened. Crown Princess Electra has continued to pretend as if you were just another guest and you have done likewise. Menelaus and Agamemnon cannot learn of the conspiracy for war which is so close to home. Princess Iphigeneia you have seen little of once her medical ministrations became unnecessary- the girl is a recluse evidently, at least compared to the outgoing Electra. Nor have you met Agamemnon’s third daughter or wife. Menelaus and Agamemnon have spent much time in private counsels, no doubt planning for the future whether or not peace with Troy is agreed to.

You and Menelaus Atreides are stuck waiting in Mycenae for the return of Palamedes and Odysseus. The former was sent by High King Agamemnon to retrieve the latter some time before your own arrival in the capital. From here the party will travel to Megara, whence you will sail to Salamis to retrieve Telamonian Ajax. From there your little diplomatic group will sail to Ilion.

As you begin to proper exercises, a commotion outside of the arena draws your attention. It must be at the gates of the palace- travelers hailing the watchmen to open. It is too early in the morning for the Royal Palace to have been opened to full traffic. As you reflect on the matter, you think on who could be important enough to visit the High King before his traditional hours of hearing petitions. It must be a king or important ally of the House of Atreus- or a delusional lesser noble.

Will you investigate?

>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.

>>5610464
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

Hooray its back

>>5610464
>>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.
MY BODY IS READY

>>5610464
>>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

>>5610464
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

Curiosity is good. Unless it brings you to a hill a Goddess is perched upon…

>>5610464
>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.
I'm sticking to the training autism

>>5610464
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

>>5610464
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

>>5610464

>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

Nik never passes up a chance to insert himself into a social situation and then fuck up the actual roll.

>Homer, congrats on running a quest with a fervent audience

>>5610464
>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.

>>5610464
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…
Inb4 rolled nat one again. LMAO

>>5610464
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

I is curious.

>>5610464
>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.

>>5610464
>>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…

>"Don't know who is there, so say your name. We don't take care of self-important brats, so you will have to tell why you are here."
>Is the Wind god.

>>5610631

I’m sure Homer will spring at least one “hobo who is really an Olympian” situation, it’s too classic to pass up.

Anyways, our sympathy trait would cause us to be attentive to the plight of the common man, so we can justify helping the mudpeople we come across

>>5610464
>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.

Wow. It's really happening!

A question to lure out the degenerates if we can't find Nira a man, who is gonna vote to do it ourselves?

>>5610777
That sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.

>>5610777
If that wasn't dangerous in and of itself, with all the fate and mystical crap that's about to happen it might as well be the end of us.

Still better than going to the oracle of Delphi

>>5610777
Ptolemids are like a millenium too early anon

Non-sequitor, but the Odysseus build sounds ideal for divine favor. Focus on getting in the good graces of a mahor god and getting a minor god to simp for us, like he did with Athena and Hecate.
Obviously we've been working over Nike, but we should probably look for a major olympian to being over. I'd throw my hat in for either Ares or Hephaestus
>>5610777
That play ends with the incest babies finding out the truth and ripping both of us apart limb by limb, and then getting judged in Hades for our individual crimes

>>5610777
Rocks fall, you die. I will not suffer what Munkun did. Incest is literal cursed behavior for mortals in this quest, and Nikandros knows it via Oedipus.

>>5610518
Thank you for participating anon. It's very validating to see people enjoying Hellenic glory.[

>>5610465
>>5610469
>>5610470
>>5610480
>>5610484
>>5610488
>>5610518
>>5610538
>>5610567
>>5610615
>Archaic ADHD mode

>>5610467
>>5610482
>>5610532
>>5610604
>>5610705
>Σ ἀνήρ grindset

>Writing!

>>5610803
>Munkun
Who?

>>5610806
Writer of A Bastard of Westeros Quest. Had a protagonist that was weird about his family and anons that bickered so hard that it made Munkun quit.

>>5610809
Shit, I know that Song fans are weird, but that is fucked

I promese limit myself to more memes and chris jokes Homer

>>5610813
The whole story Martin came up with hinges on a fuckton of incest to get there. Of course the fandom is gonna attract some of those types kek.

This talk reminded me of this rendition I watched of Oedipus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDndS5N9tes&list=LL&index=2

>>5610816
[spoile]Just now I realize that I say that we have a limit myself to chris jokes and we have a mental mother.

I mean Chris Redfield.

But out of curiosity, if Chris-chan were to wake in this timeline, would Zeus decide to stop the war just to stop the future he come from to happen?

>>5610817
Theater dudes really do be going full tilt

>>5610819
>swing by the local prophetess
>she shares a vision of the future
>sonichu.schizoid
>Zeus: Everyone shut the fuck up, we gotta go kill everyone north and west of here.
A better timeline there could not be.

>>5610819
Who did you think started the dimensional merge if not Zeuschu?

>>5610825
>Zeuschu
>"FUCK YOU. CONTINENT WIDE STORM CENTRED ON YOUR HOUSE. DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT WORD AGAIN."

>>5610825
>Chris autismo is so powerful that his faith in sonichu make it a corruption that expand to time and space.
>The pantheons join forces to stop the infection, having to kill allies and enemies alike when they begin to sonicify.

Update tomorrow

>>5610842
The date up say today, what you mean by this?

>>5610842
Zeuschu cringe so powerful it makes the QM need time to recover
dayum

nice back again

>>5610833
>ZOOUUUSSSSS!

File: CutPaste_2023-03-22_06-48(...).jpg (3.4 MB, 3021x3115)

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>>5610906

>>5610800
>we should probably look for a major olympian to being over
Agreed. And Hades is the best god by far.

File: Skamandromakhia.png (1.9 MB, 1416x1062)

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>>5610923
i got your back bro

>>5610943
Kek

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>>5610923
lol

File: 20230319_180940.jpg (4 MB, 5664x4248)

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>>5610943
Amazing!

Anyway here's some (no-homo) wrassling for the training bros.

Posting some ideas I had last thread for discussion in between Homer updates, etc etc.

