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File: TWQ - DS #1.png (1.11 MB, 1080x1080)
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Sing, O Muse, of golden-haired Deianira Hippomedion, who wields her will more artfully than any spear, who guides the οἶκος of Hippomedon to wealth and prestige, and of her brother, Nikandros Hippomedion, who journeys far from home alongside famed companions to entreat Ilion’s sacred citadel. Sing of the sorcery and honeyed words of witches! Sing of the wrath of Menelaus, of the folly of Paris, of Zeus’s plan which even now comes to fulfillment…

----

Deianira’s Sidestory is an adjunct to Homer’s recent Trojan War Quest – while Nikandros Hippomedion sails to Troy, we take control of his witchy sister, Deianira, as she guides the oikos of Hippomedon to wealth and power, in the foothills of Mount Olympus. In contrast, to the “main” TWQ plot, this sidestory will have an emphasis on development of the estates of Hippomedon and local politics within Thessaly. I am not the original QM of Trojan War Quest, but I hope that he will return to continue Nikandros’ story in the future.

Recommended Reading:

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

Homer, if you’re reading this - please consider dropping me a confidential line at deianiraquest@tutanota.com if you don’t feel comfortable posting openly – I’d love for a chance to pick your brain and honor your wishes, even if I can’t persuade you to continue TWQ.
>>
As she spoke she set the armor before Achilles, and it rang out bravely as she did so. The Myrmidons were struck with awe, and none dared look full at it, for they were afraid; but Achilles was roused to still greater fury, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce light, for he was glad when he handled the splendid present which the god had made him. Then, as soon as he had satisfied himself with looking at it, he said to his mother,

"Mother, the god has given me armor, meet handiwork for an immortal and such as no living could have fashioned; I will now arm, but I much fear that flies will settle upon the son of Menoitios and breed worms about his wounds, so that his body, now he is dead, will be disfigured and the flesh will rot."

Silver-footed Thetis answered, "My son, be not disquieted about this matter. I will find means to protect him from the swarms of noisome flies that prey on the bodies of men who have been killed in battle. He may lie for a whole year, and his flesh shall still be as sound as ever, or even sounder. Call, therefore, the Achaean heroes in assembly; unsay your anger against Agamemnon; arm at once, and fight with might and main."

As she spoke she put strength and courage into his heart, and she then dropped ambrosia and red nectar into the wounds of Patroklos, that his body might suffer no change. Then Achilles went out upon the seashore, and with a loud cry called on the Achaean heroes. On this even those who as yet had stayed always at the assembly of ships, the pilots and helmsmen, and even the stewards who were about the ships and served out rations, all came to the place of assembly because Achilles had shown himself after having held aloof so long from fighting. Last of all came Agamemnon, king of men, he too wounded, for Koön son of Antenor had struck him with a spear in battle.

When the Achaeans were got together Achilles rose and said,

"Son of Atreus, surely it would have been better alike for both you and me, when we two were in such high anger about Briseis, surely it would have been better, had Artemis' arrow slain her at the ships on the day when I took her after having sacked Lyrnessos. For so, many an Achaean the less would have bitten dust before the foe in the days of my anger. It has been well for Hektor and the Trojans, but the Achaeans will long indeed remember our quarrel. Now, however, let it be, for it is over. If we have been angry, necessity has schooled our anger. I put it from me: I dare not nurse it for ever; therefore, bid the Achaeans arm forth with that I may go out against the Trojans, and learn whether they will be in a mind to sleep by the ships or no. Glad, I ween, will he be to rest his knees who may flee my spear when I wield it."

Thus did he speak, and the Achaeans rejoiced in that he had put away his anger.


- Iliad of Homer, Scroll 19
>>
[bold]Deianira Hippomedion[/bold]

Level 1
Height: 6’3”
Age: 22

[bold]Kleos[/bold]: You’re an unknown! -5 to Kleos checks. Deeds below:
None.

[bold]Timae:[/bold] That of a typical impoverished country noblewoman. -5 to Timae checks.

