Sing, goddess, the glory of Nikandros Hippomedion, who journeys far from home alongside famed companions to entreat Ilion’s sacred citadel. Sing of the wrath of Menelaus, of the folly of Paris, of Zeus’s plan which even now comes to fulfillment…
>>5610431“Let them now therefore be punished as their crime requires, and do not, while you condemn the aristocracy, absolve the people. This is certain, that all attacked you without distinction, … they thought it safer to throw in their lot with the aristocracy… Their offence was not involuntary, but of malice and deliberate; and mercy is only for unwilling offenders. I therefore, now as before, persist against your reversing your first decision, or giving way to the three failings most fatal to empire- pity, sentiment, and indulgence. Compassion is due to those who can reciprocate the feeling, not to those who will never pity us in return, but are our natural and necessary foes… Do not, therefore, be traitors to yourselves, but recall as nearly as possible the moment of suffering and the supreme importance which you then attached to their reduction; and now pay them back in their turn, without yielding to present weakness or forgetting the peril that once hung over you.”"Now of course communities have enacted the penalty of death for many offences far lighter than this: still hope leads men to venture, and no one ever yet put himself in peril without the inward conviction that he would succeed in his design. … All, states and individuals, are alike prone to err, and there is no law that will prevent them; or why should men have exhausted the list of punishments in search of enactments to protect them from evildoers? … We must not, therefore, commit ourselves to a false policy through a belief in the efficacy of the punishment of death, or exclude rebels from the hope of repentance and an early atonement of their error… On the contrary, even if they were guilty, you ought to seem not to notice it… In short, I consider it far more useful for the preservation of our empire voluntarily to put up with injustice, than to put to death, however justly, those whom it is our interest to keep alive.”-Kleon and Diodotus concerning the fate of Mytilene, in roughly eight-hundred years.
>>5610438Nikandros (Nikon)Level TwoHeight: 6’10”Kleos: You’re almost famous! +0 to Kleos checks. Deeds below.• Petteia Champion of Skyros, He Who Found AchillesTimae: That of a typical impoverished country lord. -5 to Timae checks. Riches below.• Mycenean Chariot: Courtesy of Electra. • Ancestral Arms and Armor: Bronze Panoplia, Spear, Sword, Shield, all of Royal QualitySTATSStrength- (18/24) (+6)Agility- (13/20) (+1)Constitution- (14/24) (+2)Willpower- (12/20)(-2) (+0)Intelligence- (17/24)(-2) (+3)Charisma- (11/20)(-2) (+0)Regional Alignment: Thessalian (+3 STR, +3 AGI)Epithets:• Bouleeis: Of good counsel (from Tactical Genius)Traits:• Dutiful: You get an extra stat point per level. • Tactical Genius: +6 intelligence, +4 intelligence cap, +4 skill at relevant matters. This trait also makes it so that (within reason, non-technical) military write-ins are accepted.• Giant: 4 to strength and strength cap and +4 to constitution and constitution cap. • Disfavored of the Rivers: 1 agility, -1 strength, -1 constitution. You will also be hit with 1 automatic failure per thread on rolls pertaining to these deities’ interests: these are understood to be divine intercession IC. -3 when interacting with aquatic daemons. Additionally, this trait may be later upgraded to Enmity.• Fresh Olympian Blood: +1 to all stats and regenerate 2 health per turn of combat. +3 when interacting with daemons. You can see and talk to supernatural entities without assistance. • Sympathy- +2 to social rolls with suffering persons, may later change to Empathy.STATUSHP- (10/10)• Concussed: For a limited time, you suffer a -2 to all social stats. Skills:• Petteia: +4 to the game. (Tactical Genius)• Command: +4 when commanding your troops personally in battle. (Tactical Genius)• Sympathetic: +2 when interacting with suffering persons. (Sympathy)• Divine Aura: +3 when interacting with daemons. (FOB)• River Gossip: -3 when interacting with aquatic daemons (DotR)• Divine Regeneration: Heal 2 health per combat turn (FOB)• More skills to be uncovered as circumstances and traits necessitate.Inventory:• Two charges of Nepenthe, a potent drug. Purgation of all sadness, all grief, and more importantly any curse of the psyche. Worth a kingly sum.• Ancestral Armor: +2 to wound rolls• Ancestral Shield: +1 to wound rolls• Spear: 1d5 + Str + Spearplay damage• Sword: 1d5 + Str + Swordplay damage, -2 to hit against a spear user, -2 to wound against a shield user.
>>5610450Your Forces Presently not with you• Second In Command: Argyros, veteran of the Second Argo-Theban war. An experienced campaigner who is utterly devoted to your family. He can be trusted to command the men in your stead but is a commoner in every other sense. When he is independently commanding your troops, they receive a +3 bonus in combat and another die. His bonus (but not the die) adds to yours when you directly command.• First Platoon: Your House troops, fifty picked men from your home estates. Exceedingly well trained, experienced, loyal, and high morale: some of the best troops in the whole Hellenic Expedition. However, poorly armed in rural Hellenic style: smallish wooden shields with leather overlay, linothorax armor, no helmets, short spears. (Tier Three Troops: +1 for Thessalian, +1 for Argyros, +1 for Tactical Genius. +0 bonus in fighting.)
The arena is dark, empty but for your folded-over bulk. Stretching is a necessary evil, the beginning and end of training for any serious athlete or warrior. Limber limbs provide for finesse and power in blows. The rosy fingers of Eos have yet to creep over the walls of the palace complex. It has been about a week since you agreed to join the peace talks with Troy. In that time you have continued to recover from the hardest bout of sparring in your life. The ribs are healed in full, although periods of mental fogginess still come and go. You’ve yet to recover any personal memories of the fight itself. This morning is an important benchmark- the first you’ve felt good enough to train in full since Diomedes beat you.Over the week nothing very significant happened. Crown Princess Electra has continued to pretend as if you were just another guest and you have done likewise. Menelaus and Agamemnon cannot learn of the conspiracy for war which is so close to home. Princess Iphigeneia you have seen little of once her medical ministrations became unnecessary- the girl is a recluse evidently, at least compared to the outgoing Electra. Nor have you met Agamemnon’s third daughter or wife. Menelaus and Agamemnon have spent much time in private counsels, no doubt planning for the future whether or not peace with Troy is agreed to.You and Menelaus Atreides are stuck waiting in Mycenae for the return of Palamedes and Odysseus. The former was sent by High King Agamemnon to retrieve the latter some time before your own arrival in the capital. From here the party will travel to Megara, whence you will sail to Salamis to retrieve Telamonian Ajax. From there your little diplomatic group will sail to Ilion. As you begin to proper exercises, a commotion outside of the arena draws your attention. It must be at the gates of the palace- travelers hailing the watchmen to open. It is too early in the morning for the Royal Palace to have been opened to full traffic. As you reflect on the matter, you think on who could be important enough to visit the High King before his traditional hours of hearing petitions. It must be a king or important ally of the House of Atreus- or a delusional lesser noble.Will you investigate?>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.
>>5610464>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…Hooray its back
>>5610464>>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.MY BODY IS READY
>>5610464>>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…
>>5610464>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…
>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…Curiosity is good. Unless it brings you to a hill a Goddess is perched upon…
>>5610464>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.I'm sticking to the training autism
>>5610464>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…Nik never passes up a chance to insert himself into a social situation and then fuck up the actual roll.>Homer, congrats on running a quest with a fervent audience
>>5610464>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.
>>5610464>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…Inb4 rolled nat one again. LMAO
>>5610464>Yes, cease training and go to see who the visitors are. Curiosity calls…I is curious.
>"Don't know who is there, so say your name. We don't take care of self-important brats, so you will have to tell why you are here.">Is the Wind god.
>>5610631I’m sure Homer will spring at least one “hobo who is really an Olympian” situation, it’s too classic to pass up.Anyways, our sympathy trait would cause us to be attentive to the plight of the common man, so we can justify helping the mudpeople we come across
>>5610464>No, if they are important you will meet them at breakfast with the Atreidae later. If they are unimportant, then there’s no reason to interrupt your regimen for them.Wow. It's really happening!
A question to lure out the degenerates if we can't find Nira a man, who is gonna vote to do it ourselves?
>>5610777That sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
>>5610777If that wasn't dangerous in and of itself, with all the fate and mystical crap that's about to happen it might as well be the end of us.Still better than going to the oracle of Delphi
>>5610777 Ptolemids are like a millenium too early anon
Non-sequitor, but the Odysseus build sounds ideal for divine favor. Focus on getting in the good graces of a mahor god and getting a minor god to simp for us, like he did with Athena and Hecate. Obviously we've been working over Nike, but we should probably look for a major olympian to being over. I'd throw my hat in for either Ares or Hephaestus>>5610777That play ends with the incest babies finding out the truth and ripping both of us apart limb by limb, and then getting judged in Hades for our individual crimes
>>5610777Rocks fall, you die. I will not suffer what Munkun did. Incest is literal cursed behavior for mortals in this quest, and Nikandros knows it via Oedipus.>>5610518Thank you for participating anon. It's very validating to see people enjoying Hellenic glory.[>>5610465>>5610469>>5610470>>5610480>>5610484>>5610488>>5610518>>5610538>>5610567>>5610615>Archaic ADHD mode>>5610467>>5610482>>5610532>>5610604>>5610705>Σ ἀνήρ grindset>Writing!
>>5610803>MunkunWho?
>>5610806Writer of A Bastard of Westeros Quest. Had a protagonist that was weird about his family and anons that bickered so hard that it made Munkun quit.
>>5610809Shit, I know that Song fans are weird, but that is fuckedI promese limit myself to more memes and chris jokes Homer
>>5610813The whole story Martin came up with hinges on a fuckton of incest to get there. Of course the fandom is gonna attract some of those types kek.
This talk reminded me of this rendition I watched of Oedipus.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDndS5N9tes&list=LL&index=2
>>5610816[spoile]Just now I realize that I say that we have a limit myself to chris jokes and we have a mental mother.I mean Chris Redfield.But out of curiosity, if Chris-chan were to wake in this timeline, would Zeus decide to stop the war just to stop the future he come from to happen?
>>5610817Theater dudes really do be going full tilt >>5610819>swing by the local prophetess>she shares a vision of the future>sonichu.schizoid>Zeus: Everyone shut the fuck up, we gotta go kill everyone north and west of here. A better timeline there could not be.
>>5610819Who did you think started the dimensional merge if not Zeuschu?
>>5610825>Zeuschu>"FUCK YOU. CONTINENT WIDE STORM CENTRED ON YOUR HOUSE. DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT WORD AGAIN."
>>5610825>Chris autismo is so powerful that his faith in sonichu make it a corruption that expand to time and space.>The pantheons join forces to stop the infection, having to kill allies and enemies alike when they begin to sonicify.
Update tomorrow
>>5610842The date up say today, what you mean by this?
>>5610842Zeuschu cringe so powerful it makes the QM need time to recoverdayum
nice back again
>>5610833>ZOOUUUSSSSS!
>>5610906
>>5610800>we should probably look for a major olympian to being overAgreed. And Hades is the best god by far.
>>5610923i got your back bro
>>5610943Kek
>>5610923lol
>>5610943Amazing!Anyway here's some (no-homo) wrassling for the training bros.
Posting some ideas I had last thread for discussion in between Homer updates, etc etc.>Niko Char Build: ROCK CHAD v2>Current Lv. 2 => 3 => 4 => 5 => 6>STR - 18 => 18 => 18 => 19 => 19>AGI - 13 => 14 => 15 => 15 => 15>CON - 14 => 15 => 16 => 18 => 20>WILL - 12 => 12 => 12 => 12 => 12>INT - 17 => 18 => 18 => 18 => 18>CHA - 11 => 11 => 11 => 11 => 11Basically, I’m dumping most of our stat points in CON, STR, and patching our INT slightly. We can hope for additional traits to help boost our combat ability, but it will take time for our to turn into a combat monster.
>>5611591seems like a good plan to me
Here are some ideas for spending Timae once we’re back from the diplomatic mission.1) Better gear for ourselves and our men. Our squad could be the Hellenic Special Forces once properly equipped.2) commissioning a second boat? Funding an expedition to collect additional forces for the war or preventing allies of the Trojans from reaching the city?3) in a similar vein, buying the resources necessary to wage asymmetric warfare against Troy to disrupt their logistics and supply chain before the war starts properly? Sea piracy plot line ahoy! Plus maybe we would be in the position to stop Menelaus from a sacrificing one of kids.3) sacrificing a hecatomb of cattle to Nike to find out our ancestry. Or to learn from Nike how to secure safe passage of the Hellenic forces aka what does Poseidon want?4) investing resources in Thessaly itself and perhaps grow our own personal kingdom5) consulting the Oracle at Delphi (or similar figure) to learn our ancestry or otherwise find a way to optimize our destiny.6) hiring a tutor to teach us reading or writing, or at least someone to write down our thoughts into a concise document as we have them
>>5611617>5) consulting the Oracle at Delphi (or similar figure) to learn our ancestry or otherwise find a way to optimize our destiny.Literally the worst thing you could do before eating nuclear waste was possible
>>5611629Ah, I’m a Homeric lore noob, could you explain further?
>>5611641The Oracle at Delphi is a priestess (or group of priestesses) with the power to see the future and destiny. Many heroes and gods go to her to find out what fate has in store for them.It never ends well, one way or another.
>>5610803Waiting one more day to get back into your rhythm can’t hurt, right? Rising from the sandy ground of the arena, you go tie your sandals back on to see what the commotion is about. Eos still has not shown her face.Exiting the arena with your armor in your pack, sword in scabbard, and spear in hand you approach the entrance of the palace. It’s too early to be dealing with this…As you approach the fine iron-reinforced gate, you make out a handful of royal guardsmen atop the wall. You also hear a voice raging at them. Loudly.“… BY MY FATHER THE LOUD-THUNDERER, I WILL TEAR THIS GATE DOWN IF YOU DO NOT-“ Another, softer voice follows the abrupt stoppage of the angry one.“No, he won’t! But we really must speak to our brothers-in-law, and don’t have time to wait on protocol!” A moment passes before one of the guardsmen responds. By his voice, it is the same young man who gave you a reasonable challenge in training.“Dioscuri, you both know that after the incident Lord Agamemnon has forbidden your entry to the palace without his express permission. You must wait until his calling hours begin, at which point we will inform His Grace of your presence!”“HIS GRACE CAN TAKE HIS PERMISSION AND SHOVE I-“ This time an audible thump accompanies the disruption, like a man falling to the dirt from a high place.“I must insist that you let us in Captain, lest my brother do something we will both regret! I assure you that Agamemnon will not begrudge our presence!”The brothers-in-law of the Atreidae. These can be none other than Castor and Pollux, the elder twin brothers of Helen and Klytemnestra. So the bards say, warlike Pollux was a son of Zeus while Castor, breaker-of-horses, was born of the mortal king Tyndareus. When Tyndareus exiled Pollux from Sparta, Castor chose to abandon his birthright in order to accompany him. Masterful equestrians, they were the principal scouts of the Argonauts. Tales of their exploits are known across the length of Hellas. Pollux is a mighty warrior, Castor a famed healer, and both are infamous thieves of cattle.And they are here, urgently demanding to see Agamemnon and Menelaus. Yet they are being stonewalled by the Royal Guard, apparently in line with official policy. You could intervene.>The gate remains shut, barred by a massive bar of fir that would take at least four mortal men to move. You, however, are no mere mortal. You’ll let them in yourself.>Surely you have earned some goodwill from the guard in your time here. Could you not convince them to let the guests in?>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Go back to training.>Something else?
>>5610956Based art.
>>5611657>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.Concussed diplomacy.