>Niko Char Build: ROCK CHAD v2

>Current Lv. 2 => 3 => 4 => 5 => 6

>STR - 18 => 18 => 18 => 19 => 19
>AGI - 13 => 14 => 15 => 15 => 15
>CON - 14 => 15 => 16 => 18 => 20
>WILL - 12 => 12 => 12 => 12 => 12
>INT - 17 => 18 => 18 => 18 => 18
>CHA - 11 => 11 => 11 => 11 => 11

Basically, I’m dumping most of our stat points in CON, STR, and patching our INT slightly. We can hope for additional traits to help boost our combat ability, but it will take time for our to turn into a combat monster.

>>5611591
seems like a good plan to me

Here are some ideas for spending Timae once we’re back from the diplomatic mission.

1) Better gear for ourselves and our men. Our squad could be the Hellenic Special Forces once properly equipped.
2) commissioning a second boat? Funding an expedition to collect additional forces for the war or preventing allies of the Trojans from reaching the city?
3) in a similar vein, buying the resources necessary to wage asymmetric warfare against Troy to disrupt their logistics and supply chain before the war starts properly? Sea piracy plot line ahoy! Plus maybe we would be in the position to stop Menelaus from a sacrificing one of kids.
3) sacrificing a hecatomb of cattle to Nike to find out our ancestry. Or to learn from Nike how to secure safe passage of the Hellenic forces aka what does Poseidon want?
4) investing resources in Thessaly itself and perhaps grow our own personal kingdom
5) consulting the Oracle at Delphi (or similar figure) to learn our ancestry or otherwise find a way to optimize our destiny.
6) hiring a tutor to teach us reading or writing, or at least someone to write down our thoughts into a concise document as we have them

>>5611617
>5) consulting the Oracle at Delphi (or similar figure) to learn our ancestry or otherwise find a way to optimize our destiny.

Literally the worst thing you could do before eating nuclear waste was possible

>>5611629

Ah, I’m a Homeric lore noob, could you explain further?

>>5611641
The Oracle at Delphi is a priestess (or group of priestesses) with the power to see the future and destiny. Many heroes and gods go to her to find out what fate has in store for them.

It never ends well, one way or another.

File: theDioscuriApproach.jpg (164 KB, 960x943)

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>>5610803
Waiting one more day to get back into your rhythm can’t hurt, right? Rising from the sandy ground of the arena, you go tie your sandals back on to see what the commotion is about. Eos still has not shown her face.

Exiting the arena with your armor in your pack, sword in scabbard, and spear in hand you approach the entrance of the palace. It’s too early to be dealing with this…

As you approach the fine iron-reinforced gate, you make out a handful of royal guardsmen atop the wall. You also hear a voice raging at them. Loudly.

“… BY MY FATHER THE LOUD-THUNDERER, I WILL TEAR THIS GATE DOWN IF YOU DO NOT-“ Another, softer voice follows the abrupt stoppage of the angry one.

“No, he won’t! But we really must speak to our brothers-in-law, and don’t have time to wait on protocol!” A moment passes before one of the guardsmen responds. By his voice, it is the same young man who gave you a reasonable challenge in training.

“Dioscuri, you both know that after the incident Lord Agamemnon has forbidden your entry to the palace without his express permission. You must wait until his calling hours begin, at which point we will inform His Grace of your presence!”

“HIS GRACE CAN TAKE HIS PERMISSION AND SHOVE I-“ This time an audible thump accompanies the disruption, like a man falling to the dirt from a high place.

“I must insist that you let us in Captain, lest my brother do something we will both regret! I assure you that Agamemnon will not begrudge our presence!”

The brothers-in-law of the Atreidae. These can be none other than Castor and Pollux, the elder twin brothers of Helen and Klytemnestra. So the bards say, warlike Pollux was a son of Zeus while Castor, breaker-of-horses, was born of the mortal king Tyndareus. When Tyndareus exiled Pollux from Sparta, Castor chose to abandon his birthright in order to accompany him.

Masterful equestrians, they were the principal scouts of the Argonauts. Tales of their exploits are known across the length of Hellas. Pollux is a mighty warrior, Castor a famed healer, and both are infamous thieves of cattle.

And they are here, urgently demanding to see Agamemnon and Menelaus. Yet they are being stonewalled by the Royal Guard, apparently in line with official policy. You could intervene.

>The gate remains shut, barred by a massive bar of fir that would take at least four mortal men to move. You, however, are no mere mortal. You’ll let them in yourself.

>Surely you have earned some goodwill from the guard in your time here. Could you not convince them to let the guests in?

>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.

>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Go back to training.

>Something else?

>>5610956
Based art.

>>5611657
>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.

Concussed diplomacy.

>>5611641
Let me ask you something, if fate is immutable and inevitable, then would knowing about it really change anything? If prophecy were to be absolute and it would have to be in order to be prophetic, then trying to defy it serves no purpose. Therefore knowing the unchanging future can only bring you unneeded stress.

>>5611657
>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.
Oi cunts, our head hurts. Shut up.

>>5611657
>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.

>>5611657
>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Go back to training.

I'll just go ahead and be the stick in the mud. No need to irritate our host or these newcomers by saying something retarded while still punch drunk.

>>5611657
>>The gate remains shut, barred by a massive bar of fir that would take at least four mortal men to move. You, however, are no mere mortal. You’ll let them in yourself.
NO BALLS

>>5611651
To be fair, the Oracle is known for giving conditional prophecies as well. Of course, even so a man like Croesus can stumble into an unlucky fate.

>>5611657
>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.

>>5611657
>>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.

"Chill man. What about if you and me do some training while the king there wake up?"

>>5611657
>Surely you have earned some goodwill from the guard in your time here. Could you not convince them to let the guests in?

>>5611676

Backing this.

“Hail, Pollux, son of Zeus. I am Nikandros of Thessaly. King Agamemnon has been a kind host to me, when he has had no cause to do so. I feel that I am bound to defend his ἐντολή and so must challenge you - what cause do you have to violate a kingly command?

If you will not speak it, then I would wager the truth of the matter against my promise of assistance to a friendly match of strength!

>basically, I challenge you to a wrassling match to explain your big problem. If I lose, I’ll be your bitch for the day and help you with whatever this is. If I win, you got to tell me what your deal is and follow Agamemnon’s order to wait until public hours.