[bold]STATS:[/bold]

STR - (8/20) (+0)
AGI - (11/20) (+0)
CON - (11/20) (+0)
WILL - (14/23) (+2)
INT - (15/23) (+3)
CHA - (17/23) (+5)

Regional Alignment: Thessalian Noblewoman (+1 STR, +1 AGI, + 1 CON, +3 CHA)

[bold[Epithets:[/bold]

• Pharmakis: Providers of medicines, drugs, and various other tinctures (from Witch/Physician).

[bold]Traits:[/bold]

• Dutiful – Your father, Hippomedon, insisted that you were as diligent in your own education as your brother. You get an extra stat point per level in the +2/+3 alternating pattern that Homer established.

Tier 1:
• 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. Life experiences may unlock hidden bonuses or traits over time.

• Physician: Cures, tonics and various medical therapies are your domain (+1 to INT; +3 to diagnosis/treatment attempts, stacks with Witch bonuses). Any potion, tonic, or healing agent created through the ritual process has a significant bonus to success (+3); +3 bonus to rolls to treat wounds, injuries, maladies. People, animals, or entities under your personal medical care and receiving one of your treatments make rapid recoveries (twice as fast) and weather life-threatening illnesses; you can fan the flame of life in a person on the verge of death.

Tier 2:

Witch: The esoteric art of magic herbalism is known to few mortals. These few are almost exclusively witches. Your mother had arranged for your tutelage with a mysterious woman, Spathion – how exactly she arranged for this is unclear to you (+3 INT/INT cap, +3 to CHA/CHA cap, +3 to WILL/WILL cap; -1 to all physical stats). You are knowledgeable regarding an extremely broad array of medicines, poisons, and illnesses; these same skills provide you access to all manners of creams, lotions and perfumes to enhance your physical presentation. With appropriate preparation, you may engage in occult ritualism to produce a magic spell or potion; reagents for such rituals are typically difficult and expensive to obtain.

[bold]MALUS[/bold]:
Women’s Frailty: Strength Reduction (-3)

>cont
>>
>>5644137
sigh, I should have tested my formatting...

STATUS

HP- (8/8)

Skills

• Witch’s Knowledge: +2 when attempting to identify herbs, plants, poisons, potions, or magic spells, also +2 to create these. Commonplace animals, plants and reagents will not require rolls to identify.
• Witch’s Aspect: +2 to all social/will rolls (under select circumstances, the social bonus may be doubled when interacting with “vulnerable” males, but this may have consequences)
• Physician: +3 to all rolls to diagnose or treat illness.
• Divine Aura: +3 when interacting with daemons. (FOB)
• Divine Regeneration: Heal 2 health per combat turn (FOB)
• More skills to be uncovered as circumstances and traits necessitate.

Personal Inventory

• Knife of Hippomedon: 1d4 + AGI + Knifeplay damage
• Hunting Bow: 1d4 + AGI + Archery damage
• Witch’s Tools: various mortars, pestles, bowls, and other needed equipment to produce all manners of tonics and tinctures.
• Physician’s Supplies: all manner of mundane bandages, knives, and such implements necessary to trait human illness.
• Three oenochoe of Seisames’ finest wine.
•Current Potion Inventory: One philter of Hippomedon’s Essence.
>>
HIPPOMEDON ESTATE

CURRENT OIKOS POINTS = 2
Oikos Morale: <Rebellious - GRUMBLING - Contented - Loyal - Unshakable Faith

Palace = <Rubble – MODEST – Functional – Inviting – Extravagant>

The palace of Hippomedon is a two-story humble structure, made of stone, barely sufficient for the needs of a frontier nobleman. There is a central courtyard, and the rooms of the palace are open to the courtyard on the interior – a sail-like tent can be raised over the roof in the event of rain. On the first floor, there is the kitchen, the andron, several storerooms, and a small studio for the construction of tools and other small items. On the second floor, there is sufficient space for three small bedrooms (yours, your brother’s and your mother’s), the dormitory for house staff, and the gynaikon. To a commoner, this is a lavish arrangement – but a King would scoff at these cramped accommodations.