>>5611641Let me ask you something, if fate is immutable and inevitable, then would knowing about it really change anything? If prophecy were to be absolute and it would have to be in order to be prophetic, then trying to defy it serves no purpose. Therefore knowing the unchanging future can only bring you unneeded stress. >>5611657>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.Oi cunts, our head hurts. Shut up.
>>5611657>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.
>>5611657>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Go back to training.I'll just go ahead and be the stick in the mud. No need to irritate our host or these newcomers by saying something retarded while still punch drunk.
>>5611657>>The gate remains shut, barred by a massive bar of fir that would take at least four mortal men to move. You, however, are no mere mortal. You’ll let them in yourself.NO BALLS
>>5611651To be fair, the Oracle is known for giving conditional prophecies as well. Of course, even so a man like Croesus can stumble into an unlucky fate.
>>5611657>>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently."Chill man. What about if you and me do some training while the king there wake up?"
>>5611657>Surely you have earned some goodwill from the guard in your time here. Could you not convince them to let the guests in?
>>5611676Backing this.“Hail, Pollux, son of Zeus. I am Nikandros of Thessaly. King Agamemnon has been a kind host to me, when he has had no cause to do so. I feel that I am bound to defend his ἐντολή and so must challenge you - what cause do you have to violate a kingly command?If you will not speak it, then I would wager the truth of the matter against my promise of assistance to a friendly match of strength!>basically, I challenge you to a wrassling match to explain your big problem. If I lose, I’ll be your bitch for the day and help you with whatever this is. If I win, you got to tell me what your deal is and follow Agamemnon’s order to wait until public hours.
>>5611657>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Go back to training.
I do hope with any prophecies we hear, we can deal with it like Diogenes.
>>5611685My write-in was more about working out and doing something while they wait that the king remember how to dress himself, but if you want to fight him that is fine.
>>5611693Sure, I wasn’t trying to co-opt your vote, my apologies.My immediate read is that these two guys are hotheads and gamblers. Probably Pollux can’t turn down a bet, especially when it’s a physical contest.
Oh hey, this is back! Welcome back, Homer!>>5611657>If you do nothing, it sounds like Pollux will take matters into his own hands. You’ll talk him into waiting patiently.Not sure I like this, considering our concussion and mediocre social stats, but hey, maybe Sympathy will win the day.>>5611685I'm admittedly not all too well-versed in Greek myth, but aren't Castor and Pollux like... legendary boxers? We'd probably get our ass handed to us (again) if we try a challenge. I'm otherwise open to some casual training though (though judging by their earnestness, they may have an emergency or something).
>>5611663>>5611665>>5611666>>5611674>>5611676>>5611685>>5611699>Let's talk down the raging son of Zeus>>5611667>>5611686>nope.png>>5611671>Do it yourself>>5611679>Hey bros, trust me, let them in.>Very well. Secondary vote for approach.>Just use your godlike negotiation skills to charm Pollux into relaxing>Maybe you could just tell them to fuck off and wait?>Challenge Pollux to wrestle/box (which?)- if you win he waits patiently, if he wins you help him out. Warning- Pollux is known to be quite the athlete.>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.>Something else?
>>5611702>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.
>>5611702>>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.
>>5611696Don't worry, I just dont want to risk to make a enemy of a fellow hero. Maybe we can get lucky.
>>5611702I would say challenge him to a wrestling match and then do our damndest to ring him out, presuming that ancient Greeks had both TKO and ring out victories.We probably have a weight advantage on him given our Giant status and so maybe could toss him out of the ring.
>>5611657Aw man, and some of you want to pick a (friendly) fight with two argonauts?We really have no reason to butt in and possibly lose a lot of face.>Actually, you’ll do nothing. There’s no winning any interaction between royal in-laws. Stand aside and see if you're needed.At most i would vote to ask a guard to explain the situation and try to stop pollux if it looks like he will slaughter the guards, but i don't think castor would let him rage.
>>5611702>>Suggest you all pass some time exercising.>soo you are a king right? Do you have a queen? My sister is single you know
>>5611716>As you well know, Hellenic wrestling matches are won by three points worth of fall, submission, or ring-out. The latter is the rarest form of victory on account of the large area of the ring.
>>5611728Kick a rock under you opponent foot is legal?
Rolled 19, 14 = 33 (2d20)>>5611704>>5611707>>5611708>>5611710>>5611711>>5611721>>5611726>Alright, no need to wait with such a majority. >>5611732>No. That's more the kind of thing you might see in Pankration.>Roll me 1d20-2, Bo3 (-3 for the plan, +0 for charisma. Bo3 for having the power in this interaction) versus my 2d20+2
>>5611728Hmm, I honestly think we have a chance at ringing him out, but I see that most folks want to bro out and maybe do some deadlifts instead.
>>5611734>-21d20-3, I mean.
Rolled 17 (1d20)>>5611734This is bullying
Rolled 17 - 2 (1d20 - 2)>>5611734lol
>>5611734Another roll that's impossible to beat when interacting with rolls, what a surprise
>>5611734Sigh. What are we going to do about you rolling 19 and 20s, Homer?
>>5611740Royals, not rolls.Poor Nikon
Rolled 11 (1d20)>>5611734
The good news is when he says no and tells us to fuck off we can just laugh and go back to training. >>5611738>>5611739Dub roll is cool at least.
>>5611741Again the dice reflect the situation. You chose by far the hardest option, which you have no skills or trait bonus in, and chose a strange way to go about it.>>5611738>>5611739>>5611745>14 v 21: significant failure. Writing, update later tonight.
>>5611749>chose a strange way to go about it.So they are scrubs that don't care about gains, got it
>>5611749Exercising with the buff dude to pass the time would have been harder than just asking the son of zeus to calm down because we said so?
>>5611755admittedly, Pollux already seems like he’s in rage mode, so listening to some scrub up on the wall probably was unlikely.Anyways, I’m not that upset about this. I’d rather be on Agamemnon’s good side rather than Pollux, honestly.
>>5611755>"Listen guys, I get that this is urgent and one of you is angrily impatient, but surely you can relax and go for a run with me to pass the time?"To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that epic heroes have a tendency to stop everything for funeral games I would have penalized you more. Even so, training doesn't have the same war-pausing appeal to it.
>>5611749Even if we weren't running on a malus and we had a minor trait we would have handily lost on dice size alone. It's less "The dice reflect" and more "the dice decide". He ain't complaining about the penalty we took, he's lamenting that you're a high roller.>>5611754>based exercise committer >>5611759For real. We can't piss off EVERY host we have. At this point it's starting to seem like we should completely forego every social interaction. And thus miss out on 80% of all encounters pre-war.
>>5611766S C R U B SGain > Everything elseExcept rocks, but you need gains to lift rocks
>>5611770You can lift rocks to get gains to lift bigger rocks. It's a perfect fucking circle.
>>5611766This is part of our master plan homer. Now he dont like us and maybe he want to open our head.Lets dedicate this tactical victory to Nike.
>>5611759Agememnon already has a decent opinion of us. We would have lost nothing by just coolin on the training field.
>>5611778You are correct. But Nikandros is concussed and is making bad choices. So now we have irritated Pollux, but this isn’t a total negative, obviously. We can manipulate hatred as well.
>Actually, I need a Kleos check here. >1d20, Bo3 FYI a Kleos check is essentially a reputation check to see if your fame can carry you.
Rolled 9 (1d20)>>5611786
Rolled 3 (1d20)>>5611786Um, maybe Pollux cares about petteia?
Rolled 19 (1d20)>>5611786Watch this 1. Kleos is the best social stat
>>5611787>>5611789>>5611791Well, no Kleos luckAtleast we got another double roll?
Kek. No shot.
>>5611791I would like to apologize to everyone, I should not have posted.
>>5611787>>5611789>>5611791>Unfortunately that 19 came a minute too late. Failure, writing.
>>5611792That hurts to see>>5611795There's no way you would have know
>>5611796>Literally rolled a fail AGAIN on social shit. There isnt ANY point in trying. Stick to gains. Its what we are good at.
>>5611799Join the training autism gang
>>5611802Am 1000% on board with Sigma-grindset ganggang now!
>Failed Social Roll>Failed Kleos RollI half suspect that we'll fulfill Electra's wishes by just being ourselves.
>>5611804Good, it grows.One day will we become the majority, and Nikon will be able to throw even bigger rocks!
>>5611805She knew that we were the right choice when we tried to intimidate her in her own temple, lol
>>5611806We must throw the walls of Troy itself.
>MFers know our social stats are weak>proceeds to continue picking the social optionsfuck me it hurts. its like watching lemmings jump off a cliff
>>5611808>Did this idiot really have the balls to say that shit to me? Eureka! >>5611813That's not fair. The lemmings were forced to jump.
>>5611813Just wait. Imagine our autistic self in Troy with Agememnon's retard aura.>I am growing stronger
>>5611824Who knew that /qst/ could role play as an autist so effectively?I’m actually beginning to love how often we get fucked up in this quest. Maybe we’ll learn to play better or something.
>>5611827I half expect to get locked up somewhere awaiting execution and then the wall mysteriously crumbles to let us out just because the gods haven't finished laughing at us yet.
>>5611813People hate missing social interactions more than actually failing them, especially if they unlock sideplot stuff
>>5611831>Zeus and the boys having a giggle watching Nik>”oh, look, he’s a tactical GENIUS”We should start challenging everyone to board games, it’s really the only thing we succeed at…
>>5611827I doubt that, but I'm trying to hang onto hope.Anyway, I'm off to bed, if there's a vote after this, please preemptively count mine as just going back to training.
Also, you all might feel bad, but with the NOTABLE exception of Odysseus most heroes experience many social failures when interacting with other heroes. Don't forget that the Iliad started with two social failures- one of which caused a fucking plague, the other of which caused Achilles to ragequit the war. Further, Ajax's suicide was essentially caused by him taking a massive social L to Odysseus. It's not a bug, it's a feature.
>>5611833What's funny is despite the fact we flub so often, we also make undeniable progress where it matters.
>>5611836See? This mean we have to keep pushing our foot in our mouth, that way our leg will come out from the other side.
>>5611836Ah, now I see.We aren’t trying to “fix” the Iliad, we are just fucking it all up in new and exciting ways.Anyways, we were bound to piss off one of the heroes. At least we’re currently on good terms with Achilles and Agamemnon.
>>5611836Now this I can get behind.
>>5611836>tfw no one is failing social encounters against us despite the fact that everyone is kind of an asshole with minimal people skillsTheatrics aside, I'll only really be upset if we actually do ruin our chances of getting sis a primo catch of a lad. It's the only social roll that counts as far as I'm concerned.
>>5611854Don't worry anon, there's always alternatives. If you're too autistic to negotiate your sister's marriage, you can always just take a Trojan Prince hostage for her!
>>5611857>Raze the Trojan Prince's city.>Carry him away to a foreign land.>Force him to marry sis.That's actually an option? How does that not end with the man killing Nikon's family while they sleep?
>>5611865Concubinage > Chattel Slavery > Death. At least, for sort of man who wouldn't die honorably in battle first.
>>5611857It sounds like a dumb idea until you realize Priam has like seven fucking sons. Then it sounds like a bad idea because most of them are heroes of their own right and could likely escape or kill their way out of wherever we bring them if we weren't there. I mean I'm sure sis has a 15 or 16 in strength and a 14 in con as well but still.>>5611865Maybe sis can brew a love potion.
>>5611865He doesn't need hands or feet to make babies, just his dick.
>>5611868>Priam has like seven fucking sonsI thought the due had 50 sons and 50 daughters?
>>5611874Correct
>>5611874I just don't buy it, myself. According to blah blah blah sources he has like 80 kids. Mostly boys at 60+ and about 20 daughters. But even if he really does have nearly a hundred kids who really wants the "literally who" of his spawn? I'm not looking for schmucks for sis.
>>5611879A prince is a prince, and there will certainly be a shortage of eligible bachelors post-war what with all the men that end up murdered, punished by the gods for their crimes, or otherwise lost. Might as well get her a high status slave boy to bully around if we can't perserve a proper husband
>>5611895I mean sure if we're scraping the bottom of the barrel but I'd rather not. A worthy man is better than a renowned man, but better still is both.
We can always bring all the capture slav- Maybe future brothers-in-law to her so she can choose.
>>5611903>giving sister a stableReal chad move there.
>>5611903Got get another boat or two to carry them all home then. Going full Ganymede.
>>5611908Sister using the rock to train her next toy
>>5611917I don't know why this made me think of it, but I wonder what some of the lady's statlines are in this quest. I mean Helen beat goddesses in a beauty contest, her charisma naturally has to be higher than normal limits. Electra has good social stats and int. Penelope must be yolked out of her mind with her nonphysical stats. Cassandra's stats don't matter. Thanks, curse.
>>5611942Men get more power on the physical world, while woman are more in contact with the supernatural world
>>5611942Just as men generally have better combat stats than social stats, women largely have better social stats than combat stats. Balance of the household and all that. In wits, for instance, Penelope is Odysseus's equal. You better believe Helen's charisma is pure gas. So on. That being said, just as there are exceptions among men, there are also tomboys among women...>>5611868She doesn't. Remember, 10 is the baseline, sub 14 is average for most stats for most nobles. The people you've met so far in the quest are quite exceptional stats wise, and the values thusfar are overinflated relative to the actual cast of characters. >>5611947Not necessarily. Know that most priests and augurs are male. Also, update very very soon.
>>5611948>Helen's charisma is pure gasI think I have a solution for when Nikon eventually gets confronted by a ridiculous high-charisma person. Just get the giant to plug his ears and run out of the room, screaming is optional.
>>5611948I was sure Nira also has the giant trait. Guess not. Just big lady.>>5611952>Nikon when forced to deal with someone with high social stats
>>5611952>Just get the giant to plug his ears>"YOU SIRENS WILL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!"
>>5611734>>5611749>>5611796You will intervene. You must- Agamemnon is your host, and a good guest does not suffer insult to his host’s authority. Further ingratiating yourself into the royal court is another consideration. Self-interest and justice combined- perhaps there is something to Electra’s worldview.The question is how. Letting them in is a nonstarter. How does one stop an angry hero from doing something unwise? By either killing him- a poor idea, seeing that Pollux is family of the High King and Queen- or distracting him. You don’t trust your words to do the job. You also don’t fancy your chances challenging the most famed unarmed fighter in all of Hellas. What about training? A good old jog, some stretching, sparring- that’s the way! What kind of red-blooded man would refuse a training partner like you?Plan in mind, you make your way up the staircase leading to the top of the walls. You startle the guards- the weren’t expecting any backup. The young man- the Captain of the Royal Guard- turns to face you.“Lord Nikandros, you’re up early. The buffoon yelling down there wake you?”“No, I woke to train but found myself distracted by the commotion at the gate. Wait, buffoon?” His disdain for Pollux is surprising, considering the man’s status.“Yes my lord, buffoon. A troublemaker, a scoundrel. Only the gods can imagine what would become of Lord Pollux if not for Lord Castor. He picked a fight with the King at his own table you know- challenged him to box. Any other man who did so would’ve been executed on the spot, but being the brother of the Queen and a son of Zeus has its advantages. I trust you’re here to help?” Indeed, his voice is quite hopeful near the end. For mortal men confronting demigod royalty is a tall task.“That I am- ah, what it your name?”“Keas, my lord.”“Yes, Keas, I am. Excuse me.” You step through the assembled guardsmen to look down at the Dioscuri. They are twins indeed. Of note is the platinum blonde hair of the man standing on the ground, and his bulging muscles. Pollux then, son of Zeus. Castor is still mounted- his hair is black, his frame slimmer. Otherwise their handsome features are essentially identical. Their steeds are impressive in the extreme- pitch-black chargers, monstrously large, and according to the bards a pair of divine gifts from Poseidon. That they mastered such animals is proof enough of their horsemanship.