>>5611657
>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Go back to training.

I do hope with any prophecies we hear, we can deal with it like Diogenes.

>>5611685
My write-in was more about working out and doing something while they wait that the king remember how to dress himself, but if you want to fight him that is fine.

>>5611693

Sure, I wasn’t trying to co-opt your vote, my apologies.

My immediate read is that these two guys are hotheads and gamblers. Probably Pollux can’t turn down a bet, especially when it’s a physical contest.

Oh hey, this is back! Welcome back, Homer!

>>5611657
>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.

Not sure I like this, considering our concussion and mediocre social stats, but hey, maybe Sympathy will win the day.

>>5611685
I'm admittedly not all too well-versed in Greek myth, but aren't Castor and Pollux like... legendary boxers? We'd probably get our ass handed to us (again) if we try a challenge. I'm otherwise open to some casual training though (though judging by their earnestness, they may have an emergency or something).

>>5611663
>>5611665
>>5611666
>>5611674
>>5611676
>>5611685
>>5611699
>Let's talk down the raging son of Zeus

>>5611667
>>5611686
>nope.png

>>5611671
>Do it yourself

>>5611679
>Hey bros, trust me, let them in.

>Very well. Secondary vote for approach.

>Just use your godlike negotiation skills to charm Pollux into relaxing

>Maybe you could just tell them to fuck off and wait?

>Challenge Pollux to wrestle/box (which?)- if you win he waits patiently, if he wins you help him out. Warning- Pollux is known to be quite the athlete.

>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>Something else?

>>5611702
>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>>5611702
>>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>>5611702
>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>>5611702
>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>>5611702
>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>>5611696
Don't worry, I just dont want to risk to make a enemy of a fellow hero. Maybe we can get lucky.

>>5611702

I would say challenge him to a wrestling match and then do our damndest to ring him out, presuming that ancient Greeks had both TKO and ring out victories.

We probably have a weight advantage on him given our Giant status and so maybe could toss him out of the ring.

>>5611702
>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>>5611657
Aw man, and some of you want to pick a (friendly) fight with two argonauts?
We really have no reason to butt in and possibly lose a lot of face.

>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Stand aside and see if you're needed.

At most i would vote to ask a guard to explain the situation and try to stop pollux if it looks like he will slaughter the guards, but i don't think castor would let him rage.

>>5611702
>>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.

>soo you are a king right? Do you have a queen? My sister is single you know

>>5611716
>As you well know, Hellenic wrestling matches are won by three points worth of fall, submission, or ring-out. The latter is the rarest form of victory on account of the large area of the ring.

>>5611728
Kick a rock under you opponent foot is legal?

Rolled 19, 14 = 33 (2d20)

>>5611704
>>5611707
>>5611708
>>5611710
>>5611711
>>5611721
>>5611726
>Alright, no need to wait with such a majority.

>>5611732
>No. That's more the kind of thing you might see in Pankration.

>Roll me 1d20-2, Bo3 (-3 for the plan, +0 for charisma. Bo3 for having the power in this interaction) versus my 2d20+2

>>5611728

Hmm, I honestly think we have a chance at ringing him out, but I see that most folks want to bro out and maybe do some deadlifts instead.

>>5611734
>-2
1d20-3, I mean.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5611734
This is bullying

Rolled 17 - 2 (1d20 - 2)

>>5611734
lol

>>5611734
Another roll that's impossible to beat when interacting with rolls, what a surprise

>>5611734

Sigh. What are we going to do about you rolling 19 and 20s, Homer?

>>5611740
Royals, not rolls.
Poor Nikon

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5611734

The good news is when he says no and tells us to fuck off we can just laugh and go back to training.

>>5611738
>>5611739
Dub roll is cool at least.

>>5611741
Again the dice reflect the situation. You chose by far the hardest option, which you have no skills or trait bonus in, and chose a strange way to go about it.

>>5611738
>>5611739
>>5611745
>14 v 21: significant failure. Writing, update later tonight.

>>5611749
>chose a strange way to go about it.
So they are scrubs that don't care about gains, got it

>>5611749
Exercising with the buff dude to pass the time would have been harder than just asking the son of zeus to calm down because we said so?

>>5611755

admittedly, Pollux already seems like he’s in rage mode, so listening to some scrub up on the wall probably was unlikely.

Anyways, I’m not that upset about this. I’d rather be on Agamemnon’s good side rather than Pollux, honestly.

>>5611755
>"Listen guys, I get that this is urgent and one of you is angrily impatient, but surely you can relax and go for a run with me to pass the time?"
To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that epic heroes have a tendency to stop everything for funeral games I would have penalized you more. Even so, training doesn't have the same war-pausing appeal to it.

>>5611749
Even if we weren't running on a malus and we had a minor trait we would have handily lost on dice size alone. It's less "The dice reflect" and more "the dice decide". He ain't complaining about the penalty we took, he's lamenting that you're a high roller.

>>5611754
>based exercise committer

>>5611759
For real. We can't piss off EVERY host we have. At this point it's starting to seem like we should completely forego every social interaction. And thus miss out on 80% of all encounters pre-war.

>>5611766
S C R U B S
Gain > Everything else
Except rocks, but you need gains to lift rocks

>>5611770
You can lift rocks to get gains to lift bigger rocks. It's a perfect fucking circle.

>>5611766
This is part of our master plan homer. Now he dont like us and maybe he want to open our head.

Lets dedicate this tactical victory to Nike.

>>5611759
Agememnon already has a decent opinion of us. We would have lost nothing by just coolin on the training field.

>>5611778

You are correct. But Nikandros is concussed and is making bad choices. So now we have irritated Pollux, but this isn’t a total negative, obviously. We can manipulate hatred as well.

>Actually, I need a Kleos check here.
>1d20, Bo3
FYI a Kleos check is essentially a reputation check to see if your fame can carry you.

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>5611786

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>5611786

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>5611786

Um, maybe Pollux cares about petteia?

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>5611786
Watch this 1. Kleos is the best social stat

>>5611787
>>5611789
>>5611791
Well, no Kleos luck
Atleast we got another double roll?

