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Two Excerpts from the Thebaid
Translation by Jane Wilson Joyce

All these towering Hippomedon led and taught to love
goodly Valor. On his head a bronze helmet swayed
with snow-white plumes triple-tiered; beneath his weapons,
iron chain mail chafed his sides; shoulders and chest a
far-flaming disc protected, where lived, in perfect gold,
Danaus’ Night:

In fifty guilty bridal suites glow,
the Furies’ pitch-black torches;
the father himself at the blood-
stained doors praises the heinous crime
and inspects the swords.

Leaving the stronghold of Pallas, a Nemean steed, hooves pounding,
Shying at arms, conveyed Hippomedon; their joint shadow
Flying, immense – mantled the fields as, along the plain, dust rose:
No difference when Centaur Hylaeus, flinging himself headlong
Down from his mountain cave, crashes through woods with
Shoulders and both chests;
Ossa shies at his passage, creatures tame and wild
crouch down in fear; even his own brothers feel alarmed
until, with a prodigious leap, he plunges into
the river Peneus, breasting and damming its mighty stream.”

Statius’ Thebaid, Book IV

Only then
As weapons flashed and men shouted - did the grim snake shift
Its scaly neck.

With huge effort, tall Hippomedon
Heaved up a field stone, a boundary marker, and hurled it
Through empty air with much the same whirlwind effect as
When boulders, lobbed by war engines, leap at bolted gates.
A vain, if heroic attempt: the serpent at once rippled
Its supple neck back and away, spoiling the oncoming blow.
The earth thudded and, deep in uncharted groves, interlaced
Branches sprang apart.

“But” (cried Capaneus) “you’ll not
escape my strike!” and he sprang at the snake with his ashwood spear…”

Statius’ Thebaid, Book V

LESCHES’ NOTES

A word of explanation – this is Homer’s quest, and I am not him. I’ve hijacked this quest to complete Nikandros’ story – until either death or to eternal glory; whatever the Spinners have in store for him. Homer – if you’re reading, I’d love to have you as a player, even if you’d prefer to stay anonymous!

VOTING REQUIREMENTS

One-post ID votes will be ignored, unless they back-link their previous posts, to claim them for identification.
Players must “register” by posting within the thread within 48 hours of thread creation; only “registered” posters will have valid votes.
Players who miss initial “registration” window may choose to provide six lines of original poetry in Homeric style OR an original TWQ meme of high quality to register.

I reserve the right to call upon suspicious voters to verify themselves in a manner I deem fit.
----
Recommended Reading:

Trojan War Quest #1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5579585/
Trojan War Quest #2: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5610431/
Trojan War Quest #2: Nostos: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5742360/

Optional Reading:

Trojan War Quest: Deianira’s Sidestory #1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5644134/
Trojan War Quest: Deianira's Sidestory #2: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5687242/
Trojan War Quest: Deianira's Sidestory #2.1: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2023/5725902/

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Nikandros (Νίκων)

Level Two

Height: 6’10”

Kleos: You’re almost famous! +1 to Kleos checks. Deeds below.

Major:
• Petteia Champion of Skyros, He Who Found Achilles (+5)
Minor:
• Royal Guard Rectifier, Revealer of Mediocrity (+1)
• Lesser Delian Striver, Singer of “The Dam” (+1)
• Unwelcome in the Court of Peleus (-1)

Timae: That of a typical impoverished country lord. -4 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)(-1) (+0)
Intelligence- (17/24)(-1) (+4)
Charisma- (11/20)(-1) (+0)

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

Epithets:

• Bouleeis: Of good counsel (from Military Genius)

Traits:

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

• Military Genius: +6 INT, +4 INT cap, +4 skill at relevant matters. Creative military write-ins can be accepted. Previously known as Tactical Genius.

• Giant: +4 to STR/STR cap, as well as +4 to CON/CON cap.

• Disfavored of the Rivers: -1 AGI, -1 STR, -1 CON. 1 automatic failure per thread on rolls pertaining to these deities’ interests: these are understood to be divine intercession IC. -3 when interacting with all aquatic daemons. This trait may be later upgraded to Enmity.

• Fresh Olympian Blood: +1 to all stats, 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 upgrade to Empathy.

STATUS

HP- (10/10)

• Fading Concussion: For a limited time, you suffer a -1 to all social stats.

Skills:

• Petteia: +4 to the game. (Military Genius)
• Command: +4 when commanding your troops personally in battle. (Military 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.

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Inventory:

• Conch of Leukothea, a means by which Nikandros can call upon the White Goddess and sooth stormy seas of the coast of the Troad.
• 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
• Lebinthian Spear: 1d6 + Str + Spearplay damage. -1 to enemy armor bonii
• Sword: 1d5 + Str + Swordplay damage, -2 to hit against a spear user, -2 to wound against a shield user.
• Lebinthian Knife: 1d3 + Str + Knifeplay damage. -1 to enemy armor bonii. -4 to hit against a spear user, -4 to hit against a shield user.

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 Military Genius. +0 equipment bonus in fighting.)

Personal Debts:

One debt of major import to the goddess Thetis, chief of the Nereids.
One minor debt owed to Ajax, Prince of Salamis.
One minor debt owed to Polypias, Samian bronzesmith. You have agreed to slay his apprentice, Auletes, in Ilion, using your Lebinthian weapons.

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And now, we resume Nikandros' tale, as he and the Achaeans grapple with the unhinged King Philomeides of Lesbos...

Suddenly, swarms of servants roll into the palace’s courtyard; the feast table, and even the benches are stolen away and placed on the sides of the hall. Bizarrely, you see a team of slaves lifting away at the polished floor stones of the feast hall, and these are revealed to be thick tiles - they are stacked in chest-high towers by the corners of the room. To your surprise, the team of slaves quickly reveals a sand pit beneath the flooring.

An arena?

Philomeides addresses your confused and outraged party as a whole, his heavily-muscled arms raised to the air:

"In the house of Philomeides of Hattusa - all men must prove their worth, or suffer the consequences!" His baritone voice is excited, his tone aggressive. Menelaus begins shouting at the man to explain himself, that this is a violation of ξενία, but the foreign giant ignores him outright. You struggle to understand the Phyrigian’s meaning - before you hear the sounds of sandaled troops marching into the hall. Two platoons of men, Hellenes and foreigners alike, line the feast walls, with spears and shields. They hold position against the walls, but the threat is breathtakingly clear.

Philomeides continues his insane ranting - by the gods, only a madman would threaten the King of Sparta this way!

"WHICH OF YOU SMASHED MY GATE AND KILLED MY GUARDS?" he roars, spittle flying into the air. The beast is insensate - he completely ignores Menelaus and Odysseus, who are both wildly pleading with him to cast aside this madness before he garners Zeus' retribution. Philomeides' bloodshot eyes dance between yourself and Ajax - the only men present of roughly equivalent size.

"I CHALLENGE THE GUILTY MAN TO STEP FORWARD AND TEST YOUR STRENGTH AGAINST MINE!”

Harpocrates, god of silence, drapes his cloak about the room - only the faintest crackling of the wall-torches audible.

You consciously begin to shift your weight, rotating slightly, preparing for a mad rush against the spearmen against the wall closest to you. You catch the eyes of sturdy Ajax and golden-haired Pollux – wordlessly, the three of you find that you are all resigned to violence, and a desperate battle out of the feast hall. By smashing into the spearman along the wall as a group, your team will be able to temporarily disrupt and confuse the commoners, and once equipped with their shoddy arms, you may well be able to butcher your way out of the mad king’s palace, so long as you fight tightly in formation. To your right, Menelaus is still pleading with Philomeides to no effect; Palamedes seems to have vanished entirely – you suspect he has ducked under the feast table and out of immediate danger. Ajax opens his mouth to roar his command to attack, and you turn even further towards the bracing commoner spearmen, steeling yourself to –

>cont

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Rolled 18, 5, 11 + 1 = 35 (3d20 + 1)

“I CONFESS MY GUILT.”

A melodious voice rings out in the darkening hall. Stunned, you look back to the revealed arena and find that resourceful Odysseus stands proudly before Philomeides, having leapt upon the sands. The difference in size could hardly be greater – Odysseus is a shorter man amongst the nobility and the wild foreigner is well more than a head taller.

“King Philomeides – it was I, King Odysseus of Ithaka, who smashed your gates and killed your guards – little more than vagrants and bandits, truthfully. I plucked two women from your hard-scrabble town and blessed them with my affections – as is my right as King. My only regret – that your ignorance of civilized custom prevents you from providing us proper hospitality. In Ithaka, I would have treated you to wine and song; pleasant days and nights amongst my people until you had put away your need for eating of substance and the drinking of Dionysian elixir... The greatest of my cattle would have been slaughtered for our enjoyment; the finest products of my vineyards our delight to sample… Why not put aside this mad desire for conflict? Perhaps there are other ways that I might find your forgiveness?" A lascivious glance from Odysseus seals the impression of an effete; a clear provocation, if nothing else.

Odysseus’ voice is infuriatingly smug and somehow also communicates unseriousness – he sounds as a pampered man who has not known hardship or strife. Of course, you realize – this is a calculating effort on his part. You notice that even his posture and gestures are altered – his left foot slightly turned inwards, awkwardly, upon the soft sand of the arena, and he tosses his hair flamboyantly. Philomeides’ wine-slackened features register surprise at the smaller man’s words, before understanding and then finally fury bleeds through:

“You have written your death warrant, soft man. سوف أستمتع بسحقك.” And with that, the foreign King adopts a fluid wrestler’s stance, knees bent, arms hanging low; his inebriation causes him to slip a bit upon the sands as he falls into position. His dark eyes shine in the torchlight, and he simply bellows at an earshattering volume before making a sloppy charge at Odysseus Laertides, kicking up huge sprays of sand in the process. Odysseus has nimbly dropped into his own wrestling stance – you note with interest that there is no sign of fear in the eyes of the King of Ithaka - only resolve.

>I think it would be fun to have you guys roll for Odysseus in this wrestling encounter, so I need THREE rolls of dice+1d20+8. Odysseus is fairly strong naturally and enjoys a significant wrestling performance bonus given his powerful “Odyssean Skillset” trait.
>King Phil would normally enjoy a substantial bonus as well, but he is currently wrestling with only a +1 bonus after being successfully baited by Odysseus.

Rolled 15 + 8 (1d20 + 8)

>>5827947
Oh my that’s quite the strong modifier. Let’s see if the dice are still temperamental.

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Rolled 2 + 8 (1d20 + 8)

>>5827947

Rolled 4 + 8 (1d20 + 8)

>>5827948
Damn.

>>5827949
Yes, they are.

>>5827947
Yooooo
Welcome back !
Fuck Memelaus

>>5827947
WB, Lesches

>>5827947

>23 vs 19
>a victory for Odysseus, how fortunate and canonical! but not without cost.

>>5827948

Yes, Odysseus is almost as scary as Achilles or Hector, in some ways. He draws with Ajax in wrestling during the funeral games at the end of the Iliad. Good thing he's on our side - for now.

>>5827962
>>5827970

Thank for the kind words, lads. DESU, I've been impatient to return for several weeks, but wanted to be confident in my plan for this thread first.

---

Odysseus does something unexpected – he countercharges in a burst of acceleration, keeping low to the sand. You’ve hardly had time to register his movement before he is cutting low against Philomeides’ titanic legs on his right side, kicking out at his right ankle and tearing at the Lesbian king’s right elbow. The momentum of the giant is now a liability, as he spins to his right side, trying to catch Odysseus even as the Ithakan violently drags him down onto the sands.