>>5611981“Hail, Pollux, son of Zeus. I am Nikandros of Thessaly, a guest of Agamemnon. Why do you have such an urgent need to enter the palace?”He squints up at you- even from this distance you can detect the unnatural gold in his eyes. “Who are you? No, better yet, why are you talking to me? Do you know who I am? Mind your own gods-damned business you oversized yokel.” Even as he finishes his brother is speaking up.“Lord Nikandros, pardon my brother. The night ride from Patrae has roused his temper. We’ve had to deal with many hinderances on the road. There is urgent business with Menelaus and Agamemnon to be settled, and it was trouble enough to enter the city at this time of day. Can you not speak to the men to let us in?” You see what Keas meant about the dynamic between Pollux and Castor.“Lords Castor and Pollux, can you not wait to enter? Perhaps we could train together? I’ve never had the opportunity to train with horsemen and boxers of your caliber.” At this Castor and Pollux make a decidedly similar face- one of astonishment. As one they speak.“What?” You take this as a cue to continue.“Well, the way I see it rather than bother the king before an appropriate time we could profitably use the morning to train. Surely you two want for partners of any serious caliber just as I do?” This time there is a difference in their response. Castor sighs deeply, while Pollux’s face and voice adopt a pure condescension as he again speaks.“I see, you’re just a blithering idiot Menelaus is bringing along with him to Ilion as dumb muscle. I can’t believe that an honest-to-Zeus troglodyte like you would be preferred to us, the brothers of the victim. Oh, to hell with this.” They know about the mission? Even as he finishes speaking to you, Pollux turns around and walks away. All eyes are on him- yours, Castor’s, the guards’s. What is he doing? One he’s about one-hundred or so feet away from the gate, he turns back around and drops to a crouch. No, not a crouch- a runner’s stance!Castor begins to speak, anticipating what’s about to happen.“Brother don’t-“ Pollux ignores his protest, and instead flies like an arrow from his stance into a run. The pace is not especially high. Indeed, it’s leisurely almost, his gait belying his incredible speed. As he nears the wall he slows down- only for his arms to flip back as he squats a little. Then he leaps out of your view. For a moment you don’t understand, but then it hits you.The crazy bastard is climbing the wall!All of you seem to realize this insanity at the same time. Castor starts yelling at his brother to stop this foolishness. The guardsmen look to Keas for direction and he commands them to form up and stop Pollux as he crests the wall.
>>5611983What will you do?>Assist the guardsmen in stopping Pollux. Even unarmed and unarmored, a man like him is a real danger to them. However, you won’t be able to resort to truly lethal force.>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.> Get back down the stairs and get the hell out of here. Nothing but the thought of the damage to your reputation fleeing might do is stopping you after all. >Something else?
>I see, you’re just a blithering idiot Menelaus is bringing along with him to Ilion as dumb muscle. I can’t believe that an honest-to-Zeus troglodyte like you would be preferred to us, the brothers of the victim. Oh, to hell with thisThe insults are hilarious. Seems we're nicely developing that dummy reputation.Don't suppose we could do something like assume command if the soldiers and use our tactical genius bonus to fend off the wall crawling demigod.
>>5611988>You certainly can as a write-in. You'll have to convince Keas to accept you as his temporary superior to do so, but considering the circumstances and your personal relationship with the Royal Guard it's not a bad idea in the slightest.
Maybe get some oil and pour it on the man to make him slip, though he might break his neck. Depends in how fast he’s climbing
>>5611985>Assume temporary command, there's a demigod to repel!I'm thinking commanding men to get some oil and pour it on the guy and throw pieces of cloth at his face to mess up his climbing and focus.What else can we throw at the guy? A chicken?
>>5611993Honestly we could probably just pour a guard's drink down the wall near Pollox's handholds. Just getting it slick would probably do the trick. But oil is better. Super slippery.
Perhaps a net if they have one.
>>5611985>>Assume temporary command, there's a demigod to repel!
>>5611985>>Something else?Help him to climb.He gonna expect we try to stop him, so he is gonna press on with more force. So we must push him up, he will lose footing in the confusion and will fall down.
>>5612002Anon, this write-in does not make any sense to me.>>5611992>>5611998>>5612000Nothing so convenient is on hand. The Palace was not exactly prepared for a one-man-siege. You can certainly look for things, but that'll be a check.
>>5612005I think anon is being a goober, but his idea isn't really a bad one. If we were to offer him a rope he might be stupid enough to grab it and then we could just drop him.But they don't let guards have any water out here? Wall duty is rough.
>>56116177) Play petteia for get more money by winning against rich nobles.8) get more meni approve of sending some money home to sis for help develop the land, when we get them>>5611662yey>>5611993>>5611998>>5612000What's something more common here, anything like wine and water is probably not high above the walls.And nothing disgusting, we have to stop him not shame him and ridicule ourselves.
>>5611988I support this the tactical genius option feels like the best way forward, and lets our best trait shine.>>5612005Seems to me like pollux wants in on the siege action early, it seems common occurrence to have divinely strong men shouting at walls to be let in, in this era.>>5612002That is some lateral thinking on par with letting castor in, shame nobody would think good of it.It would make us like an odysseus who always fails his schemes.At least we aren't ordering the guards to deter him by spitting because saliva is wet and he may slip... or use a big rock to solve the problem.
>>5612048>It would make us like an odysseus who always fails his schemes.We can't fail in our plans if our plan is to act like we have a plan.>Pollux climb thenks to us.Victory, part of our plan all along>Pollux fall thenks to usVictory, part of our plan all along>At least we aren't ordering the guards to deter him by spitting because saliva is wet and he may slip... or use a big rock to solve the problem.The wall is the big rock. This time we don't use the rock aganst the opponent, the rock is using us as a weapon aganst the opponent.We are the rock.
>>5611985Supporting >>5612002.>>5612005Like the other anon says, offer Pollux a rope, then drop him. Castor can take over and stop him from chucking a rock at us.
>>5611993Backing this option. We assume temporary command of the men, have them search for oil, nets, sand or dirt, and other impediments to Pollux as he climbs.All you anons trying to pull a bait and switch with a rope - why would Pollux accept help from the moron who literally just told him to abide the King’s order? Not to mention, Pollux does not NEED the rope, so why would he even grab it? This idea makes no sense on 3 different levels.
>>5612086Oh and before we start pouring stuff on Pollux, apologize for our previous behavior and offer to personally deliver a message to King Agamemnon immediately if he’s in such a hurry.If he turns us down, then we can have the lads (and us) start pitching nonlethal objects at him. If we succeed, we should make the same offer to Castor.
>>5612086>>5612092Sorry, these two posts belong to me despite the ID change.Anyways our tactical genius bonus should kick in once we take command of the men and then Nik will be in his element. Victory is assured
>>5612092>"Hey! You know about the secret mission that the high king say that we must keep in secret?!">"If this is about that I can talk to the high king about the secret mission that he say we must not talk about!"
>>5612096Don't worry, we won't tell a soul.
>>5612096>I am now jokingTell them that we literally cannot read and therefore we could deliver a scroll in their behalf.>Nik: wait, can you guys read or write?>castor and Pollux: wat>I could get you a chisel and hammer and stuff? Then I could run back to Agamemnon with your urgent message and…>Pollux: shut the FUCK up>I am now seriousIf we can knock Pollux off the wall with the soldiers helping, then we can offer to deliver his message.
>>5611985>Assist the guardsmen in stopping Pollux. Even unarmed and unarmored, a man like him is a real danger to them. However, you won’t be able to resort to truly lethal force.I can support the command option to give buff, or trying to make the walls slippery. I'm against offering to send a message or dropping a rope though.Also pelt them him with small rocks to distract him while at it
>>5612086The way I see it, the training thing sounded like a weak objection, so he would interpret the rope as our surrender.I'm OK with just commandeering the men too, but giving him a rope and dropping it was too funny not to support.
>>5612138I think using pebbles against a demigod would be like throwing peanuts and calling him a chimp.I would say pouring liquids on the stone and deter him using the butts of spears would work best.Be careful to let go if he grabs them tho.>>5612152I feel like the guards may object to offering a rope, and such a trick if it works would only make us an enemy of pollux.
>>5611988Supporting using our tactical skills to prevent him making entry.
>>5611985>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.I feel a bit ambivalent about some of the write-ins, so I'll be going with this for now. It seems somewhat sensible.>>5612096>>5612092Except this one. It sounds funny.
>>5611985>>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.
>>5612048>Exceedingly common. Hell, this isn't even Pollux's first time climbing a wall in a siege. Fun fact, this isn't even the first time Helen was kidnapped. Theseus took her when she was a child because he wanted a divine wife, to which the Dioscuri responded by invading Athens and putting someone else on the throne.
>>5612222>>5612176>>5612138>FYI anon, those options are (somewhat) exclusive. Assisting them =/= commanding them =/= looking for shit to pour >Help out the guardsmen>>5612086 >See above>>5612048>>5612175>>5612001>>5611993>Assume command>>5612058>>5612002>Attempt to bait-and-switch>I'm not closing the vote yet. Anons, please standardize on a greetext for write-in purposes. Doing otherwise makes it hard to tally.
>>5611985>Get back down the stairs and open the gate. You’ll need Castor’s assistance to suppress his brother without extreme violence, and you’ll deal with the aftermath once the present issue is sorted.
>>5612270Fuck, I mean>>5612176>>5612222>Get Castor in>>5612138>Help put guardsmen
>>5612270Alright I am clearly voting for >assume command of the men to repel PolluxAlthough I do think it’s reasonable to assign 2 or 3 guards to go hunting for amphoras of oil and water while we marshal the rest of them for a coordinated response.
>>5612270I'll be honest, I don't know how assuming command and having one or two guys looking to have anything slippery to pour are exclusive, but ok.Does the palace not have any kind of oil or slippery liquid around, be it for lamps do lamps even exist in the bronze age?, water or even olive oil. It's not like the write was asking to pour tar and set it on fire like it's an actual siege.Or is it not a matter of the guards not have any supplies at hands, but the quantity they would have wouldn't be enough, or simply by the time someone grabbed it from the storehouse Pollux would have climbed the walls?
>>5612284I ended up fucking up the post when I rewrote it. Atleast it's still somewhat understandable
>>5612284In practice, you need a significant amount of liquid to pour down the wall to hope to successfully disrupt his climb. In Hellas oil-burning lamps aren't a thing until the Archaic period, so a feasible amount must be fetched. OOC, you have one "action" turn before he's done climbing. Pollux is a master freeclimber.
>>5612291Fair enough.In that case, we should basically position ourself at the top of the wall where he is climbing and use the butt of our spear to push at Pollux as he approaches. We should have a significant reach advantage given our size.We should also coordinate volleys of thrown rocks/pebbles/objects from the guards to disrupt Pollux’s attention and maybe cause him to fall off before he ascends to the top.
>>5612291So it is a question of quantity, that makes sense.>>5612296I'll back up this anon in assuming command to coordinate the guards.Also throwing rock.
>>5612296We could ask 2-4 guards to fetch a table or wooden couch and menace Pollux with it.
>Hey Zeus! Your son wants to go against the wishes of the high king!>It could be said that he wants to be over the king, like... overthrow him! Like you did with your father!>A lightning strikes Pollux for being a rebel.>Another falls to us for snitching
>>5612355He is being a very rude quest.
>>5612364Guest not quest.
>>5612270Are we strong enough to break a piece of masonry off the wall?
>>5612391Not off of these walls, but off of those of lesser quality yes. However, I strongly recommend you don't do so- I hope that it's pretty obvious that the idea is *not* to kill him here.
>>5612393Yeah, I was just curious. I don't really have any clever ideas to add to this ridiculousness desu senpai
>>5612270>>5612296I support what this guy cooked up.
>>5612291It would be interesting to know when olive oil became so common in antiquity because roman legions would not move without a steady supply and greco-roman wrestling used to include smearing copious amounts of oil on the combatants.
>>5612401>Nik senses a commotion at the palace gates>he immediately escalates the situation into a small scale conflict>Pollux and Castor are dead, 27 gate guards are dead, gates are damaged>another tactical victory for Nik
>>5612222>>5612176>Get Castor In>>5612138>Help out the guardsmen>>5612280>>5612048>>5612175>>5612001>>5611993>>5612404>Assume command>>5612058>>5612002>Attempt to bait-and-switch>I think that I have this right. Another charisma check to assume command. They're mortals, and they know and trust you, and these are pressing times, so give me 1d20+3 Bo3
Rolled 4 (1d20)>>5612512
Rolled 11 + 3 (1d20 + 3)>>5612512why all anons retarded?
Rolled 7 + 3 (1d20 + 3)>>5612522Yea, I don't know>>5612512Rollan
Rolled 19 + 3 (1d20 + 3)
>>5612528Second time this happens
>>5612534my bad, had to look up how to roll and that slowed me down
>>5612517>>5612522>>5612527>Again, the rolled 19 is a few seconds too late. However, that overall 14 is a success anyways.>Since this should all be in one update, give me 1d20+7 (+3 int, +4 Tac Gen) Bo3 to plan out dealing with Pollux.
Rolled 2 (1d20)>>5612537I'm not blaming you, it's just weird how it happened twice, right after the other one>>5612539
Rolled 2 + 7 (1d20 + 7)
Rolled 4 (1d20)>>5612539Nat 1
Rolled 3 + 7 (1d20 + 7)>>5612539Try number two.
Rolled 9 + 7 (1d20 + 7)well, since we're waiting on a 19 so we can complain.
>>5612544>Rolled 2>>5612551>Rolled 2>>5612553>Rolled 4>>5612556>Rolled 3>>5612557>Rolled 9hahahahahahaahathe gods truly hate us
>>5612559I blame the rivers
>>5612559Nikon fails at social, tactics or combat.Poor boy can't catch a break
>>5612570And.I keep making mistakes today, Jesus
>>5612544>>5612551>>5612553>Bros, PLEASE. >11- a minor failure>Writing.
d20s reeeee
So Pollox is gonna be up here with us. Great. Now what? Are we gonna have to kick his ass and lock him up for trespassing? You just know he's gonna start some shit with us for opposing him.
>>5612597>Now what?Make him belive that the perfect vengance for this is marry our sister
>>5612597>Great. Now what?Probably fail another roll or something
>>5612614>you're quite good! Quick question, how do you feel about tall hot witches?Really leaning into the insane reputation here not gonna lie, but after all so is the ancient greek world.
>>5612640From what I hear, greeks have this idea that if you take care of insane or crazy persons you could avoid curses
>>5612512>>5612539>>5612559You quickly think it through. That you must stop Pollux from doing… whatever it is he plans to do is clear. The question is how to do it. You can’t kill him, as murdering a son of Zeus and a brother of two royal families will likely not work out for you in the long run. So, throwing whatever you have at hand at him as he climbs- a traditional method of siege defense- is unacceptable. A part of you considers letting Castor in to get his assistance, but that might take too much time and at any rate will compromise your whole plan of upholding Agamemnon’s authority. You could simply join the guards in the defense, but that’s a waste of your real talents. You are a noble of the sword, born to rule in battle and lead men to victory. That your military mind outstrips most all your contemporaries is something you know, and will prove to the world. So, you must assume command of the six men who comprise the scratch force overseeing this gate. You address Keas.“Captain Keas, I will be assuming command of your men. Do you accept?” A brief look of confliction comes and goes on his face.“Yes, my lord. What shall we do?”What shall you do indeed. You either need to prevent him from getting atop the walls at all, or subdue him once he gets here. The former is likely doomed to failure on account of your lacking equipment, so you’ll ring him in with a wall of bronze once he gets here. He’ll submit when he realizes the overwhelming force he is facing, right?You command Keas and his men to form a shield wall around the area where he’ll be cresting, holding the butts of their spears out to bludgeon him with. You yourself stand behind the formation, in preparation to assist should something go awry. There is an awful period where you and the men are waiting. The seconds ticking by feel like minutes. The anticipation of an action is always worse on the spirit than the doing, as the inexperienced royal guardsmen are no doubt learning themselves right now. You are used to it.As things always do, something goes awry. Pollux did not crest the wall where you anticipated- he cleverly must have slid along it to surprise any resistance. You should’ve posted a man to watch his progress personally, an unfortunate error.Even as he pulls himself up far to your left he turns away from you to continue running. Frankly, you have no clue exactly what he’s planning here. Does he even have a plan?Now you have a new dilemma- your men are out of position, the side of the shield wall is presented to the attacker. Thankfully this is not a battle, and Pollux is unarmed, or otherwise such an error could’ve cost many lives. You’re in adequate position to deal with him thanks to your commitment to planning for contingencies. Now what?