Kek. No shot.

>>5611791

I would like to apologize to everyone, I should not have posted.

>>5611787
>>5611789
>>5611791
>Unfortunately that 19 came a minute too late. Failure, writing.

>>5611792
That hurts to see
>>5611795
There's no way you would have know

>>5611796
>Literally rolled a fail AGAIN on social shit.
There isnt ANY point in trying. Stick to gains. Its what we are good at.

>>5611799
Join the training autism gang

>>5611802
Am 1000% on board with Sigma-grindset ganggang now!

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>Failed Social Roll
>Failed Kleos Roll
I half suspect that we'll fulfill Electra's wishes by just being ourselves.

>>5611804
Good, it grows.
One day will we become the majority, and Nikon will be able to throw even bigger rocks!

>>5611805

She knew that we were the right choice when we tried to intimidate her in her own temple, lol

>>5611806
We must throw the walls of Troy itself.

>MFers know our social stats are weak
>proceeds to continue picking the social options
fuck me it hurts. its like watching lemmings jump off a cliff

>>5611808
>Did this idiot really have the balls to say that shit to me? Eureka!

>>5611813
That's not fair. The lemmings were forced to jump.

>>5611813
Just wait. Imagine our autistic self in Troy with Agememnon's retard aura.

>I am growing stronger

>>5611824

Who knew that /qst/ could role play as an autist so effectively?

I’m actually beginning to love how often we get fucked up in this quest. Maybe we’ll learn to play better or something.

>>5611827
I half expect to get locked up somewhere awaiting execution and then the wall mysteriously crumbles to let us out just because the gods haven't finished laughing at us yet.

>>5611813
People hate missing social interactions more than actually failing them, especially if they unlock sideplot stuff

>>5611831

>Zeus and the boys having a giggle watching Nik
>”oh, look, he’s a tactical GENIUS”

We should start challenging everyone to board games, it’s really the only thing we succeed at…

>>5611827
I doubt that, but I'm trying to hang onto hope.
Anyway, I'm off to bed, if there's a vote after this, please preemptively count mine as just going back to training.

Also, you all might feel bad, but with the NOTABLE exception of Odysseus most heroes experience many social failures when interacting with other heroes. Don't forget that the Iliad started with two social failures- one of which caused a fucking plague, the other of which caused Achilles to ragequit the war. Further, Ajax's suicide was essentially caused by him taking a massive social L to Odysseus. It's not a bug, it's a feature.

>>5611833
What's funny is despite the fact we flub so often, we also make undeniable progress where it matters.

>>5611836
See? This mean we have to keep pushing our foot in our mouth, that way our leg will come out from the other side.

>>5611836

Ah, now I see.

We aren’t trying to “fix” the Iliad, we are just fucking it all up in new and exciting ways.

Anyways, we were bound to piss off one of the heroes. At least we’re currently on good terms with Achilles and Agamemnon.

>>5611836
Now this I can get behind.

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>>5611836
>tfw no one is failing social encounters against us despite the fact that everyone is kind of an asshole with minimal people skills

Theatrics aside, I'll only really be upset if we actually do ruin our chances of getting sis a primo catch of a lad. It's the only social roll that counts as far as I'm concerned.

>>5611854
Don't worry anon, there's always alternatives. If you're too autistic to negotiate your sister's marriage, you can always just take a Trojan Prince hostage for her!

>>5611857
>Raze the Trojan Prince's city.
>Carry him away to a foreign land.
>Force him to marry sis.
That's actually an option? How does that not end with the man killing Nikon's family while they sleep?

>>5611865
Concubinage > Chattel Slavery > Death. At least, for sort of man who wouldn't die honorably in battle first.

>>5611857
It sounds like a dumb idea until you realize Priam has like seven fucking sons. Then it sounds like a bad idea because most of them are heroes of their own right and could likely escape or kill their way out of wherever we bring them if we weren't there. I mean I'm sure sis has a 15 or 16 in strength and a 14 in con as well but still.

>>5611865
Maybe sis can brew a love potion.

>>5611865
He doesn't need hands or feet to make babies, just his dick.

>>5611868
>Priam has like seven fucking sons
I thought the due had 50 sons and 50 daughters?

>>5611874
Correct

>>5611874
I just don't buy it, myself. According to blah blah blah sources he has like 80 kids. Mostly boys at 60+ and about 20 daughters. But even if he really does have nearly a hundred kids who really wants the "literally who" of his spawn? I'm not looking for schmucks for sis.

>>5611879
A prince is a prince, and there will certainly be a shortage of eligible bachelors post-war what with all the men that end up murdered, punished by the gods for their crimes, or otherwise lost. Might as well get her a high status slave boy to bully around if we can't perserve a proper husband

>>5611895
I mean sure if we're scraping the bottom of the barrel but I'd rather not. A worthy man is better than a renowned man, but better still is both.

We can always bring all the capture slav- Maybe future brothers-in-law to her so she can choose.

>>5611903
>giving sister a stable
Real chad move there.

>>5611903
Got get another boat or two to carry them all home then. Going full Ganymede.

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>>5611908
Sister using the rock to train her next toy

>>5611917
I don't know why this made me think of it, but I wonder what some of the lady's statlines are in this quest. I mean Helen beat goddesses in a beauty contest, her charisma naturally has to be higher than normal limits. Electra has good social stats and int. Penelope must be yolked out of her mind with her nonphysical stats. Cassandra's stats don't matter. Thanks, curse.

>>5611942
Men get more power on the physical world, while woman are more in contact with the supernatural world

>>5611942
Just as men generally have better combat stats than social stats, women largely have better social stats than combat stats. Balance of the household and all that. In wits, for instance, Penelope is Odysseus's equal. You better believe Helen's charisma is pure gas. So on. That being said, just as there are exceptions among men, there are also tomboys among women...

>>5611868
She doesn't. Remember, 10 is the baseline, sub 14 is average for most stats for most nobles. The people you've met so far in the quest are quite exceptional stats wise, and the values thusfar are overinflated relative to the actual cast of characters.