Additional features: Witch’s Hut

Palace Grounds – <Wild – UNKEMPT – Tamed – Curated – Wondrous>

The palace itself is nestled atop a large hill of gentle ascent – from the second floor, a sharp-eyed person has excellent visibility in all directions. With no shortage of land in rural Thessaly, the grounds of Hippomedon are many plethrons (let's say 5,000?) and extends loosely to the north, east and south – to the west, a small brook babbles at the foot of the hill, about 2 stadia away (400 metres or so) and just beyond this, the Hippomedon farms. The vast majority of the Hippomedon grounds are simply not being utilized - small copses of trees, small grassy fields, studded with rocky outcroppings and boulders. The main path to the palace is a dusty affair, just wide enough for a chariot or three men abreast. In the distance to the north, Mount Olympus looms – the peak of the mountain typically hidden by rolling cloudbanks. As a child and on extremely clear days, you would sometimes catch the gleam of metal impossibly tracing a path through the sky, flitting towards the peak...

Estate Defenses (Structural): None – the palace itself has no defenses other than its' excellent positioning atop the hill, and the grounds themselves have nothing in the way of gates or barriers.
>>
Estate Defenses (Garrison): First Platoon: Your brother's 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 of Hellas. 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). Please note that Nikandros is not present to command these troop, and so would perform at Tier 2.
Hippomedon Levy: In a time of crisis, an additional pool of 50 untrained and unarmored men could be assembled, armed with clubs, rocks, the odd blade and a hodge-podge of spears and poor-quality bows. Practically worthless in a fight but may at least give the appearance of protection from a distance – however, a trained observer would immediately note that these men are unwashed commoners.

Farms and Fields:

Barley Fields – <Defunct – Struggling – FUNCTIONAL– Productive – Marvelous>

Wheat Farms/ – <Defunct – STRUGGLING– Functional – Productive – Marvelous>

Olive Grove – <Defunct – STRUGGLING– Functional – Productive – Marvelous>

Vegetable Garden – <Defunct – Struggling – FUNCTIONAL – Productive – Marvelous>

Herb Garden - <Defunct – STRUGGLING – Functional – Productive – Marvelous>

Vineyard - <Defunct – STRUGGLING – Functional – Productive – Marvelous>

Altogether, the farms of Hippomedon are functional and can support the existing population of the oikos – but only just. Nikandros’ successful enterprises over the past few years has allowed for investment into the barley fields and vegetable gardens, lessening the threat of starvation and providing limited excesses of barley – the vegetables, herbs and hardier wheat crop is typically consumed outright to maintain the health and satisfaction of the oikos, while the barley is typically reserved for the livestock and leaner winter months. However, the wheat fields and olive grove are suffering somewhat under poor maintenance and lack of manpower. The olive grove and vineyards are reaching maturity after over 20 years of growth, but yields have been poor so far – what limited wine is produced is somewhat bitter to taste and of poor-quality, and olive oil is a scarcity, to the discouragement of your household staff. In general, the Thessalian soil of your estate is "tightly-bound" and does not release its' bounty without a fight – it is a constant battle to maintain the health of your agricultural holdings with your limited resources, and even harder when the fields themselves are uneven, hilly, and studded with boulders.
>>
Beasts and Livestock

Cattle Herds - <None – DWINDLING – Self-Sustaining – Hardy and Growing – Impressive – Royal>
+2 white Lyciboen bulls (bonus to herd growth when the time comes)

Goat Herds - <None – Dwindling – SELF-SUSTAINING – Hardy and Growing – Impressive – Royal>

Sheep Herds - <None – DWINDLING– Self-Sustaining – Hardy and Growing – Impressive – Royal>

Swine Herds - <None – Dwindling – SELF-SUSTAINING – Hardy and Growing – Impressive – Royal>

Horse Herds - <NONE – Dwindling – Self-Sustaining – Hardy and Growing – Impressive – Royal>

Bee Hives - <NONE – Dwindling – Self-Sustaining – Hardy and Growing – Impressive – Royal>

Similarly, Nikandros’ investments in prior years has focused on sustainability, rather than luxury goods. Your father’s plans to breed lines of Thessalian race and warhorses had never materialized, and your mother’s aspirations for a thriving set of beehives were never acted on – you simply lacked the manpower and resources in the oikos to develop these over the years.You do possess a small herd of goats and swine – enough to maintain their population and provide infrequent meals of pork and goat cheese, but hardly a source of income in its own right. The cattle “herd” such as it is, numbers fewer than 20 – you must secure additional beasts in the near future or watch the herd dwindle over the next two years as they are slaughtered for food in the winter months. Similarly, the small number of sheep present provide a minimal quantity of wool and mutton, but additional investments must be made here to provide for the future.