Philomeides’ bulk thunderously smashes into the sand, and Odysseus is quick to scramble into a four-point crawl, bracing his neck and shoulders against the giant’s. You mentally scoff that he might match the giant strength for strength – but Philomeides scarcely has a chance to enter his own braced crouch before Odysseus is simply not there; the Ithakan has rolled his shoulder and scrambled under the dark-skinned opponent, wriggling under the opponent's arm, and out to the side as Philomeides crashes flat. Odysseus applies every bit of leverage to press him against the sand - several quick motions later – he has wrapped Philomeides’ arms behind his own back, a painful lock with the Lesbian's elbows pointed upwards, with Odysseus’ arms trapping them.

Philomeides doesn’t flail – he instead rolls like an enormous serpent, hoping to crush Odysseus in the process – but Odysseus allows the motion to carry him to the side and his lock only deepens. Philomeides curses violently in a mixture of Hellenika and what you presume to be some Hittite tongue as he strains – Odysseus only barely holds on as his opponent rocks like a ship in violent seas – Philomeides manages to strike out with the back of his head, smashing into Odysseus’ nose – blood streams down into Odysseus’ mouth and over his chin instantly. But for all that – the bout is effectively over, having lasting less than a minute. Philomeides is unable to break the hold, and Odysseus has the fortitude to maintain it.

“You are defeated, Philomeides. Admit it!” hisses Odysseus. The drunken savage continues to resist for some time, before he concedes. Odysseus does not release his hold immediately –

“You guarantee our safe release from the palace?”

“I do,” answers the Phyrigian in frustrated tones.

“Swear the strong oath to the Thunderer that we will be released; otherwise, let him strike you down with a bolt cast from Olympus.”

“I swear it, Achaean.”

>cont

Eh, slight snag - next update will be out for 3pm or so EST.

Happy to be back anons!

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>>5827947
>سوف أستمتع بسحقك
>google translate says, "I will enjoy crushing on you"
is that legit? or google fuckup???

>>5828008

It’s supposed to read “I will enjoy crushing you” but I’m amused at the translation you provided given Odysseus’ sort of salacious and (for the time period) offensive overtures.

Oh thank fuck I got her in time and didn’t get late for the voting.
Hey Lesches! Good to see your still alive and keeping this quest as well, shame about the time but that’s life for you.

IT LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking BLESSED!

I'm here to vote.

I bet we would have had to roll twice to win. Plot armoring Odweebeus. Hate that guy.

We'll have to congratulate him on his win. And probably express shock at his competency. The stories of his exploits speak more of his shrewd manner, skill at the helm and with a bow than his wrestling after all. And file it away for later that if we ever come to blows not to fall for his provocations. Seeing how he weaponizes them.

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Philomeides was hardly gracious in defeat – he sourly ordered his spearmen to exit the hall, and his slaves to replace the floor tiles, covering the arena sands. He insists on all present sitting once more at the feast table, as if nothing had occurred, before being reminded by Odysseus that he had literally just sworn to release you all from his palace in short order. You all watch him with anxious eyes, but his wild nature seems to have been deflated by his defeat – Odysseus surprises you by gamely engaging with him in conversation, but doesn’t get far – a hodge-podge of grunts, mutterings in Phrygian tongues and wine-bleary scowls are Odysseus Laertides’ rewards for this effort. Clearly, the Lesbian giant enjoys the crushing of his guests more than the entertaining of them – and with no prospect of the former, he has little interest in continuing the farce.

Philomeides keeps his word – although, perhaps only due to the weight of the strong oaths observed by his noble guests and the possible threat of destruction from on high. Your party’s travel back through Mytilene to your beached galleys is a swift one – no one is willing to risk a change of heart from the Lesbian king. The town itself is eerily quiet – you guess that the townsfolk are still paranoid that additional blood may be shed, after your casual murder of the gate guards earlier, and amorous abduction (at first willing, and then… not) of the twins, Eucaste and Orythione.

Nyx, goddess of night, has unfurled her star-studded shawl over the vaulted ceiling of heaven, but the light of bright-tressed Selene is strong – the countryside and shoreline is well-lit by her silver radiance. Menelaus is not at ease – he spends the march down to the shore grumbling about foreign savages and openly pining for Helen - he orders that the crews of the camp prepare for a potential night raid from a Lesbian force and if none appears, for a prompt departure in the morning, as soon as yellow-robed Eos shows herself. With the assistance of Ajax and yourself, the crews are placed in the appropriate positions and night sentries placed along the shores, as well as a few in the upper boughs of the trees dotting the pathway from Mytilene to the shoreline.

As for your party – you all must listen to Odysseus’ vaunting as he retells the story of his victory over Philomeides to the crews, as roast pork and wine is served by the cookfires. You would like to be irritated – any other man so quick to praise his own conduct you would find disagreeable on principle – but Odysseus manages to be both amusing and self-deprecating, mocking his own broken nose (now reset and bandaged by Castor) as he insists on replicating the fight with Menelaus’ assistance. You can’t help but laugh as he imitates the fruitless straining of Philomeides upon the sands of the beach even as he pokes fun at Menelaus’ wrestling technique.

>cont

Once the comedic act is over, and you’ve had your fill of meat, grains, vegetables and wine – you have the evening to spend as you see fit. You personally doubt that any Lesbian raid is on the way – Philomeides seems the type to lazily sulk with women and wine after a defeat, rather than expend any significant effort and seek revenge.

>What will Nikon do? You have time for one encounter before the galleys set off along the Troad coastline tomorrow morning.

>With the night as well-illuminated as it is – you consider a rejuvenating hike along the shore and coastline. You’ll bring your bronze, of course, but you doubt that there’s any true danger present in the fairly-civilized Lesbian coastline. The cool sea air is soothing and fresh – perhaps you’ll finally be able to shed yourself of the lingering remnants of Diomedes’ gift to you in Mycenae?

>Speak with Teukros – you have fashioned a strong bond of friendship with him. It is time to make your case for war and glory to him directly. You would prefer to have an ally in your aims well-before you reach strong-founded Ilion, and to have the grandson of King Priam and a Luwian-speaking conspirator in your corner would be tremendously helpful, if you seek to exert influence over the diplomatic talks.

>Speak with Pollux and Castor – you wonder what the Dioscuri would have to say about the bout between Philomeides and Odysseus. Building your relationship with the twins will only be to your benefit – they are respected by Menelaus, as famed Argonauts, and therefore influence with them will translate to influence with Menelaus while in council. That being said - you will not speak with them openly about your hopes for eternal fame in war – after all, the Dioscuri will likely seek the immediate return of their sister, not glory on the battlefield.

>Speak with Ajax – it’s not too late to further build upon your relationship with him, even in this last leg of your journey to Ilion. You’ve made some minor inroads with him, but not as much as you would have liked. Out of all those present, he may be most receptive to discussion of military tactics and strategy. Also – you have to admit to yourself – you are acutely aware of your need for actual tutelage in melee combat.

>Speak with someone else? Menelaus, Palamedes, Odysseus are all available. Please specify your selection if you vote for this option.

>Something I haven’t thought of?

>>5828195
>With the night as well-illuminated as it is – you consider a rejuvenating hike along the shore and coastline. You’ll bring your bronze, of course, but you doubt that there’s any true danger present in the fairly-civilized Lesbian coastline. The cool sea air is soothing and fresh – perhaps you’ll finally be able to shed yourself of the lingering remnants of Diomedes’ gift to you in Mycenae?

It only seems appropriate to start this thread by going on a classic Nikon hike.

>>5828195
>With the night as well-illuminated as it is – you consider a rejuvenating hike along the shore and coastline. You’ll bring your bronze, of course, but you doubt that there’s any true danger present in the fairly-civilized Lesbian coastline. The cool sea air is soothing and fresh – perhaps you’ll finally be able to shed yourself of the lingering remnants of Diomedes’ gift to you in Mycenae?
Hike

>>5828195
>Speak with Ajax – it’s not too late to further build upon your relationship with him, even in this last leg of your journey to Ilion. You’ve made some minor inroads with him, but not as much as you would have liked. Out of all those present, he may be most receptive to discussion of military tactics and strategy. Also – you have to admit to yourself – you are acutely aware of your need for actual tutelage in melee combat.

>>5828195
>Something I haven’t thought of?
Pray to Hades.

>>5828195
I am torn between hicking and learning to fight from Ajax. Just a reminder that hiking can go anywhere from rerolls and divine blessings to deadly encounters and divine bullshit. I love our hikes but time is short.

>Speak with Ajax – it’s not too late to further build upon your relationship with him, even in this last leg of your journey to Ilion. You’ve made some minor inroads with him, but not as much as you would have liked. Out of all those present, he may be most receptive to discussion of military tactics and strategy. Also – you have to admit to yourself – you are acutely aware of your need for actual tutelage in melee combat.

>>5828195
>>Speak with Ajax – it’s not too late to further build upon your relationship with him, even in this last leg of your journey to Ilion. You’ve made some minor inroads with him, but not as much as you would have liked. Out of all those present, he may be most receptive to discussion of military tactics and strategy. Also – you have to admit to yourself – you are acutely aware of your need for actual tutelage in melee combat.
The concussions is supposed to wear off naturally by the time we get to Troy anyway. Even though that's meta. But I don't want to go for a hike and have the fucking moon itself come down and call us a loser or something.

>>5828208

You could certainly pray to the Lord of Many, anon - but he is infamously deaf to the concerns of mortals and (AFAIK) there's not many myths where he bothers to get off his underworld throne do anything (apart from the whole abduction of Persephone episode).

IC, Nikandros would probably think that this sort of prayer to Hades is a wasted effort - I would encourage you to reconsider your vote!

>>5828216
I think the only time Hades would ever come up out of his realm other than when he called to Olympus for some matter or other is if a bunch of shades somehow escaped. Which is essentially impossible, not only because getting outta there is a pain in the ass, but the guard dog is quite good at his job.

And even then he'd probably just ask his wife or Hecate to send some lampads to retrieve them or something.

>>5828208
Pray to anybody listening. Who knows someone important may be watching this shitshow.

>>5828223

I have the same perspective after reading some of the source myths - again, apart from the Persephone episode, Hades is professional, competent and generally the most organized of the Zeus/Poseidon/Hades trifecta. Plus, he seems to be an infertile god given his portfolio and thus doesn’t have mortal progeny to play favorites with. I think a lot would have to go wrong before he becomes an active participant in mortal or divine politics…

>>5828226
As someone who has read and participated in quite a few quests, all it takes is enough dice rolls for one random mook to either die having changed nothing or lived long enough to change everthing.

>>5828216
Fair. I'm uncertain which god or goddess Nikandros is particularly attached to.

Pray to Chronos for enough time.

>>5828233
>>5828225
Thanks.

Do this. Pray in general.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymph

Also did y'all know there were nymphs for basically fucking everything? Like damn. Even some of the constellations are apparently nymphs. Chicks get around. My favorite are the leimakids, because the other way to refer to them is leimoniads which looks like "lemonade". Very amusing.

>>5828233
Nike is the goddess we have been honoring so far.
Chronos is probably too busy being locked in Tartarus to answer. Like based rock throwing Athos

>>5828239
Are you thinking of Chronos, god of time, or Cronus, Titan and Zeus' father? Because I'm thinking of the first one.

>>5828240
I think even the greeks mixed both of them.