>>5611947
Not necessarily. Know that most priests and augurs are male. Also, update very very soon.

>>5611948
>Helen's charisma is pure gas
I think I have a solution for when Nikon eventually gets confronted by a ridiculous high-charisma person. Just get the giant to plug his ears and run out of the room, screaming is optional.

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>>5611948
I was sure Nira also has the giant trait. Guess not. Just big lady.

>>5611952
>Nikon when forced to deal with someone with high social stats

>>5611952
>Just get the giant to plug his ears
>"YOU SIRENS WILL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!"

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>>5611734
>>5611749
>>5611796

You will intervene. You must- Agamemnon is your host, and a good guest does not suffer insult to his host’s authority. Further ingratiating yourself into the royal court is another consideration. Self-interest and justice combined- perhaps there is something to Electra’s worldview.

The question is how. Letting them in is a nonstarter. How does one stop an angry hero from doing something unwise? By either killing him- a poor idea, seeing that Pollux is family of the High King and Queen- or distracting him. You don’t trust your words to do the job. You also don’t fancy your chances challenging the most famed unarmed fighter in all of Hellas.

What about training? A good old jog, some stretching, sparring- that’s the way! What kind of red-blooded man would refuse a training partner like you?

Plan in mind, you make your way up the staircase leading to the top of the walls. You startle the guards- the weren’t expecting any backup. The young man- the Captain of the Royal Guard- turns to face you.

“Lord Nikandros, you’re up early. The buffoon yelling down there wake you?”

“No, I woke to train but found myself distracted by the commotion at the gate. Wait, buffoon?” His disdain for Pollux is surprising, considering the man’s status.

“Yes my lord, buffoon. A troublemaker, a scoundrel. Only the gods can imagine what would become of Lord Pollux if not for Lord Castor. He picked a fight with the King at his own table you know- challenged him to box. Any other man who did so would’ve been executed on the spot, but being the brother of the Queen and a son of Zeus has its advantages. I trust you’re here to help?” Indeed, his voice is quite hopeful near the end. For mortal men confronting demigod royalty is a tall task.

“That I am- ah, what it your name?”

“Keas, my lord.”

“Yes, Keas, I am. Excuse me.” You step through the assembled guardsmen to look down at the Dioscuri.

They are twins indeed. Of note is the platinum blonde hair of the man standing on the ground, and his bulging muscles. Pollux then, son of Zeus. Castor is still mounted- his hair is black, his frame slimmer. Otherwise their handsome features are essentially identical. Their steeds are impressive in the extreme- pitch-black chargers, monstrously large, and according to the bards a pair of divine gifts from Poseidon. That they mastered such animals is proof enough of their horsemanship.

>>5611981
“Hail, Pollux, son of Zeus. I am Nikandros of Thessaly, a guest of Agamemnon. Why do you have such an urgent need to enter the palace?”

He squints up at you- even from this distance you can detect the unnatural gold in his eyes.

“Who are you? No, better yet, why are you talking to me? Do you know who I am? Mind your own gods-damned business you oversized yokel.” Even as he finishes his brother is speaking up.

“Lord Nikandros, pardon my brother. The night ride from Patrae has roused his temper. We’ve had to deal with many hinderances on the road. There is urgent business with Menelaus and Agamemnon to be settled, and it was trouble enough to enter the city at this time of day. Can you not speak to the men to let us in?” You see what Keas meant about the dynamic between Pollux and Castor.

“Lords Castor and Pollux, can you not wait to enter? Perhaps we could train together? I’ve never had the opportunity to train with horsemen and boxers of your caliber.” At this Castor and Pollux make a decidedly similar face- one of astonishment. As one they speak.

“What?” You take this as a cue to continue.

“Well, the way I see it rather than bother the king before an appropriate time we could profitably use the morning to train. Surely you two want for partners of any serious caliber just as I do?” This time there is a difference in their response. Castor sighs deeply, while Pollux’s face and voice adopt a pure condescension as he again speaks.

“I see, you’re just a blithering idiot Menelaus is bringing along with him to Ilion as dumb muscle. I can’t believe that an honest-to-Zeus troglodyte like you would be preferred to us, the brothers of the victim. Oh, to hell with this.” They know about the mission?

Even as he finishes speaking to you, Pollux turns around and walks away. All eyes are on him- yours, Castor’s, the guards’s. What is he doing? One he’s about one-hundred or so feet away from the gate, he turns back around and drops to a crouch. No, not a crouch- a runner’s stance!

Castor begins to speak, anticipating what’s about to happen.

“Brother don’t-“ Pollux ignores his protest, and instead flies like an arrow from his stance into a run. The pace is not especially high. Indeed, it’s leisurely almost, his gait belying his incredible speed.

As he nears the wall he slows down- only for his arms to flip back as he squats a little. Then he leaps out of your view. For a moment you don’t understand, but then it hits you.

The crazy bastard is climbing the wall!

All of you seem to realize this insanity at the same time. Castor starts yelling at his brother to stop this foolishness. The guardsmen look to Keas for direction and he commands them to form up and stop Pollux as he crests the wall.

>>5611983
What will you do?

>Assist the guardsmen in stopping Pollux. Even unarmed and unarmored, a man like him is a real danger to them. However, you won’t be able to resort to truly lethal force.

>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.

> Get back down the stairs and get the hell out of here. Nothing but the thought of the damage to your reputation fleeing might do is stopping you after all.

>Something else?

>I see, you’re just a blithering idiot Menelaus is bringing along with him to Ilion as dumb muscle. I can’t believe that an honest-to-Zeus troglodyte like you would be preferred to us, the brothers of the victim. Oh, to hell with this
The insults are hilarious. Seems we're nicely developing that dummy reputation.
Don't suppose we could do something like assume command if the soldiers and use our tactical genius bonus to fend off the wall crawling demigod.

>>5611988
>You certainly can as a write-in. You'll have to convince Keas to accept you as his temporary superior to do so, but considering the circumstances and your personal relationship with the Royal Guard it's not a bad idea in the slightest.

Maybe get some oil and pour it on the man to make him slip, though he might break his neck. Depends in how fast he’s climbing

>>5611985
>Assume temporary command, there's a demigod to repel!