>>5612672>You may not be armored, but you still have your spear. Give chase and bludgeon him yourself until he stops. Obviously, this will turn on your ability to beat him with a stick.>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling. >Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.>Something else?
>>5612673>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestlingIf we fail a strength roll, might as well Ajax ourselves
>>5612673>>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.We only have to slow him down enough for the guards to catch up and start whaling on him, right? >>5612678We probably can't even catch him. And you already know we're going to lose the wrestling. He does it all the time so he's good at it. Hell the guy probably has comparable strength to us anyway.
>>5612673>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.>>5612678It's probably an agility roll to hit first. Time to raise the alarm, I guess.
>>5612685>For clarity's sake, the wrestling roll is not a combat roll. It's a straight d20 v d20 contest.
>>5612673>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.If the tactical roll fails again, yeah Ajaxing ourselves seems a sign from Nike
>>5612673>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.Surely we can’t lose every roll in this thread…
>>5612678>>5612696To be fair, at this point I’m interested in mostly putting on a good show so that Agamemnon later hears about how we gave Pollux a hard time. He might be entertained?If we can actually subdue him, that’s a bonus. Also the guards can’t be blamed for any of this and we tackle Pollux, he won’t have time to kill any of the hormones since he’ll be suplexing us into a come
>>5612673>Your men are out of position, but the advantage of numbers cannot be abandoned so quickly. Detach Keas to cut him off at the bottom of the walls, while you take a couple other men to assist you. Has the clear drawback of a slower response time.
>>5612673>order the men to follow you and then tackle him into a wrestling match.If he loses good, if he wins he's surrounded.Hoping that Castor doesn't exploit the undefended gates to slink inside unnoticed.
>>5612673>>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.>>5612741This
>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestlingWe've gotta' start making sacrifices to Athos, Hades, & Nike ASAP. I'm thinking piracy is the way to go to maximize loot, battles & XP, kleios, plus cut Trojan supply lines.Are Trojans White/Indo-European btw? Assyrians & Hittites were I'm pretty sure
>>5612764hehe water>>5612673>He’s your problem now. Throw your training spear at him and then run him down and personally subdue him with wrestling.
>>5612764More Indo that Euro if they come from beyond the black sea, but yeah.Also we must plan our offer to Athos. Something Nike dont want.Maybe the corses of the dead?
We haven't pissed off the Sea just yet, only the Rivers.
>>5612764I wouldn't conflate white with Indo-European, as racial categories don't readily translate into categories of socio-cultural descent. Unbeknownst to Nikandros, the Hellenes, Luwians, and Hittites are all descendants of the Proto-Indo-Europeans. This means there is substantial linguistic, cultural, and religious commonality between them all. However, the Hittites and Luwians are of the Anatolian group, who split off from the P.I.E. peoples and colonized Anatolia MUCH earlier than the Hellenic group did with respect to Hellas. Additionally, the Hellenes intermixed with the Old Europeans (specifically, the Minoans) to a much greater degree than the Hittites/Luwians did with whatever long-forgotten peoples existed in Anatolia before the P.I.E. conquest of that region.The Assyrians are different- they speak a Semitic language, and live south of the regions that the Proto-Indo-Europeans invaded.
Rolled 10, 18 = 28 (2d20)>>5612678>>5612683>>5612709>>5612753>>5612764>>5612775>Take him down yourself>>5612685>>5612696>>5612725>Rally the men to catch him>>5612741>Order your men to charge him with you>Noted. You're aiming to javelin him and then wrassle him down. Since he's running, the javelin auto-hits. I'll assume you're going hard, so I'm lowering your strength bonus to +3. Roll me 1d20+3, Bo3, to beat my 2d20+3 (you have the advantage since he's fleeing).
>18+3=21Arght!
Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20 + 3)>>5612892
Rolled 3 + 3 (1d20 + 3)>>5612892Yeah sure, we'll land this one.
Rolled 6 + 3 (1d20 + 3)>>5612892Lol 18
My God, these rolls! We need to get out of this palace!
>>5612901>>5612903>>5612904What a surprise. Another roll which would lose us the check no matter what we picked to do. The dice fucking HATE Nikon being around any authority figures I guess. We should just go live in the woods where there are no kings.
>>5612897Every time
>>5612907>We should just go live in the woods where there are no kings.Go back home and be a frontier lord
Rolled 17, 15 + 7 = 39 (2d20 + 7)>>5612892>>5612901>>5612903>>5612904>JUST>This is getting ridiculously improbable.Ok, you missed the throw. He's tired from scaling the wall, so you catch him. Let's see if you can wrestle him down. I need 2d20+6 (full strength bonus) versus my 2d20+7 (+3 str, +4 wrestling skill)
Rolled 2 (1d20)>>5612911>17
>17+5=22WHY?!
>>5612911>20+Why fucking bother. He kills us. Quest over. FFS.
>>5612911Why even bother.
Rolled 4, 9 + 6 = 19 (2d20 + 6)>>5612911Are the Dioscuri divine at this point in the Illiad?
Rolled 82 (1d100)Fuck you Nike, Athos rule
>>5612911Oh no, it's happening again
>>5612912>I'm feeling merciful, so I'm disregarding this roll because the modifier is wrong. >>5612918>And this one for being 2d20.
Rolled 8 (1d20)>>5612922
Should've just kept company with Achilles.
Rolled 13, 20 + 6 = 39 (2d20 + 6)>>5612911Geez, I know these threads are filled with downers and doomsayers but damn
>>5612918No.
Rolled 6, 11, 15, 6, 3, 11, 5, 16 = 73 (8d20)>>5612923Fuck
>>5612926Yooo. Let's go!
>>5612923>>5612926>The correct modifiers, please. 1d20+6.
Rolled 18 + 6 (1d20 + 6)>>5612911>>5612922Right properly this time
I know why this is happening. When Homer said that the quest wouldn't have, he also said that he said he enjoyed Neckbeard Wizard quest but it was sometimes too much, so the Dice Gods decided to make it happen as a prank.
>>5612910Don't go back home. Wouldn't want to hit sis with the massive fucking jobber aura. Let's just go northeast and fuck around on a mountain until Thetis rolls up and tells us to kill ourselves for her amusement favor.
Rolled 8 + 6 (1d20 + 6)>>5612930
Rolled 3 + 6 (1d20 + 6)>>5612930Wait did we just do good here?
>>5612932wouldn't have crits, excuse my retardation>>5612931We did it! It just took a bunch of rerolls and QM fiat
Did we catch this bastard? We got break his nose or something.
Rolled 765 (1d1000)>>5612934Thetis curse us
>>5612930Oh, I thought you said 2d20
>>5612930Was it not 2 d20?
>>5612931>Had to reroll like 9 times AND had to have the QM take pity upon us. Stick to training. Ignore all other attempts at fun until the war happens.
>>5612931Doesn't matter. We're back.
>>5612938I think we can chalk up Niko’s performance to his concussion being WAY worse than he thinks.In-character, Nik thinks he’s a bit foggy. Out-of-character, he has been a stumbling bumbling jobbing machine.
>>5612931>>5612935>24 versus 24. >That's a tie, which automatically resolves to a skin-of-your-teeth success.>>5612932>>5612938That is a decidedly plausible explanation. The gods will have their sport of us, one way or another...>>5612942>>5612944>I fucked up and went away from my normal nomenclature, which should've had it as 1d20+6 Bo2. My bad, but it did work out in your favor.>Writing
>>5612945 Hey, man most Greek heroes are a bunch of fuckups and nikon is just starting out.
>>5612947Atleast he is good at Petteia, talking to whores and naiads
>>5612947More like we built an absolutely shit character. >>5612951No fucking more of this. Stick to GAINZ until the war.
>>5612945>Stick to training>Roll 1 at training>We lose a leg
>>5612945Honestly I'm over it. We're just gonna get fucked by dice in the future again anyway. Shouldn't even bother with clever plans or quick thinking. It'll just come down to the dice deciding we don't get to win.
>>5612952Oh, and throwing rocks, which is what really matter.Just don't replace the rock with a javelin, apparently
>>5612953Nah, man, we picked a build that will crush at late-game and suck absolute shit in the early game.Don’t get discouraged because Nik is a scrub now, he’s going to be a monster in three levels, with equipment and defy boosts.
>>5612953>More like we built an absolutely shit character.Every character is shit at low level.And we cant control the dice.
>>5612955That's the game, dude. no need to worry.
>>5612961We technically could if we went for the oracle build, with the extra dice, divine saves and stored rerolls. But we didn't even think of it during character creation and pay for it with shit stats.
I didn't even want to engage with this in the first place, but all things considered, this is probably a really good outcome for Nikon.
>>5612966That character is a pipe dream and surely a nightmare to play dude.
>>5612962I was about to pop off on you, anon. I apologize.
>>5612966The potential oracle boy would have shit stats. What I wrote felt a bit ambiguous.>>5612972I know, he would have been an absolute schizo, so the inner monologue and descriptions would probably be confusing as shit
>>5612980It's fun for the meme, but actually playing a character like the maximum schizo build would be the most frustrating thing imaginable. We would be less of a character and more of a spectator.
>>5612985Yeah, it would probably be entertaining for a few updates, and then turn into a headache.
Wow I can’t wait until thread 5 for when Homer rolls an opposed roll under 17
>>5613001Seeing as the "standard" unopposed DC seems to be 12, and we've failed on half of them as well, we won't last until thread 5. So make sure to vote for doing the most irresponsibly over-the-top thing we can at any given time. At least we'll look cool when it kills us.Seriously though, fuck these dice. It's like every quest that consistently rolls high have been charging the negative karma and then creampied this quest with it.
>>5612971From the outside perspective:>Nik tells Pollux to chill>Pollux goes nuts and starts climbing the wall>Nik assembles the guards but Pollux busts loose like crazy, starts charging the palace>Nik chases him down and puts him in a headlock It feels like a failure on our side through all the rolls but this is actually a win for us. Maybe a little Kleos boost for wrangling a hotshot like Pollux.
>>5613008The only reason Pollux didnt kill us cuz GM literally fugged the roll like twice AND gave us a mercy break as well. and even then we TIED. Not won, TIED. Which was then given to us. ANOTHER mercy. Again stick to training until the war. Its literally all we are good at apparently.
>>5613012This is what will eventually be known in the business as a "Pyrrhic victory".
>>5613012>Which was then given to us. ANOTHER mercyThat's not mercy, that's quest policy.
>>5613014To be fair, I've been in quests and games where if you do not explicitly exceed the DC you fail. So ties are failures. So interpreting it as a mercy isn't quite an untrue assessment for anon to make. Even if the people who don't allow ties to pass are in the minority.
>>5613012>Again stick to training until the warWe dont win a lvl by training, we win by being retard a social and smart
>>5613013The god of failing forward strikes again
>>5613027>inb4 it comes to be known as a Nikandrosian victory when you do everything wrong and somehow succeedMaybe that's how we will earn our eternal glory. Damn what a kick in the nuts.
>>5613012>>5613018We just have to play to our strengths when we can. Also, right now we've been facing only the cream of the crop of the Acheans. I guess we got here really early.
>>5613033>In the future the god lose power every day>With all the stupid wars and battles in europa we reach old god level on record time>Get Elder-god status after the world war>Still offer this victory to Nike>She even has try to kill herself to escape this shame>Our absolute faith on her revives her every time
>>5613036>We just have to play to our strengths when we canWe failed the roll when it came to commanding the soldiers. Our specialty.
>>5613046I be like that sometimes.
>>5613050I'm just saying man. It's undeniably goofy to say that when we have an example of it failing two rolls back.
>>5613055We do currently have -2 malus to INT rolls given the concussion, we would have passed outright if we were clearheaded anon.
>>5613050It*
>>5613058And yet, here we are.
>>5613066If you want to win every roll, this may not be the quest for you anon
>>5613068I don't want to win every roll. I'm just pointing out that sometimes it just doesn't matter whatsoever what your plans are. Losing isn't fun, anon. And losing consistently is frustrating. And losing when playing to what your strengths are when the chances of you failing to succeed when doing so are less than 10% is extraordinarily annoying when you have to listen to someone say "Welp maybe next time, bucko". We got absolutely fucked in the ass with that roll, there is no need to talk about how we can do better in the future or under other circumstances. We already all know. You get what I mean, right?
>>5613055>I'm just saying man. It's undeniably goofy to say that when we have an example of it failing two rolls back.We cant control the dice. And unless that homer give us 20 point to spend on the next lvl up, a bonus dont gonna change that.
>>5612949That fuck isn’t getting away if you can do something about it. You raise your training spear overhand, take three steps, and throw it at his back in hopes of slowing him down.However, you underestimate his speed. The throw is short, flying right where he was only a half-second before. Your training spear plummets down beyond the walls, lost to you for now.No matter. You’re running after him, pumping your arms and legs as you accelerate to a dead sprint. Pollux is running down the course of the wall-walk gracefully. His form is something to behold- in normal circumstances you would have no shot at running him down.However, he’s flagging. It seems that climbing thirty meters of walls barehanded tires even a son of Zeus. Aside from the sword at your hip, he and you are unencumbered. In two minutes you’re both quite far away from the guardsmen, utterly incapable at keep up with the speed and stamina of Olympian-blooded men while carrying their full kit.Foot by agonizing foot you are closing the gap. The wind is rushing through your hair. Your legs burn, your lungs burn, but all you can see is your golden-haired quarry. Your heart beats with the thrill of the hunt. Bare inches separate him from your grasp now.When the sensation of wind changes to cloth on your fingertips, you thrill with victory. You catch his chiton and rear back with as much strength as you can. He topples back- right into your running legs. The world spins as you fall.You hit the ground hard, skin torn from your elbows and knees by the stone of the wall. You scramble to your feet disregarding the stinging. Pollux does the same, the man’s chiton torn and hands bloody. You square up. Gold-flecked eyes meet gold-flecked eyes. He’s much shorter than you and doubtless lighter than you, but his reputation and cauliflower ears tell of a man well-experienced in hand-to-hand fighting. You need to subdue him, he needs to put you out of commission. He lunges at your legs and you sprawl out to deny him the grip, bloodying your knees further in the process. He wisely pulls back to prevent you from dragging him down from the top position.