>>5828243
I meant to say "I think even greeks must have mixed both of them up"

>>5828195
>With the night as well-illuminated as it is – you consider a rejuvenating hike along the shore and coastline. You’ll bring your bronze, of course, but you doubt that there’s any true danger present in the fairly-civilized Lesbian coastline. The cool sea air is soothing and fresh – perhaps you’ll finally be able to shed yourself of the lingering remnants of Diomedes’ gift to you in Mycenae?

Let us hope that there aren't any more giant fucking birds

Vote will close tonight at 9:00pm EST

Tally so far

Hiking

>>5828199
>>5828200
>>5828248

Talk with Ajax

>>5828201
>>5828209
>>5828215

Pray to divinities for guidance (Hades, Chronus or Nike otherwise)

>>5828225
>>5828233

You know, I just remembered the Song of Achilles exists, and recalling this has brought a dark vision to my mind. The Song of Nikandros.

>>5828195
>Speak with Ajax – it’s not too late to further build upon your relationship with him, even in this last leg of your journey to Ilion. You’ve made some minor inroads with him, but not as much as you would have liked. Out of all those present, he may be most receptive to discussion of military tactics and strategy. Also – you have to admit to yourself – you are acutely aware of your need for actual tutelage in melee combat.

>>5828320
Someone should get on to that.

>>5828195
>>With the night as well-illuminated as it is – you consider a rejuvenating hike along the shore and coastline. You’ll bring your bronze, of course, but you doubt that there’s any true danger present in the fairly-civilized Lesbian coastline. The cool sea air is soothing and fresh – perhaps you’ll finally be able to shed yourself of the lingering remnants of Diomedes’ gift to you in Mycenae?
It's only appropriate to hike lads. Let's find the infamous Lesbian monster

And Lesches it is SO good to be back here!

>>5828195
>With the night as well-illuminated as it is – you consider a rejuvenating hike along the shore and coastline. You’ll bring your bronze, of course, but you doubt that there’s any true danger present in the fairly-civilized Lesbian coastline. The cool sea air is soothing and fresh – perhaps you’ll finally be able to shed yourself of the lingering remnants of Diomedes’ gift to you in Mycenae?

Lets go its back!

>>5828195
>Pray to the Gods (preferably Nike)

>>5828195
>>Speak with Ajax – it’s not too late to further build upon your relationship with him, even in this last leg of your journey to Ilion. You’ve made some minor inroads with him, but not as much as you would have liked. Out of all those present, he may be most receptive to discussion of military tactics and strategy. Also – you have to admit to yourself – you are acutely aware of your need for actual tutelage in melee combat.
Oh shit. Nah this majority vote choices are not good. Thank god nobody thought about going to Memelaus.
Ugh........ bare minum another debt. Fucking Ajax, but I am not going hiking. Not with the hellish creatures stalking the wild.
Remember for anyone that forgot, Ajax isn't a friend or an equal. And he will not simply give us training. He wants something worth is time for doing it.

>>5828233
Nike for the moment mostly because people thought of gaining favor with a deity, that has less mortal attention.

I think Nikandros, Deianira and the Hippodemon in general prayed to the general main pantheon and still do.
Of course Deianira prays to Hekate.
Nothing stops Nikandros to pray to other deities and try gain their favor. Or just to do so because it was their favourite.

>>5828215
Correct, Troy is near. We cant afford another hike, they can rapidly go wrong, wounds are a damage for everything. You can be weaker, dumber, slower, cut out from important stuff due to healing and so on. Bad, always something to consider even with impulse.
And we have a very important mission to do in Troy, on top of a side mission. Chances are we might fail it regardless, or it might be accomplished either way for a reason or another out of our control.

>>5828324
>Someone should get on to that.

The question is, who would Nikandros be paired with in the make believe story of Nikandros.

>>5828388
Teukros

>>5828393
The twink would not survive his affection

>>5828382
The hike isn’t going to result in another monster unless we’re really unlucky. Read what the hike actually says. We’re on Lesbos, an island with a lot of human habitation. Stop exaggerating the danger.

>>5828403
>The hike isn’t going to result in another monster unless we’re really unlucky
So we're DEFINITELY going to hit another monster, got it.

>>5828403
We currently have an unknown divinity present empowering mortals to assist them in fighting us. Odds are that they are still around.

>>5828413
Bet it is the rivers. We'll stem all soon enough, build mighty dams wherever what dares to flow on land

>>5828195
>Pray to Nike for guidance.
We ARE about to have to start a war and all.

>>5828451
Not necessarily. We just have to make sure we get Helen back, all the shit Paris stole, and Paris himself. Basically full fucking force humiliate and browbeat Priam and Troy into giving everything back.

So yeah we're about to start a war kek

>>5828455
Not to mention our arrangement with the princess to sabotage it if it does happen kek

>>5828456
>Not to mention our arrangement with the princess to sabotage it if it does happen kek
Is it bad that I almost forgot about that?

>>5828195
>be
>Speak with Ajax

>>5828466
A little bit. But it's fine, we're all here to remind each other. Brothers in arms.

As long as we can make the Atreidae look like big dick unassailable motherfuckers she'll be happy. So the total submission of the Trojans to the previously stipulated demands or a strong showing of GLORIOUS WAR will make Electra happy. And since getting Priam to roll over and show his belly which would lead to one of his children getting undoubtedly executed will be an almost impossible sell. Doubly so with the absolute gigachad Hector present. He's an absolute wall of a lad and he does not bend.

>>5827938
Well shoot, guess I better register since I still haven't caught up from the last thread. I'd do the poetry thing but I'm really not bothered to learn the ins and outs of Homeric style poetry.

>>5828526
You're within 48 hours of thread start, you're good.

Final Tally

Hiking

>>5828199
>>5828200
>>5828248
>>5828325 (one post ID but it doesn't matter anyways)
>>5828337 (one post ID but it doesn't matter anyways)

Talk with Ajax

>>5828201
>>5828209
>>5828215
>>5828324
>>5828374
>>5828467

Pray to divinities for guidance (Hades, Chronus or Nike otherwise)

>>5828225
>>5828233
>>5828368
>>5828451

---

Looks like speaking with Ajax wins narrowly. I was a bit surprised by the "pray to divinities" write-ins but I appreciate the creativity here.

Had a thought while showering. Imagine if Nikandros survives the trojan war, only to get caught up in the odyssey right afterwards cause he accidentally walked onto the wrong boat and no one noticed he was there until shit went south

>>5828576
>Nikandros, why are you on my ship?
>Odysseus why are you sailing towards an obviously cyclops inhabited island!?

>>5828602
>actually, wait, every hero I tried to get to bang my sister is dead
>Maybe a cyclops will make a good brother in law

File: u4g48leeg9691.jpg (20 KB, 238x254)

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>>5828606
>tfw you have to kill all the cyclopes because they're cannibals and now your sister has no potential spouses AGAIN

File: Warrior 2.jpg (117 KB, 1024x1024)

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We're so back again.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dr68oiammgsz44jh1avlw/h?rlkey=6cf6dew1p72rtbwifwvv13v5r&dl=0

I generated a bunch of new images using different ai art websites. Enjoy!

>>5828611
>Nikandros starts traveling to different mythologies in search of a husband worthy of his sister

In the end, your need to ingratiate yourself with the Prince of Salamis wins out – in peerage, the man is your significant superior and normally, the difference in your respective stations would prevent easy contact between you - but the unusual nature of your travel within the diplomatic party gives you greater latitude to do so. Locating him is not challenging, even in the flickering torchlight of the camp – his size makes stealth an impossibility, and the crew can easily track his movements as a result.

You find him within the belly of his galley – taking stock of the hold’s provisions and resources, along with Andocides, the boatswain. As is polite, you simply stand at attention by the ladder of the hold until you are noticed. It’s several minutes before there is a natural conclusion in Ajax’s work, but you find it easy to wait patiently.

Prince Ajax is somewhat brusque, as usual, as he approaches you in the darkness under the galley’s foredeck, the moonlight streaming into the hold from above.

“Ah, Nikandros – just the man I was thinking of. Let us speak under the stars. Men of our size should not linger in the hold – bad for the neck.”

The pair of you settle onto opposing rowing benches - you can see him quite clearly with all-gleaming Selene shining down – a bearded bear of a man, of perhaps thirty-five or forty summers. Even in the darkness, the strength of his limbs are clearly discerned, as is the noble bearing of his face. You feel the old gnawing shameful inadequacy, as Ajax holds you in his regard – the same writhing feeling emerges if you consider the victory of the Epigoni at Thebes. Here is a man who has already proven his worth, and won fame and glory in battle against the Heraclidae, and this besides – he is the heir to one of Hellas’ most powerful kingdoms. You wait patiently for him to speak first – again, this is fair and orderly by the rules of Hellenic nobility.

“You have become friendly with Teukros.” Ajax states flatly – without emotion. The pronouncement catches you offguard – there is an awkward pause before you muster up a stuttering response:

“Y-yes, Lord Ajax – this is true. We have found friendship these past few weeks.” A strange look washes over Ajax’s face, as he frowns subtly – you guess that two or more emotions war within his mind, but you cannot ascertain further - so you simply wait for his next word, as his face smooths again in contemplation. Again, another long pause from his part – you wait patiently, with bright stars swimming overhead. He surprises you with an apparent non-sequitur:

“You will meet me tomorrow before dawn, on the sands below. Sleep well, Nikandros.” He stands abruptly and is gone within moments. A bewildering change in the conversation, and one you’re not sure how to interpret. You take Ajax's advice – sleep in your bunk comes easily to you, considering the events of the last days.

>cont

>>5828694
Fuck. Does he think we're fags or is he happy his little brother found a decent friend? I suppose we'll know if he hits us with a rock tomorrow.

File: is this achievable natty.jpg (302 KB, 720x532)

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Rolled 17, 4, 19 + 12 = 52 (3d20 + 12)

>>5828694

Descending from the galley's bow ladder in the pre-dawn gloom of the next morning, you’re alarmed to find that Ajax has organized the delivery of two large ballast-stones from the holds– the crews that delivered them are still sweating breathlessly, seated in the damp sand of the beach. He greets you solemnly as you approach, but your eyes are drawn to the ballast-stones – they are large, smoothly round in shape, and of equal dimensions – they rise above your waist, but not as high as your chest. You already have a sinking sensation – Ajax means to test your strength, your resolve – perhaps both. The stones themselves are enormously heavy, but with their rounded shape, it should be possible for a man of great personal strength to drive them across the sands…

Ajax wordlessly signals to one of the Salaminians, and a rigging rope is drawn out perpendicular to the surf – by your guess, about 50 strides in length.

Ajax says to you simply –

“I wish to test your strength against mine, Nikandros. We will push the stones to the end of the rigging line. The first man to cross beyond the line is the victor.”

You have the unsettling sense that this is a mistake for you, but you don’t truly consider rejecting Ajax’s proposal – to decline would be tantamount to shameful and unmanly behavior. Following Ajax’s lead, you disrobe entirely – in the typical style of the athletic games, you are each unclothed.

Turning about, you are somewhat relieved to see that there are few spectators, given the early hour – only the small number of crewman who moved the stones to the beach. You don’t have much additional time to consider the implications of success or failure here – Ajax summons you to your stone, and each of you brace in preparation for the challenge. Ajax, in a show of good sportsmanship, waits for your nod before shouting “PUSH!” – and you each strain against your stone.

>Okay, /qst/ - I need THREE rolls of dice+1d20+6 – this is a pure STR check.
>I’m rolling for Ajax – his natural STR bonus is +12 - yes, I am serious. Don’t be disheartened if Nikandros loses badly – Ajax is a phenomenal hardass and this is only “part 1”.