I'm thinking commanding men to get some oil and pour it on the guy and throw pieces of cloth at his face to mess up his climbing and focus.

What else can we throw at the guy? A chicken?

>>5611993
Honestly we could probably just pour a guard's drink down the wall near Pollox's handholds. Just getting it slick would probably do the trick. But oil is better. Super slippery.

Perhaps a net if they have one.

>>5611985
>>Assume temporary command, there's a demigod to repel!

>>5611985
>>Something else?
Help him to climb.

He gonna expect we try to stop him, so he is gonna press on with more force. So we must push him up, he will lose footing in the confusion and will fall down.

>>5612002
Anon, this write-in does not make any sense to me.

>>5611992
>>5611998
>>5612000
Nothing so convenient is on hand. The Palace was not exactly prepared for a one-man-siege. You can certainly look for things, but that'll be a check.

>>5612005
I think anon is being a goober, but his idea isn't really a bad one. If we were to offer him a rope he might be stupid enough to grab it and then we could just drop him.

But they don't let guards have any water out here? Wall duty is rough.

>>5611617
7) Play petteia for get more money by winning against rich nobles.
8) get more men
i approve of sending some money home to sis for help develop the land, when we get them

>>5611662
yey

>>5611993
>>5611998
>>5612000
What's something more common here, anything like wine and water is probably not high above the walls.
And nothing disgusting, we have to stop him not shame him and ridicule ourselves.

>>5611988
I support this the tactical genius option feels like the best way forward, and lets our best trait shine.


>>5612005
Seems to me like pollux wants in on the siege action early, it seems common occurrence to have divinely strong men shouting at walls to be let in, in this era.

>>5612002
That is some lateral thinking on par with letting castor in, shame nobody would think good of it.
It would make us like an odysseus who always fails his schemes.
At least we aren't ordering the guards to deter him by spitting because saliva is wet and he may slip... or use a big rock to solve the problem.

>>5612048
>It would make us like an odysseus who always fails his schemes.

We can't fail in our plans if our plan is to act like we have a plan.

>Pollux climb thenks to us.
Victory, part of our plan all along
>Pollux fall thenks to us
Victory, part of our plan all along

>At least we aren't ordering the guards to deter him by spitting because saliva is wet and he may slip... or use a big rock to solve the problem.

The wall is the big rock. This time we don't use the rock aganst the opponent, the rock is using us as a weapon aganst the opponent.

We are the rock.

>>5611985
Supporting >>5612002.
>>5612005
Like the other anon says, offer Pollux a rope, then drop him. Castor can take over and stop him from chucking a rock at us.

>>5611993

Backing this option. We assume temporary command of the men, have them search for oil, nets, sand or dirt, and other impediments to Pollux as he climbs.

All you anons trying to pull a bait and switch with a rope - why would Pollux accept help from the moron who literally just told him to abide the King’s order? Not to mention, Pollux does not NEED the rope, so why would he even grab it? This idea makes no sense on 3 different levels.

>>5612086

Oh and before we start pouring stuff on Pollux, apologize for our previous behavior and offer to personally deliver a message to King Agamemnon immediately if he’s in such a hurry.

If he turns us down, then we can have the lads (and us) start pitching nonlethal objects at him. If we succeed, we should make the same offer to Castor.

>>5612086
>>5612092

Sorry, these two posts belong to me despite the ID change.

Anyways our tactical genius bonus should kick in once we take command of the men and then Nik will be in his element. Victory is assured

>>5612092
>"Hey! You know about the secret mission that the high king say that we must keep in secret?!"
>"If this is about that I can talk to the high king about the secret mission that he say we must not talk about!"

>>5612096
Don't worry, we won't tell a soul.

>>5612096

>I am now joking

Tell them that we literally cannot read and therefore we could deliver a scroll in their behalf.

>Nik: wait, can you guys read or write?
>castor and Pollux: wat
>I could get you a chisel and hammer and stuff? Then I could run back to Agamemnon with your urgent message and…
>Pollux: shut the FUCK up

>I am now serious

If we can knock Pollux off the wall with the soldiers helping, then we can offer to deliver his message.

>>5611985
>Assist the guardsmen in stopping Pollux. Even unarmed and unarmored, a man like him is a real danger to them. However, you won’t be able to resort to truly lethal force.
I can support the command option to give buff, or trying to make the walls slippery. I'm against offering to send a message or dropping a rope though.
Also pelt them him with small rocks to distract him while at it

>>5612086
The way I see it, the training thing sounded like a weak objection, so he would interpret the rope as our surrender.
I'm OK with just commandeering the men too, but giving him a rope and dropping it was too funny not to support.

>>5612138
I think using pebbles against a demigod would be like throwing peanuts and calling him a chimp.

I would say pouring liquids on the stone and deter him using the butts of spears would work best.
Be careful to let go if he grabs them tho.

>>5612152
I feel like the guards may object to offering a rope, and such a trick if it works would only make us an enemy of pollux.

>>5611988
Supporting using our tactical skills to prevent him making entry.

>>5611985
>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.
I feel a bit ambivalent about some of the write-ins, so I'll be going with this for now. It seems somewhat sensible.

>>5612096
>>5612092
Except this one. It sounds funny.

>>5611985
>>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.

>>5612048
>Exceedingly common. Hell, this isn't even Pollux's first time climbing a wall in a siege. Fun fact, this isn't even the first time Helen was kidnapped. Theseus took her when she was a child because he wanted a divine wife, to which the Dioscuri responded by invading Athens and putting someone else on the throne.

>>5612222
>>5612176
>>5612138
>FYI anon, those options are (somewhat) exclusive. Assisting them =/= commanding them =/= looking for shit to pour
>Help out the guardsmen

>>5612086
>See above
>>5612048
>>5612175
>>5612001
>>5611993
>Assume command

>>5612058
>>5612002
>Attempt to bait-and-switch

>I'm not closing the vote yet. Anons, please standardize on a greetext for write-in purposes. Doing otherwise makes it hard to tally.

>>5611985
>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.