>>5613115Fuck it, you’ll press forwards to leverage your strength. Moving until you both are chest-to-chest, you wrap your arms around his waist. He tries to sprawl in turn, but using your full strength you lift him straight into the air in a crushing bear-hug. Holding him aloft, you twist your hips and pancake him onto the hard stone. You can feel the shock of the impact through his flesh.There’s a scramble for positioning that you win. Now you’ve got your weight keeping his hips planted, and your grip around his back is preventing any upper body twisting. If you can hold like this the guardsmen will catch up and help you out. There’s another problem- Pollux is not the type to give up. His body is immobilized, but he can still punch you in the head. They’re weak punches without any body support, but he’s nothing if not persistent. Left-right, left-right, left-right, his fists pounding into the side of your skull. They leave a dull ringing in your ears.Your vision is swimming.It’s astonishing he can keep this up. Sweat (or is it blood?) is running down your face.You just have to hold on…The rattling of metal somehow makes its way into your conscious.They’re almost here. They’re almost here. And just as you’re about to fail, the sound of a sandaled foot punting the side of a demigod’s head coincides with the Pollux’s arms falling limp. You roll off him, lacking the strength to even sit up. Now you can see the sky. The lovely fingers of Eos have now crept over the horizon, the brilliant pink clouds clashing with the blue of the sky. A beautiful sunrise.…The next few hours are a blur, although whether that’s due to aggravated head trauma or something else is unknown to you. You again are in bed enjoying the medical ministrations of womenfolk of the Royal Palace. Pollux was tied up and deposited alongside you, although he remains unconscious from Keas’s kick which relieved you. The ruckus at the gate ended up dragging Agamemnon out of bed anyways. He thanked you for your assistance in wrangling his brother-in-law, Pollux’s defeat seeming to enthuse him. Castor was let inside and you’ve seen nothing of either since then.“Hey. That was a pretty good fight.”Oh, Pollux is awake. How do you respond?>You don’t. Why would you talk to this asshole?>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.>”Yes, and an unnecessary one. Why were you in such a rush?” Talk to him about what he’s doing here.>Something else?
>>5613117>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.
>>5613117>>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.
>>5613117>>You don’t. Why would you talk to this asshole?Nah fuck this guy. I'd rather go ask if Keas' foot is alright after kicking the second thickest skull in all of Greece.
We should probably do nothing but rest for quite a while, we were already concussed and now got hit even more in the head. That cant be good for our health, even with olympian blood speeding up our healing.
>>5613117>” Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.oh boy, a new training buddy
>>5613127Kek.
>>5613117>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.“Incredible stamina on your part, those rabbit-punches were horrible to withstand. We’ll have to do this again sometime.”
>>5613126Also>dude that jump was awesome, I was like 'what is he doing?' And then 'No way' and then you jump and I was 'No fucking way'Autismo talk
>>5613117>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.Mistakes into miracles?
>>5613138>Mistakes into miracles?Failing forward, anon. Failing forward
>>5613117>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.I swear if we need to roll charisma for this I’m going to throw a rock at Homer
>>5613143You don't lol
Rolled 19, 2 - 6 = 15 (2d20 - 6)>>5613143>>5613146Haha don’t worry senpai, I got u>negative 6 to DC given good dialogue option and us beating PolluxBeat my roll suckas or Pollux hates our guts
>>5613149
>>5613149>Even when it isn't me the opposition roll is highMan, this is some impressive unluckiness. Did one of you commit a sin against the gods you need to be purified of?
>>5613155It’s Zeus fucking with us for interfering with the canon timeline
Rolled 7 (1d20)>>5613149>>5613155opposition means nothing to me, watch this 20 and be purified
>>5613156It's not like Nikandros is going to stop the war from happening.
>>5613149Kek
Rolled 2 (1d20)>>5613149>>5613155Lol. Lmao even.
>>5613160Maybe we roll so bad that we somehow do
>>5613160Unless we prevent it by accident.
This could be interpreted as Pollox making a charisma check and y'all are voting for him to succeed. Therefore you are all my enemy. >>5613159>>5613163bruh moment
Seriously though, you only have to make checks when you have goals that someone is opposing.
In conclusion, Kleos is the best social stat because we suck at any opposed roll. Even a hypothetical one.
>>5613172The "Ah, so you have heard of me" stat
>>5613172Too bad we keep losing Kleos from having people talk shit to our face.
>>5613117>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.On the one hand, I really want us to bash a rock into his head for somehow beating our command rolls. Yet, by failing that, we managed to display in front of the royal guards a winning wrestling match against a son of Zeus, which in my opinion, is more Kleos-worthy than simply fending him from the walls. When does Nike and Nikon's wild falling upward ride end?
>>5613179I hope it never does. The idea of this continuing to to the actual war sounds hilarious.
>>5613179>Nike: This mortal's a fool, but he's MY fool
>>5613179Tbh the command roll was not contested. When you aren't suffering any mali command rolls are actually just straight up autosuccesses, since they are uncontested rolls where you get a +9 modifier.
>>5613179Never before seen
>>5613182>not contestedI know Zeus is up there putting his finger on the scale.
>Talking about fighting is locked in.Update tomorrow
>>5613182Considering how often we roll 2s I don't know if that should be considered an autosuccess. Fucking dice.
>>5613187Good night.
>>5613187Til later Homer
>>5613179>When does Nike and Nikon's wild falling upward ride end?NEVER! SHE'LL BE UP ALL NIGHT HOPING TO ZEUS THAT NIKANDROS WILL JUST WIN NORMALLY FOR ONCE
>>5613201I'm starting to think Nike is trying to tell us to leave her alone and dedicate to someone else as politely as she can.
>>5613215Then, she who only know victory, will taste defeat.
>>5613218>tfw nike sends down a restraining order>but forgets nikon is illiterate
>>5613229>glue the divine note our goddness send on our armor to "bless it">These that can read shit their pants thinking that the gods are scare of us.Another tactical victory for you and you alone Nike
>>5613252>for you and you alone NikeThat makes me wonder what type of women Nikon will be into. The only ones I believe we have considered are the Naiad, Nike, and maybe Electra since she called him handsome, but I'm really averse to that one.Though I think there's a possibility he just ends up being bullied by a girl into marrying her, especially if they're an amazon or something. I don't think his charisma will make anyone fall madly in love.
>>5613160Don't fucking jinx it anon.
>>5613267Nikon will reproduce by mitosis. Failing that, he may get married to an Amazon because normal women have too much charisma to lose opposed checks.
>>5613267No way we're banging a water nymph. And Nike is obviously far too into cock and ball torture than is healthy. Electra is probably too "muh family" to marry down with Nikon. Are matrilineal marriages even a thing in ancient Greece? Damn way to say Nikon would stay a kissless virgin. Maybe his personality is enough to make a woman fall for him. Is what I would say if I was huffing copium. Nikon is gonna big dick his way through marriage diplomacy. By force or fame.
>>5613267>ElectraYeah best to stay far away when it comes to romance there, Atreids are cursed
>>5613275>matrilineal marriagesNo, there aren't. As it currently stands (pre-Orestes), the House of Atreus has no male heirs (only Agamemnon's daughters and Menelaus's daughter) and will perish with this generation. This fact also makes Electra and Hermoine (Menelaus's and Helen's daughter) pretty easily the most desirable prospects in all of Hellas, since the High Kingship of Mycenae and the Kingdom of Sparta are their respective dowries. Which is an especially unusual situation since in Archaic Hellas you normally have to PAY a bride-price without any proper dowry attached.
>>5613285Yeah, no way we're winning that catch. That would also make us Agamemnon's son in law and fuck being associated with that clown. How do so many kings get so caught up in their own egos that they think they can diss the gods? There must be something in the water.
>>5613285Nah we are 100% saying fuck that and just banging the Goddess of Victory. Much less drama then that whole shebang
>>5613297>RIP to everyone killed by the gods for their hubris but im different. and better. maybe even better than the godsClassical hero mindset.
>>5613302>MANY such cases
>>5613301Maybe that's the reward if Nikon is directly involved in successfully winning the Trojan war. One hell of a bride-price to be certain.
>>5613301>directly getting involved with the divine hierarchy>less dramaIf only.>>5613302You'd think after seeing the fifth guy that week get cursed by the gods into eating their own guts or murdering their children they'd pick up on it. But even life lessons cannot penetrate the miasma that is the hero grindset.
>>5613304BRUH don't get me excited, given our shit rolls XD>Thetis' face when the mortal she advised ends up ignoring her and doubling down on Victory
>>5613305Wasn't nike a titan and not a god?(Or am i misremembering from too much manga about it?)>>5613275I can already see it, after the next bout of failing upwards we get captured by an amazon with river naiad ancestry and she gets our rocks off.
>>5613335No wait, wasn't there a king who sculpted a woman so well the statue came to life?If they had a daughter then she would have true rock ancestry.Marble is a noble rock even.It's good that theseus came and went already or we would have felt compelled to make a visit to medusa as the only one who could make us one with the rock.
>>5613335>Wasn't nike a titan and not a god?Not as far as I'm aware. She fought in the Titanomachy though. Maybe that's where the confusion is coming in? >an amazon with river naiad ancestryI just threw up a little.
>>5613337But that bears the question of what happened to all the lesser heroes who tried to kill the gorgon before.Are they still rock hard?And how feasible is it to carry one to our sister so she can marry them?Doesn't talk, sculpted physique, always rock hard and can't say no.. The perfect husband!
>>5613337>king who sculpted a woman so well the statue came to lifePygmalion, the king of Cyprus, the one who made his waifu come to life-u.Though there is a version of the myth that states that he was so much a prude that the women in Cyprus, famed for its worship of Aphrodite, got annoyed enough to pray to her to make him fall in love. Then Galatea happened.
Though I recall Galatea was made of ivory rather than stone
What does this mean for Nikon? I guess to be a big enough prude to piss off Aphrodite into forcing him to fall in love. With the dutiful trait, I think he can make it work. Though it would be just his luck that he falls for Electra.
>>5613351Why are you so fixated on love?
>>5613351>falls for ElectraWait...no a river deity would be the funniest love, that's what Aphrodite would choose.
>>5613353Boredom
>>5613117>”Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” Talk to him about fighting.Also supporting this>>5613136
>>5613187“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? You’re tough for being… what, seventy at least? By Hades, how did you even climb that wall?” Pollux, after all, was an Argonaut- and the Argo sailed to Iolcus around fifty years ago. As you consider it, the fact that he looks like a man in his prime is entirely at odds with his probable age.“Grip strength and experience Nikandros, although divinity and exercise mitigate the effects of aging- as I’m sure you’ll come to find out sooner or later. Not being the size of a godsdamned mountain helps too. You leverage your strength and size much better than some men I’ve fought before. That slam was very good, although frankly your entry needs some work…”You and Pollux speak about fighting. The knowledge of the abnormally youthful septuagenarian is extensive- not just boxing and wrestling, but archery, javelin-throwing, and a variety of other matters at that. For your part, you teach him a little bit about the art of command- the importance of depth in one’s lines, the need for flexibility in formation when the terrain is uncertain, the value of experienced reserves, and so on. In little time you’ve acquired something akin to the familiarity of friends. Which is humorous in considering the state you’re both in due to your respective efforts. (New trait option: DIOSCURI TRAINING unlocked.)…Eventually your conversation with Pollux finished, and he passed out- he hasn’t slept in a couple of days, having ridden nearly non-stop to Mycenae.For about an hour you were alone, until a servant came to serve you lunch. Not long after that a visitor arrived.>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus. >Princess Iphigeneia, daughter of Agamemnon.>Crown-Princess Electra, daughter of Agamemnon.>King Menelaus, son of Atreus and master of Sparta.For reference, the trait options you will receive at your next level up will consist of two types- improvements on your tier one traits, and new traits based on the choices you make. Choices are always meaningful, and opportunities abound for growth. Not all of which require socialization. Also, shortish update, but you also get to directly pick a social engagement. Fair warning- this is the last conversation you'll be having in the palace.
>>5613552Kek, we became friends after a fight and talking about training
>>5613552>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus.Forgot to actually vote
>>5613552>Princess Iphigeneia, daughter of Agamemnon
>>5613552>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus.Nice.
>>5613552>King Menelaus, son of Atreus and master of Sparta.>>>>>>>>>>>DIOSCURI TRAINING unlocked
>>5613552>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus. I’d want to know what they were in such a hurry about, since Pollux apparently never told us.Homer, any chance we can sneak by the throne room before we set off? I want to know which divinity is hiding in it…
>>5613552>Crown-Princess Electra, daughter of Agamemnon.You know, for the social autist we are, Electra might not be a terrible match. She doesn’t seem particularly social either, and seems to appreciate intelligence. Obviously we would have a lot of competition for her hand, so this would be a long term proposition until we gain plenty of Kleos and as other (most?) heroes die off, which makes us all the more eligible. I’m rather unfamiliar with the greek tales, is there any debilitating reason like a curse that would make this a bad idea?
>>5613552>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus.
>>5613589>is there any debilitating reason like a curseAgamemnon belongs to the house of Atreus, which is heavily cursed because of Tantalus and Pelops. We don't know about that IC.
>>5613589I agree with your thoughts generally. She might be autistic enough to marry us if we become a big deal.However, I do think we should try to prevent as many hero deaths as possible. I’m still convinced that Zeus is basically laying out an elaborate plot to kill Achilles and anyone who could threaten his power. If we want to save Achilles and fuck up Zeus’ plan, we need all the help we can get.
>>5613589Electra is very vengeful and murderous.
>>5613596Oh, dang. Hopefully we can find someone else that is autism compatible.
>>5613589>like a curse that would make this a bad idea?You mean aside from the general terminal stupid they all tend to display? Yes, actually. I also think Electra would make a better ally than wife. Women like her tend to shorten their husband's lifespans considerably. In one way or another.
>>5613587No.
>>5613630Dang, well, maybe we can try to stop by on our return from the diplomatic mission.
>>5613552>>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus.This makes the most sense to me.
>>5613552>Princess Iphigeneia, daughter of Agamemnon.Doesn't everyone love a good tragedy?>>5613589spoilers for what happens next with that family:Agamemnon, that massive retard, will soon kill a deer sacred to Artemis while the fleet is gathered. Artemis deadens all winds for this sacrilege and Agamemnon has to sacrifice Iphigeneia to appease her and let the fleet set sail. Klytemnestra, his wife, is somewhat peeved about this. She takes a lover during the ten years of the siege and when Agamenmon comes back with Cassandra as a concubine, Klytemnestra and her lover murder them both. When Orestes, Electra's little brother, comes of age, she convinces him to avenge their father and so he kills their mother and said lover. The Erinyes begin hunting him for the crime of kinslaying. I actually don't remember how the story ends and I'm too tired to check it out now.
>>5613589Electra would probably be a tiger in the sack but an otherwise terrible wife. What you want is a Penelope or Andromache (except not Andromache because she likes to draw baths and we hate water).
>>5613686>Penelope or AndromacheSo we all agree we love a good tragedy and are aiming for one, we just haven't decided the kind of tragedy we want yet. Cool.
>>5613686A bath is closer to a lake then a river, so it's ok
>>5613562+1
>>5613686We don't hate all water, that's why the naiad was fine with us.
>>5613667>I actually don't remember how the story ends and I'm too tired to check it out now.>Orestes ask Apolo why the Furys are after him if it was the god that say that killing him mother is fine. Apolo dont know and say that maybe Athena can fix it. Athena then make the first trail ever to decide if he must be punished or no. It end in a tie. Athena then vote in favor of Orestes.Orestes live free as a king but if he ever have childrens then he never told it to anyone because that is the end of his house.
>>5613552>>Princess Iphigeneia, daughter of Agamemnon.This
Nikon gets his ass beat inversely to how much luxury he is in. When roughing it on the road? Does well, even makes a naiad giggle. Gets into a fancy palace despite orders and him not belonging? Browbeaten by a borderline invalid. Rubbing shoulders with the commonfolk? Easy investigation. Getting a ship for travel? Loses all his belongings. Now destitute? Schmoozes his way into another kingly court unimpeded. Been relaxing at a pretty palace? Thetis makes him her bitch. Fresh back from a hike with zero amenities? Exposes Achilles without a hitch.Think about it guys. If we had decided to stay outside of the palace with Achilles in tents instead of resting at Agamemnon's expense we'd probably have kicked Diomedes' ass.It's not Nike that is giving us a hard time, it's Hestia.