Rolled 18 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5828714
>Instant crit.
Im fucking glad this isnt gonna kill us.

Rolled 10 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5828714
>Don’t be disheartened if Nikandros loses badly
>he says, rolling a fucking NINETEEN
Man you know you're just taunting us, right? Your super meter is already full man quit stylin' on us.

Rolled 7 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5828714
I see dat's how it gon be gain.

I am also here

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Hehe Ajax is such a softy inside

>>5828719
>24

Not bad for a rocky singer.

>>5828818
He might be a huge ball of anger and unrestrained violence but he really does care about his little brother. He never lashes out at him, after all.

Makes me wonder what Ajax would say to Peleus if he'd started talking mad shit about Teukros like he did to us way back when.

Our rolls aren't bad. We have a decent chance of winning the rockrolling contest.

>>5828875
My guy his modifier is literally twice ours. Unless a bird shits in his eyes mid-roll he is going to walk us.

>>5828887
+12? I thought it was like +8. We're fucked.

>>5828714
Gods damn +12 is something i dont think we will be able to beat

>>5828894

We’re getting a look at Ajax’s true strength here - he happens to have a negative trait that adds a significant -3 malus to all formal tournament/social encounter rolls.

In fact, almost all of the characters in the quest have a significant negative trait, but Nikandros will only learn about these IC ad they come up.

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>>5828929
>ajax basically has performance anxiety

>>5828929
>a significant -3 malus to all formal tournament/social encounter rolls.
huh, a -3 like what the autism trait would've given.

>>5828719
"Another stunning failure !"

File: T40.1Erinyes.jpg (135 KB, 550x795)

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Rolled 15 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>31 vs 24
>it’s a failure, but a great performance from Nikon.

You strain against the stone, hands outstretched, bare feet digging into the damp sand like wooden stakes. At once, your muscles burn – but you are rewarded immediately with movement. The stone rolls – not quickly, but it rolls – and daring a glance to Ajax, you see he’s adopted an alternate technique. His broad back is against the stone, and he’s crouching low, using his legs as the primary drivers. With his hands, he lifts against the stone for additiona leverage. Without delay, you match his superior style.

You take the lead briefly – but Ajax is quick himself, and his pace is steady - you simply can't match it. You’ve only made it halfway down the rigging line before victory slips away, but you don’t give up – you continue to push with all of your power. While you push, you fall into the rhythm of the contest – drive with your back, pull up with your hands, step with your feet, breathe deeply, repeat. Above you, the gulls are amused with your efforts – they call out mocking jokes to their peers as they sail above you. To your east, the sky over the sea glows pink, orange and then yellow, as Eos Ἡμερα peers over the darkling Lesbian sea. In the end, Ajax is the clear victor, and has a minute to gather his breath before you arrive.

You barely have a chance to collect yourself – your divinely-infused flesh writhing and itching as it mends, before Ajax strides to you aggressively, bringing his face close to your own.

“You were slow, Nikandros.”

His tone is sharp – accusatory. You’re stunned – Ajax has never before addressed you in such a hostile manner. Before you can gather your breath to speak, he pushes hard against your chest, causing you to stumble against your stone, and continues with a vehement stream –

“Is this the performance that your father Hippomedon would have put forth? I doubt it – perhaps if he had been wise enough to survive Polynices’ war, he might have educated you properly in manful striving. You were slow. Tell me, Nikandros – is this the performance I can expect from you on the battlefield? A dawdling, self-pitying effort from a fatherless orphan? I had heard that Thessalian country breeds fierce men – but perhaps I have had heard wrong.”

Your blood boils at the mention of your father; your tongue swells and grows heavy in your throat. What is he driving at? You become even more furious at the implication that your father doomed himself through his own foolishness; your fists clench. What right does the man have to castigate you so?

Ajax’s invective continues as you reel – now, he has set about interrogating whether you are truly the son of Hippomedon, or perhaps simply the son of a deceitful whore –

>what the fuck, /qst/, Ajax is being a total dickhead!
>give me THREE rolls of dice+1d20 to see if Nikandros can stay cool while Ajax calls his mom a hooker.

Rolled 13, 4 + 1 = 18 (2d20 + 1)

>>5828999

Oops I meant to roll a 3d20 - here's the other two rolls for Ajax's CHA attempt.

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>5828999
Think of rocks

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5828999

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>5828999
We already got a 20.

>>5829002
>>5829005
>>5829018

>20 vs 16
>Nikon is pissed but generally keeps his cool, congrats
>this was the more important contest, FYI

Well done, anons. Next update will be somewhere between 1-3pm EST.

>Trojan War Quest is back
And all is right in /qst/
>>5828999
Ajax, what the hell man. Not cool.

>>5829069
I would put money on him deliberately being like this to either fire us up in anger so we put our back into it like a drill instructor or just testing our our ability to stay cool in a fight.

>>5829089
Niko is 100% getting tested one way or another right now.

>>5829020
i feel like Ajax line of thought is like, if this guy is friend with Teukros he can be my friend too.

but he's trying to speedrun the friendship process like an autist with a bunch of tests to find out if Nikon would prove a real friend or a casual friendly acquaintance.

also i was rockposting on /tg and credited this quest when i had the intrusive thought to check if it restarted and here you were.

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>>5829002
>>5829020
Nikandros unironically went full stoic as if he had a YouTube video marathon

>>5829138
>"You fucking beta male Nikandros!"
>meanwhile in nikon's mind: "Damn, I probably could have rolled that rock faster if I put more shoulder in it instead."

>20 vs 16 – success but Nikon is still pretty heated

The Prince of Salamis continues his slandering, and your heart thunders –you can’t help it - your face reddens and contorts in anger. You clamp your jaw shut before you can begin hurling insults of your own, and you only barely suppress the urge to crash your right fist into his face. Instead, with your back to your stone – you place a hand on his chest and in a controlled fashion, apply pressure to put distance between you. It’s not quite a push – more of a prying-apart, as you stand on your own power. Ajax allows himself to be maneuvered, even as he moves on to insult you of general vagrancy and indigency. The man has insulted your heritage, your parents, your upbringing, your homeland and your financial status – and in a flash of insight, you know why.

The man is testing you.

Ajax stops his harangue mid-sentence, noticing your thoughtful expression. He brings his hands high in a placating gesture.

“’Forgive me of my unkind words, Nikandros – they are not my true thoughts. A man’s temper is like that of a champion bull – for some men, the bull is wild, uncontrollable – it drags them from place to place, in and out of chaos as it sees fit. For other men, they are able to yoke the bull, and with goad and stick, they direct the bull to plow their fields, and provide substance to their household.”

Ajax nods at you as he finishes his short explanation – “I wanted to see what type of man you are, Nikandros.” You’re still angry, but you manage a tightly-controlled nod of your own, your lips compressed in a line. Ajax continues thoughtfully –

“I can be many things to Teukros – brother, protector, and perhaps, one day, his king. But there are some things I will never be for him.” Ajax's eyebrows lower - the barest shadow of sorrow stealing across his features.Your mind supplies the words that Ajax cannot say aloud – not to a man of your lowly noble status.

Equal. Friend. Companion.

“Treat my brother well, Nikandros,” Ajax speaks, “and you will have his loyalty forever.” The Salaminian meets your gaze with eyes of granite; his bearded face unmerciful. He grips your shoulder with his right hand, applying heavy pressure. Again, your mind supplies you with words Ajax leaves unsaid - the wellbeing of Teukros is YOUR wellbeing, Thessalian.

You cough slightly, and reply - "Yes, Lord Ajax - I understand." Ajax's expression does not change, but you sense that he is pleased that you have understood him.

And with that, he claps you on the shoulder, and waves to the crewmen by the boats. “Let the crew take stones back to the holds – rest from this morning' exertions and prepare yourself for voyage.”

>cont

>>5829220
Don't worry Ajax, Teukros is a bro.
And hopefully one day he will be a brother in law for real.

>>5829220
Welp looks like we managed. Hell this has probably put us inAjax's good graces as well, for the time being anyways.

>>5829227
>Nikandros lies that Ajax's final words were a plea for Teukros to fuck Deianira and continue the Hippomedion bloodline

>>5829235
Hey woah slow down buckaroo, we're not letting him die. Ajax WILL be king of Salamis.

>>5829236
>But Nikandros I am still alive. I am right here, I heard you say that
>Sometimes I can still hear his voice on the wind

File: homer-iliad-map.jpg (383 KB, 1400x1168)

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Of course, you later share the events of the morning with Teukros himself before you set out at sea - and he apologizes on his elder brother's behalf.

"You must forgive him, Nikandros - it is how my father Telamon raised him. No sacrifice was too great, no burden too heavy. If Telamon asked Ajax to lasso the chariot of Helios and crash it into Mount Olympus, Ajax would set off to ambush Hyperionides as he rises out of the waters of the East. Ajax expects the same of others. In a way - it is a good thing that he tests you so.”

“Perhaps so, Teukros – you know your brother far better than I.”

"You should be happy, Nikandros - to be frank, I'm surprised that you haven't gotten along with him better. You have the same complete absence of humor..."

>Given that Ilion approaches, it seems fair to offer Nikandros a chance to change boats if he desires. This will be the last opportunity for Nikon to change vessels before the Ilion Council arc. This vote will be short and will end at 9pm EST tonight. Once we determine which boat we're on, we can address the next change.

>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.

>Change to Menelaus’ vessel, which holds Menelaus, Odysseus and Palamedes.

---

Travel out of the Lesbian waters is reasonably swift – it is decided that the galleys will sail along the coast of the Troad, and work their way north, then west, and then north again across the coastline. For your past - you're happy to put Lesbos, Mytilene and the bizarre episode with King Philomeides behind you - all things considered, you sourly consider that you might have preferred your time on Lebinthos, although it is true that you enjoyed losing your virginity to an attractive woman.

At any rate, your vessels will soon pass the port cities of Antandrus and Assus; with luck, no foreign navy will seek to interdict your group as you row north. Some men might risk travel due north from Lesbos in an attempt to reach Tenedos directly and so avoid contact with local navies, but as you learn from Andocides, as one approaches the Dardanelles, the risk of sudden and fierce northerly winds increases – an unexpected gust to an unprepared vessel could risk capsizing. A risky gamble at best, and your party is not yet so desperate for speed as to gamble with this approach.

As your ship begins to beat north against the current and winds, you note with interest that there are significantly more trading vessels present at sea - you see hundreds of varied vessels flit south, borne along by the pleasant cousins of the Etesians, heavy with goods from Ilion, the coasts of Propontis or perhaps even the Euxine Sea beyond. You keep your eyes to the sky and sea as the morning rolls along - with the summer passing you by, all aboard are becoming aware of the time spent. Stormy autumn is rapidly approaching...

>someone roll me a dice+1d20 for naval progress!

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>5829244
>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.

All our homies are here

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>5829244
>Inb6 Nat 1

File: rock pushing technique.png (2.52 MB, 1920x1357)

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>>5829220
>Let the crew take stones back to the holds – rest from this morning' exertions and prepare yourself for voyage

woah there slow down bro, i rolled it here and now it's mine, this is my rock and i think i'll keep it thank you very much.

>>5829244
>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.
Odysseus scares me. Got that real psycho energy.

>>5829244
>>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.
Deepen our bonds. Also, stay away from Odysseus.

>>5829244
>>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.
We were never going to out-schmooze Odysseus anyway. Better to stick with the rest and have this whole boat amenable to us.

>>5829244
>Change to Menelaus’ vessel, which holds Menelaus, Odysseus and Palamedes.