>>5612270
Fuck, I mean

>>5612176
>>5612222
>Get Castor in

>>5612138
>Help put guardsmen

>>5612270

Alright I am clearly voting for

>assume command of the men to repel Pollux

Although I do think it’s reasonable to assign 2 or 3 guards to go hunting for amphoras of oil and water while we marshal the rest of them for a coordinated response.

>>5612270
I'll be honest, I don't know how assuming command and having one or two guys looking to have anything slippery to pour are exclusive, but ok.
Does the palace not have any kind of oil or slippery liquid around, be it for lamps do lamps even exist in the bronze age?, water or even olive oil. It's not like the write was asking to pour tar and set it on fire like it's an actual siege.
Or is it not a matter of the guards not have any supplies at hands, but the quantity they would have wouldn't be enough, or simply by the time someone grabbed it from the storehouse Pollux would have climbed the walls?

>>5612284
I ended up fucking up the post when I rewrote it. Atleast it's still somewhat understandable

>>5612284
In practice, you need a significant amount of liquid to pour down the wall to hope to successfully disrupt his climb. In Hellas oil-burning lamps aren't a thing until the Archaic period, so a feasible amount must be fetched. OOC, you have one "action" turn before he's done climbing. Pollux is a master freeclimber.

>>5612291

Fair enough.

In that case, we should basically position ourself at the top of the wall where he is climbing and use the butt of our spear to push at Pollux as he approaches. We should have a significant reach advantage given our size.

We should also coordinate volleys of thrown rocks/pebbles/objects from the guards to disrupt Pollux’s attention and maybe cause him to fall off before he ascends to the top.

>>5612291
So it is a question of quantity, that makes sense.
>>5612296
I'll back up this anon in assuming command to coordinate the guards.
Also throwing rock.

>>5612296
We could ask 2-4 guards to fetch a table or wooden couch and menace Pollux with it.

>Hey Zeus! Your son wants to go against the wishes of the high king!
>It could be said that he wants to be over the king, like... overthrow him! Like you did with your father!

>A lightning strikes Pollux for being a rebel.
>Another falls to us for snitching

>>5612355
He is being a very rude quest.

>>5612364
Guest not quest.

>>5612270
Are we strong enough to break a piece of masonry off the wall?

>>5612391
Not off of these walls, but off of those of lesser quality yes. However, I strongly recommend you don't do so- I hope that it's pretty obvious that the idea is *not* to kill him here.

>>5612393
Yeah, I was just curious. I don't really have any clever ideas to add to this ridiculousness desu senpai

>>5612270
>>5612296
I support what this guy cooked up.

>>5612291
It would be interesting to know when olive oil became so common in antiquity because roman legions would not move without a steady supply and greco-roman wrestling used to include smearing copious amounts of oil on the combatants.

>>5612401

>Nik senses a commotion at the palace gates
>he immediately escalates the situation into a small scale conflict
>Pollux and Castor are dead, 27 gate guards are dead, gates are damaged
>another tactical victory for Nik

>>5612222
>>5612176
>Get Castor In

>>5612138
>Help out the guardsmen

>>5612280
>>5612048
>>5612175
>>5612001
>>5611993
>>5612404
>Assume command

>>5612058
>>5612002
>Attempt to bait-and-switch

>I think that I have this right. Another charisma check to assume command. They're mortals, and they know and trust you, and these are pressing times, so give me 1d20+3 Bo3

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5612512

Rolled 11 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5612512
why all anons retarded?

Rolled 7 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5612522
Yea, I don't know

>>5612512
Rollan

Rolled 19 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5612528
Second time this happens

>>5612534
my bad, had to look up how to roll and that slowed me down

>>5612517
>>5612522
>>5612527
>Again, the rolled 19 is a few seconds too late. However, that overall 14 is a success anyways.

>Since this should all be in one update, give me 1d20+7 (+3 int, +4 Tac Gen) Bo3 to plan out dealing with Pollux.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5612537
I'm not blaming you, it's just weird how it happened twice, right after the other one
>>5612539

Rolled 2 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5612539
Nat 1

Rolled 3 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

>>5612539
Try number two.

Rolled 9 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

well, since we're waiting on a 19 so we can complain.

>>5612544
>Rolled 2
>>5612551
>Rolled 2
>>5612553
>Rolled 4
>>5612556
>Rolled 3
>>5612557
>Rolled 9
hahahahahahaaha

the gods truly hate us

>>5612559
I blame the rivers

>>5612559
Nikon fails at social, tactics or combat.
Poor boy can't catch a break

>>5612570
And.
I keep making mistakes today, Jesus

>>5612544
>>5612551
>>5612553
>Bros, PLEASE.
>11- a minor failure

>Writing.

d20s reeeee

So Pollox is gonna be up here with us. Great. Now what? Are we gonna have to kick his ass and lock him up for trespassing? You just know he's gonna start some shit with us for opposing him.

>>5612597
>Now what?
Make him belive that the perfect vengance for this is marry our sister

>>5612597
>Great. Now what?
Probably fail another roll or something

>>5612614
>you're quite good! Quick question, how do you feel about tall hot witches?

Really leaning into the insane reputation here not gonna lie, but after all so is the ancient greek world.

>>5612640
From what I hear, greeks have this idea that if you take care of insane or crazy persons you could avoid curses

>>5612512
>>5612539
>>5612559
You quickly think it through. That you must stop Pollux from doing… whatever it is he plans to do is clear. The question is how to do it. You can’t kill him, as murdering a son of Zeus and a brother of two royal families will likely not work out for you in the long run. So, throwing whatever you have at hand at him as he climbs- a traditional method of siege defense- is unacceptable. A part of you considers letting Castor in to get his assistance, but that might take too much time and at any rate will compromise your whole plan of upholding Agamemnon’s authority. You could simply join the guards in the defense, but that’s a waste of your real talents.

You are a noble of the sword, born to rule in battle and lead men to victory. That your military mind outstrips most all your contemporaries is something you know, and will prove to the world. So, you must assume command of the six men who comprise the scratch force overseeing this gate. You address Keas.

“Captain Keas, I will be assuming command of your men. Do you accept?” A brief look of confliction comes and goes on his face.