>>5613722Cease with this slander anon, Hestia is best Olympian.
>>5613725If she is, it's only because Hades is not considered an Olympian.
>>5613722>>5586281Based and in-character take
>>5613552>>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus.
>>5613722>If we had decided to stay outside of the palace with Achilles in tents instead of resting at Agamemnon's expense we'd probably have kicked Diomedes' ass.Still butthurt about that? What you want to do next? Punch Troy's walls down?
>>5613552>>Castor, brother of Pollux and son of Tyndareus.One bro acquired. Onto the next.
>>5613830>What you want to do next? Punch Troy's walls down?Yes.
>>5613866You will fail, because that is a fool idea.You have to punch the door.
>>5613722Everybody's gonna pass the next ten years in tents, no need to worry.Altough i'm sure the big important guys will have luxury tents anyway.
>>5613883Are you daft? Doors can close after you open them. You'd need some sort of large, sturdy and preferably too heavy to easily move object to keep it open. Where the hell are we supposed to get something like that?>>5613895>nikon opts to sleep with the cooking supplies instead of near the officers to get as little comfort as possibleOur time comes.
>>5613895>Everybody's gonna pass the next ten years in tents, no need to worry.>Altough i'm sure the big important guys will have luxury tents anyway.>Luxury tentsBeyond not sleeping in the floor, what is the diference?>>5613915>Are you daft? Doors can close after you open them. You'd need some sort of large, sturdy and preferably too heavy to easily move object to keep it open. Where the hell are we supposed to get something like that?Who knows. Maybe we can pile all the ships beside the gate or the wall.>>nikon opts to sleep with the cooking supplies instead of near the officers to get as little comfort as possibleIn what world being close to the food is worst that trying to sleep hearing Agamenon and Menelaus talk shit?
>>5613955Very nice rugs
>>5613955Ships can't go on land. Quit that crazy talk. >sleeping next to the meme brosNah, the two worst places to sleep next to are the kitchens and the shitters. No contest. >>5613971Don't forget the surround sound and Slurpee machines.
>>5613955Extra space and furniture
>>5614016Just set the tent right next to the troy wallsThen we wont have to walk much to fight
>>5614025>Extra space to sleepThis gonna become better that gold as the war carry on.
>>5614028As long as we're not next to the river it'll be fine.>Mfw Thetis forces Nikon to accompany Achilles when he fights the Scamander
>>5614028Just sleep in Troy so we can start swinging the moment we wake up.>>5614032>she burns her favor to make nikon do something he'd be happy to do alreadyBIG W.
>>5613955>"But when they were come to the hut of Peleus' son, the lofty hut which the Myrmidons had built for their king, hewing therefor beams of fir —and they had roofed it over with downy thatch, gathered from the meadows; and round it they reared for him, their king, a great court with thick-set pales; and the door thereof was held by one single bar of fir that three Achaeans were wont to drive home, and three to draw back the great bolt of the door.">>5613562>>5613566>>5613587>>5613592>>5613635>>5613660>>5613781>>5613845>Castor>>5613564>>5613667>>5613717>Iphigeneia>>5613568>Menelaus>>5613589>Electra>Little love for the waifus it seems or perhaps just significant anti-Atreid bias. Curious considering your choices so far. At any rate, writing.
>>5614067>Little love for the waifus it seemsWe're holding out for the return of Asterope.
>>5614067I don't think anyone wants Agamemnon as our in-law.
Current idea I have in mind is if we can try and become the ancestor of Philip and Alexander. I have no clue as to how to do that, besides start to plan to subjugate the north and make our own kingdom.
>>5614076>Alexander no longer is a manletHe gonna lose his power anon
"RIVERS could be here" he thought, "I've never been in this polis before. There could be RIVERS anywhere." The cool wind felt good against his bare chest. "I HATE RIVERS" he thought. Seven Against Thebes and the Thebaid reverberated his entire chariot, making it pulsate even as the 9 coin wine circulated through his powerful thick veins and washed away his (merited) fear of flowing waterways. "With a chariot, you can go anywhere you want" he said to himself, out loud.
>>5614084kek
>>5614084Is that a rock in his hand
>>5614084This quest has the best memes I've seen perhaps ever
>>5614090Great playerbase.
>>5614088No, I didn't think of that.It has been fixed
>>5614093As above, so below. Good or bad, QMs always get the playerbase they deserve.>>5614094lmao
>>5614094Top tier
>>5614067Castor, breaker of horses, has come to visit his unconscious brother and you following lunch with the Atreidae. He is a noble of average height, with dark black hair and brown eyes- otherwise he is a spitting image of his half brother Pollux, including the massive bags under his eyes. He greets you.“Hail, Nikandros of Thessaly. Color me impressed that you managed to stop Pollux when he was in one of his moods- few mortals can.”You respond by gesturing at scabbed-over wounds on your head and limbs.“It was hardly easy. He fought hard. I mean to ask you about that- what caused your urgency?” “A dream we both had, a message from white-armed Hera through fleet-footed Iris. Never before has the She of the Heights seen fit to speak with us, for she is known to revile the illegitimate sons of the Thunderer. The goddess shared that warlike Menelaus was to travel to Troy, as well as knowledge of a further matter that I cannot discuss with you. Having talked it over with Menelaus, we will be joining your diplomatic assemblage.”A message from Olympus that cannot be shared with you, but which concerns the mission? Concerning. Perhaps you should follow him up about this. Belatedly you recognize that the twins are not merely similar in traits, but even in how aged their flesh seems. Strange considering their distinct paternities.You ask him about this fact. “Many years ago, when Pollux and I first began to notice that I aged quicker than he, we determined that it must be due to the difference in our ancestry. Pollux, may the gods preserve him, then petitioned wide-seeing Zeus to split his divinity between us in equal shares. His request was granted at no small cost- the man you fought yesterday is much reduced in power compared to his prime, when he was little lesser than great Heracles. But we are kin, and just as I gave up my birthright to accompany him, so too did he to make us equals in all things.”An admirable display of fraternal love. Would you do the same for your sister if you were in the same position?>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>No. You love her, but the idea of surrendering even one’s divinity is unfathomable to you.>You are unsure. In truth, only being forced to decide could prove it.At any rate, your conversation with Castor continues. He mentions that he heard from a bard that Palamedes had discovered Odysseus to be faking madness in order to avoid joining the expedition. The delay in their arrival is due to Odysseus needing time to organize his twelve ships of men. You wonder at why the Cephallenian king would go to such extremities to shirk his obligation- cowardice, or some deeper motivation? Either way, since the story has been spread far by the bards it cannot be long until the pair make it to Mycenae.
>>5614181How do you want to continue the conversation? No, you cannot pick "choose all". Castor does not have all day.>Press Castor concerning the divine dream. (Will check)>Try to convince Castor to tell you about the dream. (Charisma check) >Ask Castor to share something from his and Pollux’s past adventures. They were Argonauts and participated in the sack of Troy led by Heracles nearly half a century ago. Or you could ask about the invasion of Attica they led to rescue Helen from Theseus. Or of something else from the many adventures the Dioscuri have had. (Write in any specific interests)>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.>Something else?
>>5614181>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.
>>5614181>You are unsure. In truth, only being forced to decide could prove it.>>5614184>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.>Ask Castor to share something from his and Pollux’s past adventures. They were Argonauts and participated in the sack of Troy led by Heracles nearly half a century ago. Or you could ask about the invasion of Attica they led to rescue Helen from Theseus. Or of something else from the many adventures the Dioscuri have had. (Write in any specific interests)>The sacking of Troy.Does choosing two options count? If not then just talking about the healing is fine.
>>5614190I'll let you choose two, but necessarily both answers will be shallower (and therefore less useful) than they otherwise would be. No more than that!
>>5614181>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>>5614184>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.And if he has the time:>>Ask Castor to share something from his and Pollux’s past adventures. They were Argonauts and participated in the sack of Troy led by Heracles nearly half a century ago. Or you could ask about the invasion of Attica they led to rescue Helen from Theseus. Or of something else from the many adventures the Dioscuri have had. (The invasion of Attica)
>>5614193Thank you for clarifying man.>>5614190>>5614184And with that said, changing the second part of my vote to just:>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.
>>5614184>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.Love me sis, love rocks, love me fame. 'Ate rivers, 'ate senile kings, 'ate northern barbarians. Simple as.Though realistically, actions will always speak louder than words.Try to convince Castor to tell you about the dream. (Charisma check) I just want to frame it as us not wanting to get caught up in whatever it is they're bringing along in this journey if we can avoid it. And yes I know this roll is effectively impossible. But knowing is half the battle.
>>5614181>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.Sister is based>>5614184>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.Might as well talk about our sister being a healer as well
>>5614184>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>Ask Castor to share something from his and Pollux’s past adventures. They were Argonauts and participated in the sack of Troy led by Heracles nearly half a century ago. Or you could ask about the invasion of Attica they led to rescue Helen from Theseus. Or of something else from the many adventures the Dioscuri have had. (Write in any specific interests)Specifically - does he know of secret entrances into Troy itself? Or any method in which someone might enter the city unnoticed?If he doesn’t know of one, then ask the question about helping concussions
>>5614184>>Try to convince Castor to tell you about the dream. (Charisma check)Why not?>You don't need to say anything, I am just gonna say random things.>Hera ask you to stop the war>She hate the mortals sons of Zeus, but ask you help, so she want this to be secret not only to mortals too>This war is part of something greater that we can think>>5614181>>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.
>>5614184>You are unsure. In truth, only being forced to decide could prove it.Love the sis, but such things are done with either lovers or inseparable brothers.>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.We need some professional help else we arrive to troy already at death's door.Besides if they come with the diplomatic mission then there will be time for stories on the way.
>>5614181>>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>>5614184>>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.GGEZ LUV ME SISTAH
>>5614181>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.We love sis, simple as.>>5614184>Try to convince Castor to tell you about the dream. (Charisma check)I'm curious about the dream. Hera sending a dream to mortal sons of Zeus? That's pretty damn unprecedented. And it was serious enough to merit them riding for several days uninterrupted just to talk to Menelaus. Now, the big question is, does she want this war to go through, or not? We have a crown-princess of Mycenae already drawing up plots, and now the Gods themselves are getting involved. So we probably want to be interested in this if only for our own self-preservation.Also, notably going with Charisma because Castor probably has pretty damn good willpower. Or maybe it's the other way around?
>>5614181>>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.
>>5614238Yeah, we are already having to roll for things that should have been auto-success, if we don't fix this up and keep getting hit in the head we are going to start having auto-failures or even an int penalty
>>5614252This, I certainly don't want to be contesting non-combat rolls against bloody Odysseus with a stat malus
>>5614252>Yeah, we are already having to roll for things that should have been auto-successNever happen.Diomedes win, accept it.
>>5614255I don't want to make opposed mental checks with Odysseus either way.
>>5614184>>Yes. She is your only kin of sound mind- no sacrifice is too great.>>Castor is famed as a healer, and is even familiar with the healing of demigods through his brother- in the interests of your own health, ask if he knows anything about recovering from blows to the head.Best to get this fixed quickly.
>>5614260So do I, but it's probably going to happen. Securing peace with the Trohans now would be absolutely fantastic for our Ithacan friend so he can go home to Penelope early. Plus he already wants to take revenge Palamedes for outing him so Nikon better not be too obvious in what he's trying to accomplish.....
>>5614257Anon, I was talking about this>>5613182>When you aren't suffering any mali command rolls are actually just straight up autosuccesses
Also what does Diomedes have to do with this, other then the concussion from the spar with him? And what needs to be accepted?I'm confused
>>5614266the concussion being from the sparI'm going to sleep before I make more mistakes
>>5614265I said it dont happen.You what happen? We lose with Diomedes
>>5614184>>5614238+1
>>5614185>>5614195>>5614200>>5614205>>5614211>>5614214>>5614241>>5614249>>5614251>>5614262>Why yes, I would trade a fair amount of my divinity for my sister>>5614190>>5614238>>5614296>Idk man, that's a hard oneNoted...>>5614185>>5614199>>5614205>>5614238>>5614241>>5614251>>5614262>>5614296>Hey doc, my head's fucked up>>5614195>Heals and stories, please>>5614200>>5614214>>5614249>Hey man, c'mon, tell me those Olympian secrets>>5614211>How can we sneak into Troy?>Tallied, writing. Maybe update after I exercise and have some gyro tonight, maybe not.
>>5614340>spoiler>as if it weren't a foregone conclusion the moment we picked the sympathetic traitIt can't be ominous if it was obvious dohohoho
>>5614342They can take our blood but they can't take our gains.
>>5614346All men die some day. But our statues will be ripped forever. Light weight, baby!
>>5614348The flesh is weak, but Ronnie's glory will live forever.
>>5614351https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BNP126zgPURemember to put in the work everyone.
>>5614342Perhaps you misunderstand the depth of the commitment you are expressing here. Well, you'll learn sooner or later. It certainly isn't the kind of thing that Sympathy entails.
>>5614419Oh no I'm aware it is a deeply foolish thing to swear. I'm just saying we all knew we anon's would pick it. Because of previous sentiment shown. I was going to vote unsure, but picked otherwise for the drama. And because sis is worth it.
>>5614249We don't know that ic, but since Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful, Hera and Athena want the city razed.>>5614419I am confused though. Big sis had the gold flecks in her eyes as well. Why share divinity with someone who already has it?
>>5614439The question wasn't "Would we split our divinity with her" but "would we do something equivalent with such". Less the actions we would take but the intent and willingness to do so.
>>5614441oh, that makes sense. Yeah, Nikon is the kind of guy who'd do anything for the people he loves.
>>5614340You elect to ask the legendary healer about your current malady, which muddles your thoughts and causes headaches. It is imperative that you resolve this issue before the diplomatic mission properly starts- for dueling cunning Odysseus without your full capacities would be as foregone a conclusion as Zeus’s triumph over Kronos. “Castor Akestor, I’ve need of your medical expertise if you’ll grant it to me.” He looks interested.“Lord Nikandros, the superficial damage you suffered against Pollux hardly needs more attention than it has already received.”“That is precisely the issue Castor. For there is more than superficial damage. You see…”You detail to him your condition- from how Diomedes allegedly knocked you out with a spear to the helm, to your memory loss and pounding headaches in the days following. He asks you some questions as well- whether light bothers you (it does), how you’ve been sleeping (much), and other questions of that ilk. Finally, he asks you to explain exactly what happened when you fought Pollux. He groans deeply at your description of the pin you had the blond in. “I have a sense of what you are describing. The symptoms are common to boxers, to a lesser extent wrestlers, and all such men who use nonlethal violence on one another. It is caused by these blows to the head, great and small, which accumulate to disturb the psyche in your body.” This puzzles you. “Disturb? How so?”“What do you know about the relationship between the soul and the body?” Nothing, you respond. Your sister surely knows something about this, as you recall that she has some rituals concerning the manipulation of souls, but you’d never had cause to bring up the topic with her. Castor takes this as an invitation to deliver a lecture on the subject, which even in your diminished state you manage to keep up with.The soul, he explains, is what differentiates a dead man from a living one. Everything- from the Olympians on high, to the daemons, to mortal men, to mere creatures- has a soul. The difference between the immortals and the mortals is how tightly bound their soul is to their flesh- the spirit of a river, for instance (he does not realize how relevant the example is), is bound up in the flowing waters themselves- thus, the god is as long lived as it’s physical corollary. Further, it takes a greater soul to animate a greater body- thus explaining why, say, an oreiad is both stronger-willed and longer-lived than a man. When a man dies his soul is irreversibly separated from the mortal coil- a soul shorn of its body is a pathetic shade incapable of effecting change on the world, or even partaking in any but the most dull of sensations. Inevitably a man’s soul is dragged down to Hades for sheer inability to resist the exertions of the myriad beings in the world. However, as you know, the boundary between life and death is not a rigid binary.