>>5829244
>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.
Screw that faggot Menelaus

>>5829244
>Change to Menelaus’ vessel, which holds Menelaus, Odysseus and Palamedes.

>>5829244
>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.

There’s nothing good on the other ship, lmao.

>>5829251
Lol

>>5829280
>There’s nothing good on the other ship, lmao.
That's not true. Palamedes knows how to read. That is the SINGLE good thing on the other ship. The fact that one person aboard is literate.

>>5829244
>>Continue on to Ilion aboard Ajax’s vessel, which currently holds Ajax, Teurkos, Castor, Pollux and Nikandros.
Yeah not changing gang.

>>5829282
True.
He would be the only reason for be there. He looks like a decent guy

>>5829284
He's a snobby, weedy prick who despite all of his brains was dumb enough to get into a pissing contest with Odysseus. So basically he's probably better than half of the nobles out there kek

>>5829284
>>5829283
He rejected our offer to ride on our shoulders to Troy, he is barely better that Odysseus.

Also, Memelaus could use his aura of stupidity skill to make us roll 1s all day

>>5827938
Its back! Making an anchor post while reading up!

File: Untitled 3 (1).png (2.34 MB, 1500x2500)

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>>5829227

>>5829452
But are we sure he will breed correctly? Offer his sword a place in Nikon's sheath, y'know, to test him.

>>5829453
That doesn't prove anything. Men can't get pregnant. He needs to knock Nira up. It is the ONLY way. Here we'll conquer all of the land between our estate and the nearest coast to Salamis so he can make the trip more easily.

>>5829454
>Be royalty from the late Bronze Age, enjoying a lazy saturday evening watching your city from the balcony of your palace.
>Out of nowhere, some lunatic giant carring a archer on his shoulders break the east gates down, stomping anything in his way to the west door, kicking it apart and fucking off into the sunset.

File: Troas.png (113 KB, 520x539)

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The next three days of the journey are monotonous, as the galleys sweep slowly north into the Gulf of Adramyttium, and then west. The winds are typical for midsummer – which is to say, they are constantly blowing northerly and against the efforts of the crews, necessitating that the galleys keep their sails lowered and packed. Rowing your way north to the southern edge of the Troad takes the better part of two days, but the pace accelerates once your crews are able to sail west along the coastline towards the city of Antandrus. The sloping ascent of Mount Ida looms in the distance off to the north, and the peak of the mountain, known as Gargarus, is clearly visible. It is no doubt the highest point in the Troad – you itch to summit it, even standing aboard the Salaminian galley.

As you pass by Antandrus, the Salaminian crew becomes nervous – the denizens of this city are known as the Leleges, you learn from them, and you assemble from the wild rumors flying about the decks that these people, neither of Luwian or Hellenic ancestry, are standoffish, warlike and prone to attacking passing vessels. Some of the wilder tales involve ritual sacrifice and cannibalism, but you’re not so naive as to believe such lurid tales from a naval crew. However, you inquire about them with Pollux and Castor, and Pollux is quick to poke fun at you:

“Nikandros, I may be old and wise, but I hardly know of every tribe along the Anatolian coast. Aboard the Argo, we missed the southern Troad entirely on the way to Euxine Sea…But now that I think of it – I recollect that Andrastus is a Lelegian colony – sent by King Altes of Mysia some decades past, although who rules in Andrastus, I cannot say. Altes was the father of Ancaeus, the Samian Argonaut I had mentioned to you before – funny that we've spoken of him twice recently. As for the Lelegians – it is said that they were present here in the Aegean long before the Hellenes.”

You thank Pollux for his wisdom and he brushes your gratitude aside, saying only – “Even Argonauts can grow bored at sea, Nikandros. Meet me on the sands when we next have the chance and we can find some excitement!”

---

Despite the anxieties of the crew, Ajax and Menelaus determine that the ships should be hidden and nestled along the Andrastian coastline well before twilight falls on the third day of travel from Lesbos. The ships are tugged between two sheer hills – your strength is greatly appreciated by the Salaminians as you assist Ajax, each of you doing the work of a team of lesser men.

The night watch is a tense affair – no torches or campfires are permitted, and an extensive network of sentries are posted atop the nearest hills. Nearly half the crews are assigned to this duty, but you’re repeatedly assured that such precautions are wise – this part of the Troad has many shallow valleys and steep hills, and platoons of spearmen can stumble into one another unaware without diligent efforts.

>cont

You are not selected for night watch, thankfully – you take the opportunity to rest as well as you can. The paranoia of the crew does unsettle you, although you are loath to admit it to yourself – you carefully position your bronze next to your bunk, such that you could rapidly don it in the night, if need be.

All for nothing – morning comes without a Lelegian raid.

As you disembark the ship for breakfast, there is an outcry – the goats selected for slaughter that morning show signs of disease within their offal. None amongst the diplomatic party are seers trained in the interpretation of such things, but it’s well known that this is a poor omen. Beyond the prophetic implications, consumption of such tainted meat is unwise and is furthermore quickly forbidden by Ajax and Menelaus. The tainted beasts are burned to prevent temptation amongst the hungry crews. Worse, the holds are rather light for supplies of meat – Philomeides’ poor hospitality and the hurried departure from Lesbos meant that the typical resupplies had not been obtained.

Menelaus is quick to assemble a solution, gathering the nobility of the diplomatic party together by the side of the Spartan vessel – you miss the first part of the discussion, but you catch Pollux in mid-sentence as you approach –

“- are cattle nearby, Menelaus. I saw fresh sign last night atop the northeastern hilltop. And I have reason to believe that there are goats as well – even the rocky hillsides have been denuded, and cattle aren’t prone to climbing for their meals. Send out four parties of two to see if we might be able to find the herds!”

There’s little debate – beyond hunger, you suspect that all present are eager to spend some time on land, and out of the cramped conditions of the galleys, even in the (potentially) hostile territory of the Lelegians.

Menelaus specifies further - “One archer and one spearman per scouting team. Drive what you can back to the ships, but don’t linger – I won’t come back for a detained team. If you see an armed party of Lelegians, flee back to the ships. And you, Ajax – you are best suited to defend the ships while we’re ranging.” Everyone laughs, even yourself – but you know that Menelaus is not joking.

You take quick stock of those present - you are clearly considered a spearman, given your lack of expertise with the bow. Which archer will you partner with for livestock scouting?

>This vote will close tomorrow at 12pm EST - thanks for bearing with my autism regarding LBA demographics of the Troad. Seems Homeric to pay attention to such things.

>Castor

>Teukros

>Odysseus

>Palamedes

>Alternately, request to stay at the ships with Ajax.

>>5829690
>>Odysseus
There is bound to be something here, otherwise Nikon would discard it as an option entirely. Perhaps he may give something away, overly intelligent men tend to treat those they consider beneath them as "too stupid" to pick up on their slip-ups.

>>5829690
>Odysseus

>>5829690
>Teukros

>>5829690
>>Teukros
We're not built for stealth, but on the other hand, we could literally carry a cow on our back if we had to. I am tempted to remain with the ships.

>>5829690
>Teukros

>>5829690
>Teukros

>>5829690
>Teukros
me from >>5828008
>>5829692
On the other hand, he's already tried to pry something out of us and I'm 80% sure he suspects something.

>>5829690
>Palamedes

>>5829690
>Teukros

We need to bond more with Teukros (future brother in law).

>>5829710
I'm 100% sure. I think he probably suspects the wrong thing, but he suspects something. My guess is that he thinks we have a special mission from Agamemnon, which is not really true though we are here at his behest. But given how he was digging on that chariot ride, dude definitely thinks there's more to us being here than "I was asked to come.".

>>5829714
Maybe he thinks we're a gorilla someone put armor onto and taught how to sing

File: 1622349525684.jpg (90 KB, 800x450)

90 KB JPG

>>5829719
He knows too much.

>>5829690
>Teukros

File: Warrior 4.jpg (158 KB, 1024x1024)

158 KB JPG

>>5829690
>Palamedes

I'm curious to see what Palamedes has to say to us, if anything.

Looks like a clear consensus for Teukie so far - friendly reminder that the vote closes at 12pm EST today, so lurkers, chime in now!

>>5829713

As an FYI, Nikandros has actually already maxed out the first respect/regard meter (the hidden interpersonal stats I use for crunch purposes) with Teukros at this point in the quest. You guys have pretty successfully friendmaxxed with him.

At this point in time, a “major” act of friendship or loyalty is needed to break into the (currently locked) second half of Teukie’s respect/regard meter. And yes, each major plot character DOES have hidden side-quests. However it’s likely that Nikandros might only find 1-3 of these over the the course of TWQ, just based on the system I’ve created.

>>5829690
>Palamedes

>>5829690
>Castor

>>5829690
>>Palamedes

>>5829690
>>Palamedes

>>5829869
>And yes, each major plot character DOES have hidden side-quests. However it’s likely that Nikandros might only find 1-3 of these over the the course of TWQ, just based on the system I’ve created.

This will feel like a souls-born game the more we go man, I just know it.

>We know jackshit about the war, just what we can gather talking with others
>The world is full of monsters and you have to be careful to not die because some bullshit
>All the NPCs are retarded in some way
>While there is a war going on, behind it is a shadow war among the lowly humans, AND behind that there is a shadow war among the gods.
>In the end, we will have a fight with some old man

>>5829925
>Swamp run on Delos
>Tiny HP pools for everyone
>Setting is in its iron age
>Electra's feet update

>>5829948
Was Electra barefoot when we meet?

I'm going to assume so

>>5829869
I'll switch to palamedes then

>>5829690
>>5829703
Gonna switch my vote
>Palamedes

>>5829697
I'll switch to Palamedes as well.

>>5829690
>Castor

if there's any who knows herd rustling it's the twins and we might get to learn something new

also fuck palamedes

>>5829869
I'll switch to Castor then.

>>5829690
>Castor

Final Tally

Odysseus

>>5829692

Teukros

>>5829699
>>5829706
>>5829710
>>5829713
>>5829753

Palamedes

>>5829711
>>5829812
>>5829888
>>5829913
>>5829923
>>5829960
>>5829961
>>5829962

Castor

>>5829896
>>5829967
>>5829999 (but you've missed the 12pm EST cutoff, sorry anon)
>>5830004 (but you've missed the 12pm EST cutoff, sorry anon)


---

Looks like a clear consensus for Palamedes! We've haven't seen him for a while so this should be interesting to write.

Okay, now for rolls. I need TWO rolls of dice+1d20 for encounter purposes. Don't worry too much about the numbers, high doesn't necessarily mean better for these.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5830019

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5830019

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>5830019
In case you need different numbers.

>>5830021
>>5830022
>>5830028
This is fucking spooky ngl

>>5830021
>>5830022
>>5830028
>dubs followed by a sum of
What in the goddamn

>>5830021
>>5830022

Thank gents. I hope to have the update out before 4pm EST.

>>5830021
>>5830022
KHORNE BEGONE

You make the logical choice, and approach Palamedes – he looks at you in surprise, but assents to your companionship without complaint or obvious distaste. You can’t help but notice Odysseus watching the pair of you out of the corner of his eye, even as he invites Teukros to join himself and Menelaus, saying –

“Three teams are well enough, Menelaus – don’t send the boy out alone!” Teukros accepts the offer of the Ithakan king with good grace, and already Odysseus is charmingly pressing the boy to display his near-divine ability with the bow. The Dioscuri, of course, are quick to declare their intentions to stick together.