“Yes, my lord. What shall we do?”

What shall you do indeed. You either need to prevent him from getting atop the walls at all, or subdue him once he gets here. The former is likely doomed to failure on account of your lacking equipment, so you’ll ring him in with a wall of bronze once he gets here. He’ll submit when he realizes the overwhelming force he is facing, right?

You command Keas and his men to form a shield wall around the area where he’ll be cresting, holding the butts of their spears out to bludgeon him with. You yourself stand behind the formation, in preparation to assist should something go awry.

There is an awful period where you and the men are waiting. The seconds ticking by feel like minutes. The anticipation of an action is always worse on the spirit than the doing, as the inexperienced royal guardsmen are no doubt learning themselves right now. You are used to it.

As things always do, something goes awry. Pollux did not crest the wall where you anticipated- he cleverly must have slid along it to surprise any resistance. You should’ve posted a man to watch his progress personally, an unfortunate error.

Even as he pulls himself up far to your left he turns away from you to continue running. Frankly, you have no clue exactly what he’s planning here. Does he even have a plan?

Now you have a new dilemma- your men are out of position, the side of the shield wall is presented to the attacker. Thankfully this is not a battle, and Pollux is unarmed, or otherwise such an error could’ve cost many lives. You’re in adequate position to deal with him thanks to your commitment to planning for contingencies. Now what?

>>5612672
>You may not be armored, but you still have your spear. Give chase and bludgeon him yourself until he stops. Obviously, this will turn on your ability to beat him with a stick.

>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.

>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.

>Something else?

>>5612673
>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling
If we fail a strength roll, might as well Ajax ourselves

>>5612673
>>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.
We only have to slow him down enough for the guards to catch up and start whaling on him, right?

>>5612678
We probably can't even catch him. And you already know we're going to lose the wrestling. He does it all the time so he's good at it. Hell the guy probably has comparable strength to us anyway.

>>5612673
>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.
>>5612678
It's probably an agility roll to hit first. Time to raise the alarm, I guess.

>>5612685
>For clarity's sake, the wrestling roll is not a combat roll. It's a straight d20 v d20 contest.

>>5612673
>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.

If the tactical roll fails again, yeah Ajaxing ourselves seems a sign from Nike

>>5612673

>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.

Surely we can’t lose every roll in this thread…

>>5612678
>>5612696

To be fair, at this point I’m interested in mostly putting on a good show so that Agamemnon later hears about how we gave Pollux a hard time. He might be entertained?

If we can actually subdue him, that’s a bonus. Also the guards can’t be blamed for any of this and we tackle Pollux, he won’t have time to kill any of the hormones since he’ll be suplexing us into a come

>>5612673
>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.

>>5612673
>order the men to follow you and then tackle him into a wrestling match.

If he loses good, if he wins he's surrounded.
Hoping that Castor doesn't exploit the undefended gates to slink inside unnoticed.

>>5612673
>>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.
>>5612741
This

>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling

We've gotta' start making sacrifices to Athos, Hades, & Nike ASAP. I'm thinking piracy is the way to go to maximize loot, battles & XP, kleios, plus cut Trojan supply lines.

Are Trojans White/Indo-European btw? Assyrians & Hittites were I'm pretty sure

>>5612764
hehe water

>>5612673
>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.

>>5612764
More Indo that Euro if they come from beyond the black sea, but yeah.

Also we must plan our offer to Athos. Something Nike dont want.

Maybe the corses of the dead?

We haven't pissed off the Sea just yet, only the Rivers.

>>5612764
I wouldn't conflate white with Indo-European, as racial categories don't readily translate into categories of socio-cultural descent. Unbeknownst to Nikandros, the Hellenes, Luwians, and Hittites are all descendants of the Proto-Indo-Europeans. This means there is substantial linguistic, cultural, and religious commonality between them all. However, the Hittites and Luwians are of the Anatolian group, who split off from the P.I.E. peoples and colonized Anatolia MUCH earlier than the Hellenic group did with respect to Hellas. Additionally, the Hellenes intermixed with the Old Europeans (specifically, the Minoans) to a much greater degree than the Hittites/Luwians did with whatever long-forgotten peoples existed in Anatolia before the P.I.E. conquest of that region.

The Assyrians are different- they speak a Semitic language, and live south of the regions that the Proto-Indo-Europeans invaded.

Rolled 10, 18 = 28 (2d20)

>>5612678
>>5612683
>>5612709
>>5612753
>>5612764
>>5612775
>Take him down yourself

>>5612685
>>5612696
>>5612725
>Rally the men to catch him

>>5612741
>Order your men to charge him with you

>Noted. You're aiming to javelin him and then wrassle him down. Since he's running, the javelin auto-hits. I'll assume you're going hard, so I'm lowering your strength bonus to +3. Roll me 1d20+3, Bo3, to beat my 2d20+3 (you have the advantage since he's fleeing).

>18+3=21
Arght!

Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5612892

Rolled 3 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5612892
Yeah sure, we'll land this one.

Rolled 6 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5612892
Lol 18

My God, these rolls! We need to get out of this palace!

>>5612901
>>5612903
>>5612904
What a surprise. Another roll which would lose us the check no matter what we picked to do. The dice fucking HATE Nikon being around any authority figures I guess. We should just go live in the woods where there are no kings.

>>5612897
Every time

>>5612907
>We should just go live in the woods where there are no kings.
Go back home and be a frontier lord

Rolled 17, 15 + 7 = 39 (2d20 + 7)

>>5612892
>>5612901
>>5612903
>>5612904
>JUST

>This is getting ridiculously improbable.Ok, you missed the throw. He's tired from scaling the wall, so you catch him. Let's see if you can wrestle him down. I need 2d20+6 (full strength bonus) versus my 2d20+7 (+3 str, +4 wrestling skill)

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5612911
>17

>17+5=22
WHY?!

>>5612911
>20+
Why fucking bother. He kills us. Quest over. FFS.

>>5612911
Why even bother.

Rolled 4, 9 + 6 = 19 (2d20 + 6)

>>5612911
Are the Dioscuri divine at this point in the Illiad?