>>5614477The head, contrary to what the Egyptian barbarians may think, is the great focal point of the soul in the body. A blow to a man’s head shocks the soul and inhibits its connection with the greater body. Since you’ve taken a great amount of abuse to the head recently, your soul has become both disassociated with your flesh as well as unused to sensations. There is no quick fix for this relationship between the body and the soul- you must rest and avoid further blows to the head lest there be a more lasting problem. Especially since you’ve experienced this twice in a relatively short span. As for how long it will take to recover, Castor claims he does not know. Longer due to the aggravation of this morning, most likely.“I apologize for being unable to help you further, Nikandros. Unfortunately my healing can only fix the body itself, not restore its psychic connection. Now I must bid leave of you to go rest myself.” He then turns around and leaves. Pollux has not stirred in this whole time.…A few days have passed in relative peace. After Pollux awoke and swore to not do anything else rash, he was released from his bonds. At Castor’s insistence he continues to rest, although he now has his own guest room in the palace since his injuries were less significant than yours in the healer’s opinion. At long last Palamedes and Odysseus arrived, having travelled overland from Pylos to Mycenae at Odysseus’s insistence. You briefly met the two of them in this time.Odysseus does not strike you as an impressive man at first glance. Short for a nobleman, of average build, with grey-streaked brown hair and a scruffy brown beard. However, you notice something about his eyes- a way of surveying, a steadiness and depth of expression- which first indicates that he is not a just an island provincial. His speech, what little of it you hear, is what worries you more. He speaks with a deep voice and eloquent winged words that impress. Palamedes is a far less imposing man. Of a height with Odysseus, thinly built, wearing a little beard. His voice is reedy, his phrases clear but short in length. Yet in his hesitance to speak you detect his intelligence- even in a casual conversation he marshals his speech carefully.
>>5614478With them here, your party prepares to leave immediately. The Dioscuri have their immortal horses, while the rest of you must make do with chariots for the road. You, of course, do not have one- nor do you have the many other amenities a traveler might be expected to carry. It is embarrassing that you must ask Menelaus for a spare tent and other such supplies, although he gives them freely. No, the greater issue is your present lack of a chariot. You have one in principle, but it has yet to actually enter your possession. You must request to ride with another of your party on the way to Megara. Who do you ask first? >Menelaus. The king is friendly enough, although it feels like a stretch to ask for this kindness in addition to the other gifts he has already given to you.>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing.>Odysseus. A relatively known- and dangerous- variable, Odysseus fortunately is unlikely to know much of anything about you in turn. He may well accept just so that he can analyze you on the trip to Megara.
>>5614479>Odysseus
>>5614479>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing.
>Concussion>Blows to the head by Pollux>Diplomatic missionI expect comedy.
>>5614479>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing.I sense that Palamedes will be our most useful ally here. He wants a war, like we do, and we can lean on his loyalty to the Atreides. OOC we know Odysseus and Diomedes will assassinate him pretty soon
>>5614479>>Odysseus. A relatively known- and dangerous- variable, Odysseus fortunately is unlikely to know much of anything about you in turn. He may well accept just so that he can analyze you on the trip to Megara.Talk about who is to be a king and leading people while acting like a retard.
>>5614479>>5614486Change my vote for this>>5614485Still act like a retard
>>5614479>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing.Odysseus wants peace and this is not exactly the best time to match wits with him. Remember, he just got called out for pretending to be a retard.>>5614484This quest has been nothing but a series of comedies.
>>5614479>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing.>>5614484We thought we'd be entering into the greatest Greek Tragedy of them all, only to make it funny.
Also, no update for a while. Perhaps a half a day, perhaps a couple of days, depending on how some things go.
>>5614496>This quest has been nothing but a series of comedies.A Divine Comedy, if you will.
>>5614479>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing
>>5614479>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincingThis diplomatic mission will be difficult for us. Honestly just getting rest until we arrive at Troy would be good, two beatings are a tad too much.After that we ll do what we can, maybe there will be divine intervation for stop or make the war anyway.Best use caution and not make enemies in the Hellas side, or divine.
>>5614485Even in-character, we can reasonably assume that Odysseus is angry with Palamedes and he will try to prevent the war, and we also already know from Electra that Palamedes is a hawk and loyal to Menelaus.So basically we can assume that Odysseus will be leading the Dove faction of the diplomatic mission and will try to sideline the hawk advisors, and Palamedes is probably most “assassinatable” of the group.So hanging out with Palamedes also means that we can watch out for some trickster Odysseus bullshit.
>>5614477Very insightful Castor, thank you for nothing.
>>5614756I’m hoping that we are getting a hidden bonus to concussion recovery with this advice because it otherwise was a wasted dialogue option.
>>5614808Castor said that concussions have something to do with souls and the psyche, then maybe it means we can use the Nepenthe to heal it?
>>5614814I'm reasonably sure we all suspected/knew it would help with that. But do you really want to spend a charge of it on this? We're gonna need it when we get our skull half caved in during the war. Or cursed by some fucking dickbag deity.
>>5614814Eh, probably. But we should save the nepenthe for someone who wouldn’t recover otherwise or who is directly cursed the gods.We just need to avoid additional head blows and rest up for a couple weeks. Maybe do some good cardio but leave off any combat training until our head clears.
>>5614815Not really, but I'm trying to find something to make that option not have been a waste of time.Maybe Nikon now knows it in character instead of being an OOC conclusion or something like that.
>>5614817Well Nikon already knew the juice was supposed to cure any malady of the mind (except for dementia, sorry mom) so he should have known it could help with minor brain damage like this already. Or at least suspected it.
>>5614817Although we might end up hoarding the medicine and never using it.If we get into another fight before it heals we should probably use it though. Don't want to get permanent brain damage.>>5614823But did he know that the mind was in the head, and therefore that this injury was one of the mind?The whole memory loss should have made it obvious, is a smart guy and sister probably told atleast something, but there's always the chance that he didn't know that detail.I'm sure I remember something about some group of ancient people that thought the mind was at the stomach, but I can't remember who. Was it the egyptians like Castor mentioned?At the very least we got a lecture about how souls work, so that could be useful. Or just interesting, I guess.
And yes, this is probably cope, I really did think he could have helped.
>>5614832Nikon was still able to identify that his mental faculties were impaired by the ordeal. So if he knew the mind was in the head or not he'd know that the brew should have done something to help.>>5614835Don't worry about it. I've been coping over the dice since this quest began.
>>5614756>>5614808>>5614814>IC Nikandros didn't know anything about the soul, or that his memory loss is related to its connection to his body, or that continued head trauma would prolong or even aggravate his condition. The very idea that the gods have souls just like mortals is a novelty to him. It certainly wasn't worthless since it will change how he behaves offscreen, accelerating his recovery change the options I'll give you in the future. >>5614815>Again, I wouldn't have given you the option to use it without knowing the relation between your symptoms and your soul. It's not like Nikandros has a sophisticated concept of mind which involves its memory function. He's smart, but since he's Thessalian he's not a well-educated noble by any means. Not that very many nobles are much educated at all.
>>5614856This is all reasonable, thanks Homer.So basically Castor has provided a 15th-century medical concept to Nik about 2,000 years before it becomes common knowledge. Your brain contains your mind and damage to the brain = damage to the mind.
>>5614861Well, it's not like Castor has a sense of the brain as the mental organ- its more like the soul = the modern concept of the mind (still an incredibly advanced idea relative to the time, learning how to heal from Apollo has its benefits) and the flesh inside of the head is known to be the primary anchor point of the soul. The mechanistic details of mental function are still only known to the gods themselves.
>>5614856Oh nice, so he really didn't know.I suppose it's obvious for us, but Nikon is a frontier noble in bronze age greek.
>>5614856Intredasting. Perhaps I have been overestimating Nikon's thinkmeat.
>>5614832Yeah, the Egyptians thought that the brain was some useless waste of space that served no function whatsoever. But I think they identified the heart as the place where conscience resides, not the stomach.
>>5614876He's knowledgeable about fighting, ruling, noble norms/affairs, commanding men in battle, and adjacent topics like logistics. He's a sword noble top to bottom. However, he's distinctly uneducated in basically anything else. His intelligence makes him rather capable at learning new things however. If you had taken Augur you'd know much more in the way of religious ritualism, Polymechanos more in the way of engineering/applied "science", etc.Deijanira's occult, mystic, and normal "ladylike" knowledge cover many topics outside of Nikandros's wheelhouse, but there's very little in the way of overlap in their skillsets. To the degree I am able (my modern mind forces me to include some anachronisms), I try to maintain a relatively "realistic" level of knowledge in this mixture of Mycenaean Hellas, mythological Hellas, and my own Hellenic headcanon.
>>5614892I don't know, i seem to read that some practices against headaches was to open up a part of the cranium to "relieve the pressure inside" so maybe it was treated like the appendix now.Useless but dangerously fragile.
>>5614892Thanks, all I could find while searching was something about emotions coming from the stomach, from either a 17th century physician or some greeks, but nothing about the consciousness or soul. So I must have misremembered
>>5614896Yeah, exactly like the appendix. No positive function, dangerously fragile, only existed to cause problems. I've read that they considered the brain as having been put there by Set to torment humans, but I'm not sure if that was really what they believed at the time or a later invention.
>>5614895Ah, so a case of familiarity vs. unfamiliarity. Like how kids nowadays can figure out smart phones but don't understand how to properly split wood. They're both intuitive when you get down to brass tacks, you just never really figure it out until you see it once or twice.
>5614084Absolutely outstanding, Memerydon, one of the best templates ever memed as well.Ask Castor about restoring our mother's mind/health when we return to Thessaly.
Lookup the video Survive the Jive did on the ancient conception of parts of the soul. I know many Germanic people thought the liver was the source of emotions, since you feel things strongly in your gut.
>Palamedes. An unknown variable aside from Electra’s assessment of his character, he might be willing to help you- or might take some convincing.
>>5615535You also have the ancient Arabs who believed that the heart was the place of emotions and the soul, but that the brain also had a minor role
>>5614896Those were the Incas, who used obsidian tools to open the skull.Some guy say that his head hurt and ask another to see what is wrong there
>mfw
…
>>5616120>Very nice>>5616127>Kek>Update later today, calling it for Palamedes.
>Nik facing a tough choice as a tactical genius
>>5616133Needs a third, slightly transparent button saying "Throw rocks"
>>5616141Mm, more like this?
>>5616151Perfect
>>5616151Whatever you do, do not attempt waifu!!!
>>5616160This sign can't stop us cause Nikon can't read!No for real though, that family is nothing but problems.
>>5616422For you, anon
>>5616438Lmao
>>5616438
>>5616438but what does it say?
>>5616470It’s funnier if I don’t say.
>>5616438L M A OAlthough considering Ηomeric usage I might amend it to ἀγάλλεσθαι and ἀβάτῳ ἁμύνεσθαι>Update tomorrow lads, apologies about the delay
>>5616579>>Update tomorrow lads
>>5617009kekHonestly some good memes out of this quest so far
>>5616132You consider the matter. Asking Menelaus is a nonstarter- however friendly and down-to-earth he may be, he remains a king and one of significant standing even among his fellow basilees. To presume on his generosity may draw his ire, and at will certainly lower his opinion of you- which will serve your cause on this diplomatic mission little good. Odysseus is a possibly even worse option then Menelaus. Yes, he is closer to you in status- a minor king of two islands is an inferior political entity than arguably the third or fourth greatest lord in the Peloponnese. However, he is likely your greatest enemy on this mission. If he discovers that fact, he will use his much-vaunted mind against you. That would be a significant issue in the best of times, and Castor’s diagnosis of your condition hardily inclines you to consider this quite far from the best of times. Further, he is likely to be in a bad mood if the story concerning his deception is true. So, avoiding Odysseus for now is wise. This leaves you with Palamedes. According to Electra, he is a loyal vassal of the house of Atreus- whether this makes him a bona fide warhawk who you may rely on or merely a diplomatic nonentity needs to ascertained. Further, he is by far the closest to you in status of the three lords- a prince rather than a king, and a prince of a relatively unimportant island at that. It is he you will approach. You do so the day before you are meant to depart. It takes some doing to find him- since his and Odysseus’s arrival, the man has mostly been absent from the public spaces of the palace. Some asking around among the serving staff who’ve grown to like you in the course of your stay reveals that he has been holed up in the royal library.The library is housed in another separate building in the palace, not far from the Arena. It’s a large building on account of the fact that it contains both the extensive archives themselves and the living quarters of the professional scribes who produce and process such documents. The building’s humble exterior undercuts its importance- the archives include royal tax records stretching back generations, as well as genealogies of every extant and extinct noble house in Hellas which Mycenae claims as vassals. Somewhere in the archives there is a tablet bearing your own name, and that of your father’s, which lists the lands which the High King acknowledges as your own. The many other tablets of religious or diplomatic importance fill out the extensive building.
>>5617357When you enter the library you are met by an old bald scribe who asks what it is you seek. You tell him that you are looking for Palamedes, and he directs you to the genealogy section. You pass through the library, where untold thousands of clay tablets are stacked on wooden shelves according to some arcane categorization system. You find Palamedes sitting at a table with six tablets sitting in front of him. He hears you and the scribe approach in the silence of the stacks and addresses you before you speak to him.“Tell me, have you finally come to see me Hippomedion?” You are startled that he identified you without even turning around. How did he know it was you? Further, you are surprised that he knows your patronym. That at least has a ready explanation- he must have looked up your genealogy in the archives.“Yes, Prince Palamedes, I have come to speak to you. Let me ask first- why did you look up my records?”“Simple, I’m looking for anything of use for negotiating with the Trojans. You’re a dead end, royal blood from your cadet lineage notwithstanding. Did you know that Telamon has a Trojan princess as a concubine?” You did not, and you tell him as much.“Telamon took Hesione, a sister of King Priam of Ilion, as a war-bride when the Argonauts sacked Troy. Teukros, the son born to him of this union, thusly is a nephew of Priam and first cousin of his many sons and daughters. A curious and possibly useful fact, would you not agree?” You think about it, but are unsure how exactly the Trojan ancestry of a bastard son could be of diplomatic use. You ask Palamedes to elaborate.“Teukros likely speaks Luwian on account of his mother and will have more standing in Troy than the rest of our party combined. Not that anyone else in our party knows this- his older brother Ajax gets all the attention. However, you likely did not come here to discuss the ancestry of our fellows. Speak your mind.” You do so, telling him that on account of your chariot being on the other side of Hellas (you do not disclose your recent chariotless status), you will need to hitch a ride with one of the other lords on the mission to Megara. You leave unspoken the insinuation that you would prefer to ride with him. He thinks on this for a little bit.
>>5617358“Lord Nikandros, I neither find myself especially opposed to, nor especially interested in, sharing my limited chariot space with a giant like yourself. Tell me, what would I stand to gain from this arrangement?”>He would not make an enemy of you by begrudging you such a courtesy, for one thing. (Will check, you are subtly intimidating him).>An ally against Odysseus, who you heard might bear a grudge against Palamedes. (Kleos check, as you are essentially betting on the worth of your goodwill.)>An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)>A favor from you of commensurate value. (An automatic success, but one with an obvious downside.)>Something else?
>>5617359>An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)You wouldn't be doing this for us anyway, you're doing this for King Agamennon.
>>5617359>An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)We want Helen, the loot and Paris or war. We will settle for nothing less.
>>5617359>>An ally against Odysseus, who you heard might bear a grudge against Palamedes. (Kleos check, as you are essentially betting on the worth of your goodwill.)