The Nauplian prince stands beside you a bit awkwardly, as you await further instruction from Menelaus – he looks weary after his time at sea; his eyes hooded and shadowed, his small beard scragglier than typical. You do catch him staring at you in contemplation, but before you can make further conversation, your team is directed to proceed due west. The Dioscuri are to make for the northeast – once Pollux has the scent of cattle in his nose, he can hardly be restrained. As for Menelaus, Odysseus and Teukros, they intend to head east - Menelaus apparently feeling confident to penetrate Lelegian territory with Teukros’ fearsome bow at his side. It's a matter of moments for yourself and Palamedes to return to your ships and don your panoplia.

Once you are out of earshot of the group, and tramping through the Troad countryside, you make conversation with Palamedes as best as you can – he pretends not to hear you, at first.

“Prince Palamedes – how does Menelaus consider of the council meeting ahead? What is his position?” After some minutes of pressing (you’re eager for details, although you fear the worst) – Palamedes relents, as you look for sign of livestock across the fields and hills of the Troad.

“I can see that you will not relent until you are satisfied, Nikandros. In brief, Menelaus does not heed my advice – or even hear when I speak. His ears are stuffed full of Odysseus’ winged words; Laertides will say or do anything to ensure his leisure at home in Ithaka. Menelaus is prepared to hand over his own dignity and the respect of the House of Atreus, for the return of Helen. Worse – Odysseus has convinced the man that should Priam be unwilling to relinquish Helen, he should sacrifice the peace of Hellas and allow himself to be bought off with several of the most beautiful of Priam’s daughters and a substantial fraction of Priam’s treasure vaults.”

Your heart sinks at the news – but how could you have expected any different? Even should there be smaller scale conflict between Hellenes, nothing would rival the the scope of a potential conflict between Mycenae and Ilion. If Odysseus has his way, you will be consigned to ignominy forever. Palamedes’ words from your initial meeting ring in your ears at the thought:

“You’re a dead end.”.

>cont

File: palamedes.jpg (213 KB, 800x1067)

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This will be your legacy is Odysseus has his way.

You consider Palamedes’ words more carefully – that Menelaus would “sacrifice the peace of Hellas”. You open your mouth to inquire further, but your military mind provides the answer you seek: if Helen is not returned to Sparta, the Oath of Tyndareus becomes null and void, and the treaty that has restrained armed conflict between the major powers of Hellas vanishes – it would only be a matter of time before Hellas descends into anarchy and the civil strife of a thousand wars, both large and small. As atrocity leads to vengeance and retribution, the cycle of bloodshed would spin out of control.

Palamedes seems to lose some internal battle himself, interrupting your musings and asking you of your doings on the Salaminian vessel. You see no reason to lie and explain that you have become quite friendly with Teukros, and with Pollux as well.

“Yes, that has become clear to all as well, Nikandros. I suppose that I am not surprised that you would seek their company after our discussion in Mycenae…” He trails off abruptly, lost in thought - humming absentmindedly, he stumbles over the underbrush with his eyes on the sky.

“Look there!” you exclaim – pointing out the clear markings of a troupe of goats upon the soft earth of the hillside, besides bushes stripped of their leafy crowns. By the appearance of the goatspoor, the trail is only a day old – you suspect that there’s a small group of ten or so nearby. Palamedes peers at the same trail, but he apparently is not educated in tracking like yourself – as a Nauplian, no doubt his education focused on the sea, waves, and wind rather than tracking beasts through the hills. Nonetheless, he is willing to take your lead, and brings his bow to bear. As you set off in pursuit, you consider the wisdom of re-opening your discussion with Palamedes – he had previously declined to work with you in concert to spoil the diplomatic talks with Ilion, before you had put out to sea weeks ago, but perhaps he would reconsider?

>Well, /qst/? Will Nikandros take another chance at persuading Palamedes to align with him? Please note that Nikandros failed his first diplomance attempt by a huge margin (3+ degrees of failure), and so this will result in a -5 roll malus. A smart write-in might partially mitigate this malus.

>Yes, attempt to persuade Palamedes to align with you. You have a better grasp of the politics, and more importantly, you have successfully aligned yourself with Teukros. You may be able to leverage this new friendship in your persuasion attempt with Palamedes.

>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.

>>5830152
>>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.
Though I suggest we muse openly on why Odysseus would shy away from war, when he so clearly enjoys gaining glory and the spotlight, indeed he draws it upon himself with great vigor at every opportunity. Perhaps he would seek to take the lands of his neighbors in the resultant discord.

I just want to get Palamedes to start talking mad shit about the Ithacan king. And sow the seed of doubt about the safety of Euboea should the Oath fall apart. Though he is literally on the opposite side of the place from Odysseus' island. I don't think Palamedes knows about the prophecy leading to the Odyssey so not trying to tease that out of him.

We are surrounded by narcissistic assholes in a perpetual one upsmanship contest who have never heard the word no in their entire lives and their response to even the slightest hesitance of complete agreement is to have a childish breakdown of murderous proportions. I sincerely hope we maintain our position of the most humble sociopathic narcissist in perpetuity.

>>5830176
>normal nobility of the era: I AM the best REEEEE
>nikandros: I WANT to be the best
Truly our humility would impress the gods themselves.

>>5830152
>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.
Menelaus somehow keeps managing to become shittier by the second.

>>5830152
>Yes, attempt to persuade Palamedes to align with you. You have a better grasp of the politics, and more importantly, you have successfully aligned yourself with Teukros. You may be able to leverage this new friendship in your persuasion attempt with Palamedes.

>>5829812
Phone posting at work.
>>5830152
>>5830162
Support. I don't know if we'll get any opportunity to build a rapport with Palamedes in the future, but as it stands, I don't trust our chances at diplomacy with him. It would be good if we could figure out what his interests are in all of this without explicitly showing our hand in the event he tries to throw us under the bus, and then if we get a better relationship we can try to join forces if there's time. I wonder if that's his main concern -- the stability of Hellas. I feel like we have good reason to be worried about that as well since civil strife in Greece would make our own modest holdings far more vulnerable.

>>5830152
>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.

>>5830152
>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.

more than aligning with him i feel we might make it known we realized the consequences of the pact failing for the Greek world.

i think turning this outing into a shit-talking session towards Odysseus is going to be best,
he gets to know Odysseus cheats and has the divine in his pocket
(if he doesn't already)
and that we don't like him.
hmm...
if we chose Teukros and menelaus came with us
and the dioscuri paired up

what were the chances Odysseus would have tried to kill palamedes?

Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>5830246
>what were the chances Odysseus would have tried to kill palamedes?
Percent out of 100, let's see.

Wonder what Nokandros' FATE counterpart would look like, and what their class would be

This vote will close at 9pm EST btw - short window but I’m hoping to get to the meat and potatoes of this module ASAP.

>>5830202

Nikandros already knows in-character that Palamedes is interested in political stability and a strong house of Atreus from their initial chat. Palamedes also knows that Nikandros wants eternal fame and glory, NOT necessarily the stability of the house of Atreus. So the goals of the two men are not quite in alignment.

In general, Nikon is from the rural part of Greece with a pretty tenuous connection to Mycenae - Nikon is much more closely aligned with Peleus and Achilles given that these men are his “local lords”.

>>5830250

>95

The dice are truthtellers per usual

>>5829925
>>5829950
This is me

>>5830152
>>5830162
This is smart

>>5830184
>Menelaus somehow keeps managing to become shittier by the second.

Literally "don't try to meet any hero, you'll be disappointed." At least Teukros and Ajax are acceptable, even if one is a loner and another is autistic

Rolled 12, 92 = 104 (2d100)

>>5830250
Holy shit, that was close Palanerd

Will Odickseus try to kill or seduce Teukros?

>>5830254
A shota

>>5830261
I feel like Palamedes is smart enough to know that Nikon is smart enough to realize a huge "civil" war is bad news since he's a small fry on the edge of barbaroi lands and the implications of such disunity in the civilized world presents to his home and position. Regardless of the possibilities it also presents.

This is like, 7d chess with the biggest nerd in the world. How far can we trust his intellect to carry him, when he's also dumb enough to let his guard down around Odysseus? Though, I guess that isn't fair since Odysseus can talk his way out of ANYTHING.

>>5830271
Thank the gods Odysseus isn't actually gay. Whew.

>>5830265
I for one can't wait to meet Nestor and in between bouts of him being senile as fuck and retelling a ten hour story seeing his truly uncanny military mind at work. Like listening to grandpa tell you about his childhood before hitting you with some of the most insightful shit you'll hear for decades before asking where he put his reading glasses that he is currently wearing.

>>5830261
I should have remembered that considering I've been here from the beginning, but still I think there's plenty of common cause between us in terms of wanting to prevent war between the Greeks at home. Even if we want the same thing for different reasons.

>>5830283
>>5830202
Not sure why my ID changed, but this is still me.

>>5830272
>>5830283

It’s more that Palamedes isn’t sure whether you are actually competent and reliable, or just a jobber who managed to get lucky with the Achilles thing and fall in with the big boys.

From his perspective, you’re a no-name from some backwater, you found Achilles, but even so, maybe you’re a one-hit wonder. Don’t forget he would have heard when Nikon got absolutely BTFO by Diomedes.

However, vice-versa - Nikon has also mostly avoided outright stupid and dumb choices that would mark him as an idiot.

>>5830152
>Yes, attempt to persuade Palamedes to align with you. You have a better grasp of the politics, and more importantly, you have successfully aligned yourself with Teukros. You may be able to leverage this new friendship in your persuasion attempt with Palamedes.
Maybe stress the bond Nikon has formed with Teukie, Nikon's worry about Nira's safety if peace falls apart, and how utterly crushing such a peace like Odysseus wants would be for Atreus authority.
>-5 roll malus
ouch

>>5830307
This does to me present a man who is insightful, if a bit bullheaded. If only people would realize that Nikon only went to the end with Diomedes because there should have been no real danger to either of their lives. What a shame.

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>5830152
Rolling for our chances of successfully diplomancing Palamedes.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5830326
Never tell me the odds

>>5830326
>>5830330
>sub 20%
It counts. I win.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5830331
Rolling for Palamedes' ability to see that we are going off of nothing but fake it till you make it energy.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5830338
Rolling to fail forwards

Since Lesches has revealed that there is a respect/regard meter, how far along do we think Nikon is with Achilles? Was returning the Peleid spear a major act?

>>5830347
He was very, very relieved to get his heirloom gear back. They had apparently become decent friends but he is a little miffed at the whole "staying in the palace with those losers instead of roughing it outside with him and his men" thing. And now we've gone off gallivanting without him and gaining glory killing giant birds and shit which he would have been super down to do if given the chance.

So he's probably doing alright, but not on the whole "swear an oath of friendship" level. Probably not really that close, either. I wonder if he's easier to friend than Teukros. Achilles has a couple of friends already, but unlike the distant and shadowed Teukie; Achilles is brash and outugoing despite his being trapped by the legacy of his father and mother restricting him from actually interacting with many people on a personal level.

It's a very interesting thing. Being separated by so much in terms of status yet still being friendly. As long as you don't get him in a mood, at least.