>>5617359>>An ally against Odysseus, who you heard might bear a grudge against Palamedes. (Kleos check, as you are essentially betting on the worth of your goodwill.)Charisma? Fuck that noise.
>>5617359>An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)If he is looking up Teukros, he’s probably thinking about political counterweights in Troy. Teukros is probably the biggest political counterweight to Priam in Troy and he must be thinking about speaking with Teukros in secret or openly during the meeting, and he’s likely to be there due to his blood relations. Out of the Trojans present, he might be most interested in making Priam lose a potential war, and stands to gain the most by negotiating favorable terms of surrender (I.e. I’ll give you Priam and his idiot sons if the Hellenes leave Troy relatively intact and install me as King)As for the charisma check - tell him the simple truth. We are an unknown lord seeking glory, fame and a strong Hellas that repels foreign invaders. If we can make a name for ourselves while presenting a strong front “internationally” and rectifying Paris’ crime, all the better.
>>5617385Oh and not to mention - Teukros could obviously marry one of Agamemnon’s daughters to seal up this possible alliance with Agamemnon, presuming that he is not married.
>>5617359>>5617385+1I'm scared.
>>5617359>An ally against Odysseus, who you heard might bear a grudge against Palamedes. (Kleos check, as you are essentially betting on the worth of your goodwill.)
>>5617377>>5617383>>5617389>>5617394Come on fellas, take a chance! We DO have a pretty good INT bonus, even while concussed.I’m also assuming that if we pass the INT check, we’d get a good bonus to the CHA check as well…
>>5617401>A correct assumption
>>5617406Lol, it's me
>>5617385Although, I will say that Teukros lives in Hellas, specifically in Salamis, the domain of his Father and concubine mother. He's a Trojan in blood (and possible tongue) only.
>>5617417Hmm. Even so, I think some of my idea still might be on track.Palamedes is already thinking ahead about the next Trojan King after Priam is deposed, and maybe Teukros would be a natural fit as a Greek by upbringing and culture, but a Trojan by blood and language.
>>5617359>An ally against Odysseus, who you heard might bear a grudge against Palamedes. (Kleos check, as you are essentially betting on the worth of your goodwill.)I simply cannot trust Nikon to win any contested social rolls.
>>5617443>would rather roll a flat d20 against a high DC versus a d20+3 against a lower DCWell, I won’t be mad either way, but this approach doesn’t make sense to me
>>5617359>>5617385+1
>>5617359>An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)I feel that he's got something else in mind. Not sure what though. This Teukros speaks Trojan, and will have more standing, and the rest of our part does not know this, so why all the attention on him?
>>5617419As I think on this a bit further - what if Electra wants to be Queen of Troy? She sets the war in motion with the intent of toppling Priam, sends Palamedes to the genealogical records to identify a plausible King, and sends us both to the diplomatic mission to ensure the war actually happens.Electra is fucking scary enough for this.
>>5617401I'd rather just suffer through one bad roll than two today.
>>5617365>>5617371>>5617385>>5617393>>5617455>>5617456>>5617377>>5617383>>5617389>>5617394>>5617443>A close vote! I'll leave it open for a few hours more and then call for rolls. I probably won't finish the update tonight, but certainly will tomorrow.
>>5617509>Electra is fucking scary enough for this.If she was chosen as a Waifu, what are the chances she would push Nikon into seizing the crown that Diomedes has based on his royal claim?
>>5617552200%
Also, I really do appreciate all of you. That question about the Assyrians earlier has me dusting off what sources I have on Assyriology. I am reminded of just how based the scribes that compiled the later versions of Gilgamesh are.
>>5617573Who has the more busted statline, Heracles or Gilgamesh?
>>5617579I think it would be Enkidu before he calmed down
>>5617583No one ever compares to best wild boy.
>>5617579Heracles. The ultimate point of the later versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh is that he accepts his inability to transcend his mortal, urban, human nature and settles down into simple human kingship. Heracles, as a hero, is essentially the incarnation of a being untamed by society who *does* transcend his mortal humanity. Statlines in this quest have more to do with narrative role/themes than they do recorded feats. That being said, Gilgamesh is still a gigachad who would posterize most other Hellenic figures. God, I hate how Fate has corrupted the modern understanding of the character of Gilgamesh.
>>5617592To be fair, even in the Epic Gilgamesh still rocks around and does shit that should not be humanly possible. He's far above human. Despite his story effectively being about humanity and mortality. As for fate, well, at least they let him keep his dick. Fucking fate.But I guess at the end of the day, you just can't beat THE example of a hero. Heracles wins again.
>>5617359>An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)I fully trust our ability to fail forward in checks like this.>>5617573Based and enuma elis'd
>>5617509>What if Electra wants to be Queen of Troy?That would mean that Electra could not be queen of the world. That is a non-option.
>>5617612You think Electra would try to seduce a god if one was in front of her? The most dangerous of games.
>>5617610Doesn't matter if Homer gives us a +10 roll for both, we're gonna be rolling 2 or less.
>>5617657
>>5617657>Speaking of...>>5617525>A rather close vote, but I must call it for >An ally on the diplomatic mission who shares the same aims as you. (Intelligence check to ascertain what his priorities are, Charisma to convince him that you share them.)>So, give me 2d20+4 (+3 for intelligence, +1 for the bit of information Electra gave you)
Rolled 7 + 4 (1d20 + 4)>>5617663
>>5617663>WAIT NO I MEANT 1d20+4, Bo2I did it again
>>5617664>>5617666>The barest of successes, you receive no bonus to the following Charisma roll. Another 1d20, Bo2It is still ludicrous how low you all roll.
Rolled 5 (1d20)>>5617670Man I can't TAKE this shit no more.
Rolled 5 (1d20)>>5617670
Rolled 12 (1d20)>>5617670Did we secretly pick up Born Under a Bad Sign in thread 1?
>>5617674>>5617675wuh. Love when the clock does that. Fuckin
>>5617664>>5617666>>5617673>>5617674Alright this is just really farcical at this point, even I'm getting annoyed.
Doubles as far as the eye can see.
>>5617677Even when Homer shadow-lowers the DCs, we still fail. Fuck you, dice. It's actively taunting us.
>>5617689>Give up on Palamedes, go and ask Odysseus.Man, godly rage would've been funny for all these rolls.
>>5617670>>5617673>>5617674>Actually, never mind that deleted post. I will write up this update by tomorrow and allow you all to make an informed decision about what to do next.
>>5617695I don't think the godly rage could keep up with the actual rage of the anons. Maybe strangling Palamedes and just taking his chariot for ourselves was the correct choice all along?
>>5617697That'd give us plus points with Odysseus at least /s
>>5617696Homer, can we change our divine nemesis from the Rivers to Tyche? Just to formalise things.
Rolled 2 (1d20)>>5617697Rolling to see how fiery Godly Rage would've been.
>>5617704lol, kek
Rolled 12 (1d20)>>5617702Making friends out of enemies, one sperg outburst at a time.>>5617704Rolling to see how angry I am allowed to get at these continued shitty rolls.
Two fives and two sevens. This is insane.
Man. I figured at first, anons were just rolling one after the other too quickly, resulting in rolls that are the same (which is a frequent problem in popular quests), but I think we're just cursed in general.
Were the dice found in a river or something? Only that would explain why they are constantly so shitty.
Man fuck this noise honestly. Tyche clearly hates our fucking guts this is getting absurdly ridiculous
>a quest the QM put a lot of preparation into and is genuinely thrilled to run>a very involved and active playerbase eager to participate>a fresh take on historical fantasy insert in a largely untouched period>the dice fucking HATE itSeriously though it hurts.
>>5617670>>5617847We should receive humble as a trait soon since it is almost as overpowered as common sense in a time where everyone with even a drop of gods' blood acts like they are literally gods' gift to mankind then they get all surprised when they are punished for their arrogance. Given our low social traits and the brutality of the setting and the roll system this could have turned out much worse.
>>5617852Humble + Sympathetic. My boy Nikandros been knocked over too many times and has just accepted it.
>>5617852I don't think humble would work too well with Nikon at this current juncture given his motivation to do all of this in the first place. It's hard to be a glory seeker when you're conscious of your place in the world and at peace with it. Sure we could argue we'd stay in the war because we've already sworn to it and we're dutiful but the sudden shock to his motive would be very disruptive.I figure during the war at some point it could make sense. Especially after Achilles of all people dies. And given that most of the frustration is on us as the anons and not Nikon himself. To him everything that has happened has been pretty typical stuff, nobles are assholes, gods are forceful, spirits are fickle. It's not like he sees the cosmic working of it actively hindering him like we can.Of course I'm not saying don't go for it. This is just my take. From a narrative standpoint.
>>5617866Excellent point. My post was half in jest and half a commentary on how more than half the time we fail our rolls. Still could be worse. At least we are not using a 1d20 system most of the time.
Rolled 50, 41, 43, 30, 39 = 203 (5d100)d20s are cursed, d100s are the future. If all of these are below 60 I'm going into aristeia IRL
>>5617886The Fates are cruel.
>>5617886Amazing, the dice are just trolling at this point
Testing out these shit dice.
Rolled 3, 8, 12, 13, 17, 12, 10, 15, 10, 12 = 112 (10d20)>>5617898Oops, another try
>>5617899
Rolled 9, 10, 7, 14, 8, 1, 13, 2, 11, 18 = 93 (10d20)>>5617899
Rolled 6, 16, 4, 17, 2, 7, 9, 18, 18, 16 = 113 (10d20)You guys suck.>>5617899>>5617905Check this shit out. Burning the dice roller.
>>5617782I still think we are experiencing the consequences of a severe head blow and the dice are simply acting in concert…
>>5617886How's that divine rage going for you?
>>5617886I guess we'll be hearing about you in the news.>>5617899>>5617905>>5617910You fools! Look at all these double digit numbers you burned!
>>5617938They didn't burn our luck, it's just the dice taunting us.
>>5617938Maybe the dice roller was just rusty and our luck will return to normal?Obviously this is pure cope but I’m grasping at straws at our truly mediocre performance.Again, given our theme of failing upwards recently, maybe we ascertain Palamedes’ goals but fail to convince him to enter into an alliance outright. Hopefully he’ll take mercy on us and let us ride in his chariot or we’ll have to risk an encounter with Odysseus (Zeus help us if this comes to pass). Maybe we could play petteia with Odysseus for a seat in his chariot? We are more autistic than he is and therefore could beat him, or at least challenge his brain with some good matches for entertainment along the way.
>>5617938What we need are nat 20’s to beat opposing rolls.
Rolled 3 (1d20)>>5618128Like this?
>>5618151>>5618128Suck on this <5 roll anons
Rolled 13 (1d20)>>5618161Oops forgot my roll even
>>5618161Imagine Roll so bad we dont get even a 1
>>5617886Horrendous>>5617852>Takes Giant, Tactical Genius and Olympian Blood (all traits which reasonably contribute to arrogance)>Thinks that he won't need to be BTFO on the Gilgamesh-tier to receive "humble" as a traitHumility in a world where the gods will punish you for overweening pride is powerful, but NOBODY gets it in "canon". Even Odysseus, whose pride radically sets back his nostos, doesn't get it. Also, announcement. At first I thought the rolling was a skill issue on y'alls' part. I now realize that it was the gods punishing me for abandoning the custom of Bo3 in quests. I am officially changing the standard roll to Bo3, for both you and your enemies. I am also sacrificing some chickens. Update soon.
>>5618361>and your enemies.>I am also sacrificing some chickens.Why do I have a feeling that's just going to make your rolls even better?
>>5618367>mfw
>>5618361Well, Bo3 rolling should help ensure that Nik and his opponents are performing more evenly. Hopefully, fewer crushing defeats on either side.
Rolled 19, 5, 19, 15, 4, 10 = 72 (6d20)>>5618418First three the enemySecond is us
>>5618420>19vs15>5vs4>19vs10>5vs4
>>5618420This is insanely hilarious.
>>5618420>>5618422Literally, LITERALLY cursed
>>5618361Thank you for lowering the difficulty of this quest from hard to medium. So there is this trope called break the haughty that I think was largely inspired by godly punishments of the arrogant. There is another trope called Just the First Citizen and Modest Royalty. Maybe instead of humble we can shoot for Modest as a trait or at the very least not be self-deluded.
Rolled 14, 3, 12, 7, 19, 10 = 65 (6d20)>>5618361>>5618420>>5618432Pathetic.
>>5618432Also there is this trope called Cosmic Plaything...
>>5618433>win 1 of threeAVE NIKE HOLY FUCK
>>5618433>>5618438Stop rolling people, that's one win we could have had in the real quest!
Rolled 31, 88, 76, 30, 80, 33 = 338 (6d100)>>5618441But what if we roll d100s?
>>5618444Seems we still get mogged
>>5617696You do not reply immediately but instead think about it. What is it that a man like Palamedes wants? According to Electra he’s a loyal vassal to the royal family, but that tells you nothing about why he supports the house of Atreus or what he desires out of this diplomatic mission.He’s a rare sort- a thinking man, literate, supposedly an inventor of new technologies. He is not known for adeptness in battle or in court. Nor is he a king who could gain real status out of the conflict. War will give him little opportunity to elevate his position. Yet you doubt he is a man of pure sentiment, serving the crown out of a misguided sense of loyalty not backed by any significant blood relation. If it isn’t personal benefit from the war that drives him to support the house of Atreus, then he must somehow be advantaged by the consequences of the war… stability. That’s it, stability! A counterintuitive conclusion, to suppose that he supports the war in the name of stability after the fact, but one that makes sense. If a peace were made that harmed the standing of the high king, then only conflict closer to home would come from it- and civil strife would not serve a minor prince more interested in knowledge than glory in the slightest. Better for the foreigners to suffer the wrath of Agamemnon than for all of Hellas to suffer the predations of outsiders sensing weakness.So, you reason, Palamedes wants whatever will benefit Hellas in the long run. That is not quite what you care about, but even without divulging your agreement with Electra surely you can convince him that you want what’s best for your fellow Hellenes?You attempt to make your case to him- that you and he are natural allies among the diplomats of the mission, both being men who care more about the good of all Hellas over their petty self-interest. Unfortunately, this simply isn’t true of you. Yes, you support the house of Atreus and the war, but for quite different reasons- the war is your opportunity for glory undying and favors the pursuit of status for your own house, damned be any interests otherwise. You try your best, but Palamedes detects the insincerity of your claims.“Nikandros, I do not think we are nearly as aligned in mind as you would have me believe. Unless you have a genuine reason for me to do you the favor you seek, I request that you leave me be while I continue my studies.”You’ll be damned, he won’t help you out so easily.
>>5618525>He would not anger a man who could kill him with ease, for one thing. (Will check, you are unsubtly intimidating him).>He would gain ally against Odysseus, who you heard might bear a grudge against Palamedes. (Kleos check, as you are essentially betting on the worth of your goodwill- higher DC now.)>A favor from you of commensurate value. (An automatic success, but one of greater value now that he sees your need for his help.)>You could tell him the truth- you are an ally of the Crown-Princess, and by helping you he helps her. (Likely a success, but who can guess how Palamedes or Electra would respond to such a claim.)>Give up and ask someone else. (Menelaus or Odysseus?)>Something else?
>>5618526>Give up and ask someone else. (Menelaus or Odysseus?)I sort of think that leaving things open-ended with Palamedes might be the better approach, rather than pushing him too hard or forcing him into an alliance.I’d rather that we ask him to judge us by our actions throughout the mission and perhaps leave room for further discussion as time goes on.I basically suggest that we try Odysseus next and play petteia for a seat in his chariot, although Zeus help us if we fuck up the rolls.
>>5618531+1, a chance to read him and vice versa.>Zeus help us if we fuck up the rollsHeh
>>5618526>>Something else?