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>>5830254
The Nobleman (Archer)
JAPANESE NAME: ビッグディックニック
ALSO KNOWN AS: That dudebro, The singer
PORTRAYALS
JAPANESE VA: Hitomi Tanaka
ENGLISH VA: Chester Bennington, Liam Neeson

SERVANT STATS
TRUE NAME: Nikandros Hippomedion
TYPE: Servant (F/sn & F/Z), Heroic Spirit (F/GO)
SOURCE: Greek History
REGION: Greece
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Victory
HIDDEN ATTRIBUTE: Earth
ARMAMENTS: Armor, Shield, Sword, Spear, Rock
SUMMONING CATALYST: Ancestral Arms and Armor, Common Rock
PARAMETER
STRENGTH:B ENDURANCE:B
AGILITY:C MANA:?
LUCK:E NP:?!
CLASS SKILLS
Independent Action: A
Magic Resistance: D
PERSONAL SKILLS
Sing: A
Throwing: SSS

NOBLE PHANTASM: Nikandros's Noble Phantasm is Growing Legend. He releases a wave of power that eliminates all water within 50 meters around him, while transforming his body from his infant state to his adult state. All enemies and allies around him share his luck (E)

>>5830359
Remember to keep an eye on your Nikon, if you let go of his hand he will go on a hike and get into trouble.

>>5830365
Don't worry he always comes back. Somehow slightly better than before. Until he doesn't.

>>5830365
Luck E is bullshit man.

Also he is weak to older kings and womans

>>5830370
Now I wonder what will happen if we meet a queen.

>>5830371
Wasn't Anios woman his queen or something? The one that was slave.

She play with us like as if we were a child. Not so bad like Electra did, but that was because she was holding back her Ara Ara~ power

>>5830152
>>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.
Next time maybe

>>5830152
>Yes, attempt to persuade Palamedes to align with you. You have a better grasp of the politics, and more importantly, you have successfully aligned yourself with Teukros. You may be able to leverage this new friendship in your persuasion attempt with Palamedes.

I like living dangerously

>>5830152
>Yes, attempt to persuade Palamedes to align with you. You have a better grasp of the politics, and more importantly, you have successfully aligned yourself with Teukros. You may be able to leverage this new friendship in your persuasion attempt with Palamedes.

>>5830152
>>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.

>>5830396
I also lube degenerates.

Having typed that I had a huge brainwave and wondered how heroes from other parts of the world and history would fare in this Greek age of heroes. How would Lu Bu, greatest of all the warriors to ever live in China fare against some of the great men of Greece? Cuchulain is an absolute fucking unit, how does he do? Beowulf swings his dick into the game, what's his limit? Somehow "lube" turned into a royal rumble of global proportions.

Obviously not all heroes are built the same. But then it comes down to levels like "Equivalent of the hero kings", "Equivalent of swift-footed Achilles" and "Equivalent of mighty Heracles". There's always a bigger fish. I guess the Fate degeneracy has infected my mind with this mythical showdown, everyone is invited.

>>5830427
There are gods of other pantheons and god-blooded of other countries, and they do fight and interact, going by Iudas (RIP).
So maybe the paintings with giant pharaohs shooting over their troops are real and they have an ability to grow im size.
I wonder how many gods and their children were involved when the sea people attacked.

>>5830427
Is also something that happen to me when I think about the diferents gods.

Viking gods would more like strong demigods when compare to greek gods. And the autistically complex Indian encyclopedia of gods destroying galaxies in an 8d chess game scares me.

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>>5830441
That makes me think Sargon the Great was a five-head super genius who managed to science/culture victory Mesopotamia.

But damn the Sea People. Hopefully by the time they show up in a couple hundred years Nikon and his kingdom will be able to throw them back into the sea. If only Nikon knew about what was to come. He could seek out Hephaestus and ask him the secret of Steel to bypass the bronze collapse.

>>5830442
>meanwhile the god of abraham according to abraham

>>5830441
>So maybe the paintings with giant pharaohs shooting over their troops are real and they have an ability to grow im size.

The pharaohs were worshiped as god is flesh, so maybe the more egyptians thought that your reign was okay, the more power you get?

I suppose that divine power balanced all the problems generated by incest and other hereditary complications that they had, at least until they died and their bodys just shrank like dry peas.

>>5830449
The Chinese with their Mandate of Heaven was basically "Did you take the throne? Then the gods ordained it." which is a really cool way of saying might makes right. And then bullying the entire population into believing the Emperor was a son of the heavens itself.

I do think since the Pharaohs were seen as living embodiments of deities and gods unto themselves that their overall strength is proportional to the faith their subjects hold. Which works nicely with the idea of waxing and waning like the Nile itself. Which is super thematic, really. And right now I think we're just after or just before the death of one of the last great Pharaohs of Egypt.

>>5830452

Nikandros obviously has no way of knowing this, but in Egypt, Ramesses II is in his prime and the New Kingdom is at the height of its power

>>5830448
Our descendants might fair really well compared to the rest of greece during the collapse, since the places that got really screwed were the big cities in southern parts, while the population became more rural and had their language replace by doric.
Meanwhile, we are on the most northern part of greece, and we are already rural. Also, Pure doric is present in the western part of greece, while aelic that is spoken in thessaly had plenty of archaic terms. So the wave of barbarian will not touch our lands, but they will become influential enough to change culture and language anyway.

File: AncientGreekDialects_(Woo(...).png (360 KB, 1280x1076)

360 KB PNG

>>5830469
Forgot the image.
But tldr.: The damn will hold the flood of barbaroi

>>5830448
The god of Abraham is the ultimate genius of the western gods.

Is normal that the new gods replace the old god by defeat them and claim their people.

The Vikings gods are a good example: All the gos are divided in two groups: Aesir and Vanir. The Aesir are all gods of (something) and war. The Vanir are just normal gods. This is because the ancestors of the Vikings conquered the people who worshiped the Vanir and when the people united later on so did their gods.

The god of Abraham weaponized this to an absurd degree.

"I create everything. I am the only true god. Don't belive that there is any other god."

It sound like a joke to the other pantheons until it worked.

>>5830466
Now this is spicy. Will they aid Troy, I wonder? Far off Aethiopia will. Intredasting.

>>5830469
>>5830473
Ah but that's the classical period, which I think is some 600/700 years later than where we are now. I'm more worried about the immediate shake-up in the 50-100 years following the collapse. Which I think is happening within the next century or so? Certainly the brunt of the damage caused by the collapse (to the Greeks, at least) will be centered around the heart of the Mycenaean empire. so we should be well off so long as we stay to the northerly parts. But there is going to be a LOT of war against the unwashed barbaroi hordes when it kicks off. Especially since I believe Thrace is one of the earlier nations to use iron weapons. Not very good ones, granted, but quantity is a quality all its own they say.

Though if you want to know who really gets fucked, it's Anatolia. The Caucasus should already be in their bronze age at this point. And they are right next to it despite clinging to the strength of bronze. Which fun fact, bronze is superior to iron in basically every way up until they finally figure out how to start getting steel going. Brass on the other hand is just worse (but shinier and better for electricity) bronze.

>>5830482
>everyone laughs at the nutjob saying there is one super god until the dude claiming to be his son revives himself

>>5830499
>in their bronze age at this point
in their iron age, I mean. Proofreading is hard.

Keep your mouth shut

>>5830162
>>5830184
>>5830202
>>5830244
>>5830246
>>5830265 (I think this is a "no" vote?)
>>5830390
>>5830419

Diplomancing the Stone

>>5830187
>>5830308
>>5830396
>>5830415

---

Looks like a clear consensus to let sleeping demigods lie. Writing now!

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You wrestle with your thoughts as you chase down your quarry – is it better to force an alliance with Palamedes, or allow him to come to you while the council is ongoing? If you test the man, would he later betray you? He does not seem to have the same streak of murderous anger that you’ve glimpsed in Odysseus, but surely, the man is dangerous is in own way.

As the golden chariot of Helios ascends in the sky, you elect not to push further with Palamedes. Years of command in the foothills of Olympus has provided you with some small measure of wisdom when interacting with men – if you push too hard, some men will fight you on principle – and these same men can become loyal footsoldiers if you provide them with the time to come around and exercise restraint. Palamedes pretends to be lost in thought himself – but more than once, you catch him looking at you with a calculating light in his eyes.

You make for an unusual pair, as you wend your way through the nooks and crannies of the hills – two men of vastly disparate size, wearing bronze panoplia. Despite your location and companion, you do feel at home – hunting in the hills is both your pleasure and your duty as a Thessalian.

You hear the bleating of the goats before you see them; your pulse quickens.

Standing at the bottom of a shallow depression between hills, you remove your crested helm, and crouching low, you carefully ascend until you can peer through the verdant grasses.

Perhaps a half-stadia distant, you see a ruined temple on the next hilltop, well-illuminated in the morning light – the paint on the columns has chipped away, the roof has toppled in, and the western and southern walls must have been laid flat against the earth and are hidden by grass. Or perhaps the stone has been pillaged for some other purpose, you cannot see from your angle. The goats that you have tracked are penned against the structure – by your count, twelve of them. You immediately note the presence of six men on the exterior of the ruined temple – while their mode of dress is foreign to you, they are obviously native Lelegians, and given their height – commoners. They’re armed with the rudimentary spears and bows that the common folk create for themselves. Together, they give the picture of a leisurely rest. No sentry is posted.

They are not prepared.

You descend slightly from your vantage point and summon Palamedes closer, and report what you’ve seen.

>cont

Rolled 12, 1 = 13 (2d20)

Palamedes takes no time at all to respond:

“I am no tactician, Nikandros, but I recommend that we attack immediately with the element of surprise – you should charge them, while I pick them off from afar. With the goats penned, there’s no little risk that we'll leave empty-handed.”

You simply nod in response – a good commander takes sound advice, no matter the source. Furthermore, you agree with Palamedes’ recommendation. It’s likely that the Lelegians will simply scatter after the first few men are slain; they’re hardly trained combatants.

Securing your helm, and nodding to Palamedes, you each prepare to engage the enemy.

>These guys are effectively Tier 1 troops and will suffer the typical Tier 1 combat malus vs heroes as a result (which is a hefty -6 for all combat rolls). Normally I wouldn’t roll this out but it’s theoretically possible that Nikandros is surrounded and prodded to death if he rolls very badly.

>Okay /qst/, I need a dice+1d20+1 for Nikon’s initiative.
>I’m rolling initiative for Palamedes (+1) and then collectively for the Lelegian party (-9).

Rolled 4 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5830648

Rolled 18 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5830648
>the lelegians have a NEGATIVE EIGHT initiative
ARE THEY ASLEEP!?

>Palamedes 13
>Nikon 5
>Lelegian party -8

It is admirable how a group of blind men managed to climb up here lol

Cooking up a meme here

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>>5830657
>the lelegians not ten minutes ago wagering amongst themselves who could stare at helios' radiant chariot the longest

>>5830657
Obviously they are frozen in awe of nikandros' stone crushing abbs. And the torso sized stone flying towards them at mach 10

Rolled 7, 4, 4, 20, 4, 7 = 46 (6d20)

>>5830649

>Palamedes: 13
>Lelegians: 1 (some of them are literally sleeping)
>Nikon: 5 (he's fucking slow but it doesn't matter)

You charge up and over the hilltop in silence - no need to ruin your approach with needless shouting. Your progress is hampered by the long grasses, and you stumble repeatedly as attempt to build momentum, but it hardly matters - the Lelegians are so unprepared for combat, they either fail to notice you entirely or fail to react to a brazen giant sprinting in their direction.

You hear the slap of a bow-string behind you, and Palamedes' bronze-tipped arrow takes the closest Lelegian in the upper back - he had been facing the temple and thus never knew his death was approaching. A fair shot from this distance, the arrow pierces the man's heart, and he sinks to the earth soundlessly. You leap over him without a second thought, making your way to a pair of men in conversation by the northwest corner of the temple.

You're practically at the walls of the structure before your thunderous footfalls prompts action from the pair of Lelegians - one of them is a graying, older man with a patchy beard, and the other is younger, with a full head of black hair. They turn to look at you with the wide eyes of does, their feet restrained by foul Deimos.

You pity them... but not enough to halt your attack. They are only just able to bring their paltry spears to bear as you rush them!

>okay, fellas - give me THREE rolls of dice+2d20. Nikon has a manual +1 to-hit and a +6 to wound. These poor bastards continued to have a -9 roll malus between their commoner stat line and Tier 1 troop malus.

Rolled 9, 5 = 14 (2d20)

>>5830683
Stab

Rolled 6, 11 = 17 (2d20)

>>5830683
LETS GO!

Rolled 1, 15 = 16 (2d20)

>>5830683

>>5830684
>>5830685
>>5830691

>Nik rolls a 10, 21 vs 1,11
>Sloppy technique but even a glancing blow is highly lethal when delivered by a giant demigod.

Okay, now I'll need a dice+1d6+6 to determine whether you kill the old man outright.

Rolled 2 + 6 (1d6 + 6)

>>5830693
Nikon hate the elderly!

Rolled 9 (1d20)

I'm rolling for morale since you guys just obliterated a significant portion of their team in 10 seconds. They need to roll under a 6 to stay in the fight.

Your spear flashes out and you nearly decapitate the younger man - your heavy Lebinthian spearhead disintegrates the bone, flesh and viscera of his neck in a spray of gore. He and his head tumble loosely to the earth; his mouth flapping soundlessly, and his black hair fanning out.

You turn to his older companion, who is soundlessly terrified and scrambling away from you, pressed against the stones of the temple - you see that his pants are wet with his fright. It's an awkward angle to strike - you'd prefer not to risk damaging your new spearhead by driving it through the man and against the stone underneath. Instead, you rotate swiftly, reverse your spear's grip, and with a whistling snap, swat sideways with the length of your spearhaft with explosive force. You're rewarded with the sound of the man's ribs fracturing, and he collapses as well. To your surprise, he manages a keening cry - something closer to a cat's yowl than a man's scream. The noise clearly sparks alarm amongst his companions - you hear the slapping of sandals on stone, and see another two men emerge from the shadows of the ruined temple - you hadn't seen them previously.

Beyond them, you see three other members of the Lelegian hunting party from the temple grounds, and even farther in the distance, Palamedes jogging closer for his next bowshot.

The two Lelegian groups cry out to each other - while you don't speak the language, the mortal terror in their voices needs no translation. For a moment, you expect them to gather into a group and assail you as a single unit - but then, you remember that these are merely untrained hunters. To your expectation, they simply flee - scattering in all directions.

Of course - you are not quite finished, nor is Palamedes.

Your spear takes another of the Lelegians in the guts, and Palamedes puts down another with a well-placed shot. Pursuit of the remaining three men is not worth the effort. You round out this morning's exercises by crushing the skull of the elderly man with a kick; he had been coughing up blood and sinking into unconciousness when you returned to him. Five men dead within the minute. You scowl - you should have killed the elderly man before he began stumbling away - you're sure that Ajax would not have made the same error. You take a few moments to gather the bodies of the slain, but they had little of worth - wooden trinkets, knives of bone. Nothing of value. You take a moment to check on the goats - still secured in their paddock.

Palamedes interrupts your investigation of the goats, having moved into the temple ruins.

"Nikandros - you should come into the temple and see this!" His voice is excited, interested. Your own curiosity is piqued - perhaps there was something of value here after all? You remove your helm, and join Palamedes in the shadowed interior of the temple.

>next update tomorrow morning EST!
>thanks for playing all - I'm still enjoying QMing and I hope everyone's appetite is whetted for more!

>>5830724
II sure hope it isn't letters and stone tablets! I am curious now.

I wonder how many of these goats we can get back. Neither of us are herders. Maybe it's be easier to slaughter them and use the fencing to make a huge sled or spit to carry them back with.

>>5830724
>You scowl - you should have killed the elderly man before he began stumbling away - you're sure that Ajax would not have made the same error.

Lol
>I have to be better for Big bro

>>5830728
What I find funny about that comparison is Ajax probably deals damage with a +16 modifier. His massive strength plus his training from Chiron means that he just straight up atomizes anything he hits. Ajax wouldn't have made that mistake because he literally cannot hit so hard he doesn't turn his targets into a shadow of a smear on the ground.

>>5830724
What did Palamedes see ? Judging from the place it could be something ruined but beautiful or something whole.

>>5830726
Thats true but being Thessalian could help a bit

>>5830892
>Thats true but being Thessalian could help a bit
I had considered that, but then thinking about it I figure as a noble brat we wouldn't know much about the professions of commoners aside from how they work on a fundamental level. Just so you wouldn't make silly decisions and demands that couldn't be met for the people who serve you.

On the other hand, I bet Nikandros would know at least a little bit about horses, since Thessaly is pretty famous for theirs. And horses themselves are seen as rather prestigious and expensive, perfect for a noble to deal with as opposed to smelly, noisy, scruffy, horned bastard livestock.

I figure Palamedes probably knows more or as much as Nikon. Just because he reads, the nerd. But Euboea where he hails from is named after their cows. Or oxen. I forget off the top of my head. They got good cattle there. So if we ever need advice with them, he's probably our guy. Or at least someone from his island. Cattle is a bit more important than goats. Especially because of religious rites. So I figure even nobles may know a bit about them.

>>5830899
Well thing is Nikandros, as a "noble brat" of Thessaly he is far poorer than most nobles and more occupied in frontier duty (check yourself if you don't believe me, both Deinara side story and Nikandros start it self). The Hippodemon and their oikos are neither rich, developed or powerful, they didn't have that many luxuries. The Hippodemon also never had horse herds of their own, they had two horses for the war chariot (the one that was lost). What Nikandros did was being a young lord when his mother became mad, martial training, military education, alongside killing barbarians, bandits and wolves in the wild frontier hills.
So he was by default more in contact with his oikos people, than the usual nobles of the south and since his house had so few things he would probably give a bit more value to any of their possessions including the goat herd.

>>5830937
I am aware of that. I simply err on the side of caution. Nikon might have a huge brain but he is very, very singleminded at times. And it's hard to teach a kid about goats when they could be playing with sticks and shields instead. I just wouldn't expect Nikon to have -practical- knowledge about goats. Can he tell you when a horn is growing in wrong? Probably. Does he know how to correctly trim their horns without hurting them? Doubtful. Does he know the purpose of driving goat herds? Absolutely. Does he actually know how to do it? I doubt it.

You see what I mean?

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Intrigued, you walk inside the skeletal structure – the interior has better withstood the passage of time. Swirls of chipping paint – pale blue - still linger on the interior walls, and in the approximate middle of the eastern wall, there is an unmistakable altar, still intact, before a large statue.

Palamedes is bending low to investigate an odd script at the base of the altar, and he motions you closer with a wave –

“See here, Nikandros – this writing is neither Hellenic, nor Luwian or even Hittite – it is the language of an older time.” You bend low to investigate yourself, but you had to admit – the script looks like the tracks of a bird pressed into the weathered stone, and you don’t understand his excitement. Palamedes struggles with his armor for a few moments before withdrawing a slim, hide bag from his lower back region – he quickly pulls the drawstring and to your bemusement, reveals a small wax tablet and begins furiously duplicating the script. You can’t help it – you chortle at the man’s antics, but he doesn’t hear you – lost in his obsession already.

This man is unhinged. you think, as you shake your head.

As you do so, you catch a glimpse of the flooring - clearly, it was once a great painted mosaic, but now, more than half the tiles are missing. To your eye, it looks to be a depiction of – the sun rising over the seas of the east? The flooring towards the altar, at least, is better preserved, and the tiling shifts from deep blue to ruddy gold as you look closer and closer to the altar.

The daimon or deity displayed above the altar is also a curious one – the figure of a red-robed young woman or girl, with dark eyes, being drawn by a wagon by a pair of yellow – or golden? - goats. One of the goats is missing entirely - broken loose to decorate someone's hut, you suspect. The red-robed girl herself is remarkably intact, although the paint of her head has been mostly weathered away - the red coloration of her dress remains in the expertly-carved folds of her red dress. It's a remarkable work of craftmanship altogether - this temple was likely once a wonder to behold, many generations ago. As for the god-child - you can think of no deity or daimon that matches her description, although certainly, you know of another dawn goddess – saffron-robed Eos, sister of Helios, who rides within his chariot and who is first to display her wide-ranging brilliance across the Aegean.

You can’t resist – you reach out to touch the face of the daimon’s statue – and find that it is quite warm to the touch. An unusual find, but then, this journey has brought you face to face with several unusual –

”Nikandros! Behind you!Palamedes hisses to you, voice tense.

Without thought, you spin, bringing your spear and shield at the ready.

>cont

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You have difficulty understanding what you see at first – a vertical column of morning mist has drifted into the temple. But as it crosses into the shadowed area, you see it more clearly – a flickering figure, indistinct. Its limbs are hazy, and its head is vague, insubstantial. Its height seems to vary - at one moment, at your waist, and at another moment, at your shoulder. You can see the patchwork deep blue flooring tiles through it, whatever it is. It drifts slowly towards you, warping and twisting with the breeze, and at first, you imagine it to be a shade escaped from Tartarus… But you reconsider once you remember that Palamedes, grandson of Poseidon, sees it as well.

A daimon!

But you’ve never seen or heard of such a divinity – one that refuses to take the shape of a mortal or beast, or travels in the shape of a manlike cloud. To be frank, you’re not sure what to make of it. Palamedes’ gold-flecked eyes are wide with alarm – and his feet are rooted to the spot.

The cloud comes to a halt perhaps five strides distant – shifting from side to side, but coming no closer. You have the vague impression of armlike protrusions gesticulating, but you hear nothing. In short – you are baffled and unsure how to proceed, or whether you might be in danger.

>Okay /qst/, this is something of a riddle in the vein of finding Achilles, and rather than a standard vote, I would like to test the troubleshooting powers of the players.

>What will Nikandros do? Write-ins only.

>>5830944
okay

>>5831014
Seeing the image I thought for a second Nikon was about to get abducted by an alien.

I’m not quite certain what to think this is, for the Achilles one we got lucky asking the right questions, so could we maybe ask the big nerd for his ideas?

>>5831014
>What will Nikandros do? Write-ins only.
>Write in
Point our spear head to the ground. And while keeping our shield slightly down, offer a respectful bow of our head and knee (not too much we don't know this deity).
"We are two men of the greeks. A people beyond the sea, we have not come here for desecrate your temple, unknown daimon. We simply wanted to look at it after seeing the magnificent ruins of your temple. And if you feel offended unknown daimon, we will kill a goat here and now for you on your altar. Then we shall leave."

>>5831014
>Point our spear head to the ground. And while keeping our shield slightly down, offer a respectful bow of our head and knee.
>"Unknown daimon, we are two men of Hellas, a place beyond the sea. We came here only to admire your temple, not to desecrate or steal what is yours. If we have offended you, we will sacrifice a goat upon your altar and leave at once."
me from >>5829710
Calling it now, this is the goddess the temple was dedicated to, and she's on the brink of death because she was forgotten (or syncretized with some other goddess).

Friendly bump - this voting window will close in 2 hours.

Thanks for beating with a more experimental part of the quest!

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>>5830696
This is me

>>5831014
>>5831026
This

>"Please tell us your name, spirit."
Sound like a a babylonian or assyrian god

Maybe we can take the altar to home?

>>5831035
+1