Countryside - <Dangerous – Wild – PATROLLED – Secure – Truly Safe>

Perhaps your brother’s greatest success, in a few short years, he has tamed the Thessalian hills and fields of your lands with minimal cost to the First Platoon. Commoners traveling these lands once did so at risk of their lives – a large number of wolves, barbaroi and if you believe the wild tales, monsters of various types, preyed upon your people. However, in the last two years, the paths and roads of the countryside (such as they are) are now patrolled at regular intervals by Argyros’ First Platoon, when not in the field. A commoner may now travel with the hopes of avoiding molestation, although only the foolish would travel alone or unarmed.
>>
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>PHASE TWO BEGIN
I made a total hash of the formatting, apologies all

You breathe deeply, as you gaze out across the rolling fields and hills of Thessaly. Your cloak and chiton, today, brilliant white, still carry the fragrant aroma of the Dionysian Frankencense that you had finally completed just before dawn – a heady mix of unwatered wine, Corsican pinecone, and various other herbs and additives, it has a pungent and natural scent. While you’ve never suffered the true effects of the concoction yourself, even the limited exposure you had made your heart thump in your chest and your tongue loose for several hours. Only in the last few minutes, under the high Thessalian noon, have your thoughts steadied.

In the distance, the peak of Mount Olympus is wreathed in clouds of white; the same shade of your robes. You wonder whether your brother, Νίκων, misses his homeland…but you suspect not. He did not look back, when leaving the estates of his father, and you imagine that his mind and attention is focused purely on the task ahead, whatever it may be. His concentration and discipline, at times, was unsettling to you. In his thinking, you imagine it must be quite simple – you are placed at the head of the Hippomedon οἶκος, you will lead the οἶκος into prosperity, and you will patiently await his return, with prospective husband in tow. Shaking your head, you gently brush loose strands of your golden hair of your face. You hope it will be as simple as that – but you are quite sure that it will not.

Regardless, you pray for his safety once again, as you kneel before Mount Olympus, and plead for a friendly divinity to shield him from the predation of men and gods. Better yet, you hope, he escapes their notice entirely – standing, you brush the dirt from your white cloak. Despite the long hours of the previous night, you feel refreshed and ready to act as head of the Hippomedon οἶκος. Four of five local noblemen plan to attend your proposed feast, with the sole exception of Damachides, who resides to the west. You have nine days before the summit takes place, but you have already invested the time and resources to ensure a successful event. Your household staff have been appropriately notified, and the various bands of the First Platoon currently on patrol have been notified as well – they will return to the οἶκος in about 7 days time, to stand guard and show what strength in spearmen you have, under Argyros’ and Iudas’ suggestion. Even better, many of the local lords have already demonstrated openness and generosity upon receipt of your summons – you remember Cnotheos, brother-in-law to Seisames, who delivered several oenochoe of very fine wine, and Lyciboeus, who gifted your estate two study white bulls, asking for nothing in return.

>cont
>>
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In short – you have several days to accomplish your own projects, both sorcerous and as head of the οἶκος, and have the time to initiate another οἶκος project before the feast. Pantaleon, you recall, mentioned that some daemon or creature had been scattering the sheep of your estate, and apparently running your shepherds haggard. Argyros suggested that you meet with the men of the First Platoon – few of them have met you, and they do not know you in your new capacity as head of the οἶκος. Finally, Iudas’ words from several nights ago have lingered in your mind – he essentially challenged you about your lack of knowledge about himself. You have a thought to track him down and learn of his personal history, and perhaps why he serves the house of Hippomedon.

Welcome to Deianira Quest! In general, the quest will be organized into Phases; each Phase, there will be three actions available to Deianira – one Deianira action (as a nobleman and head of οἶκος), one Witch Action (to create a magic spell or potion), and one οἶκος action (to direct οἶκος staff to complete some project or task). Currently, Deianira is ready to spend her Deianira action, which we will vot on below. Please let me know if I can further clarify the system, and I’d be happy to do so.

---

Make your choice!

>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion

>Meet with the men of the First Platoon, per Argyros’ suggestion

>Track down Iudas, and learn of his history and motivations.

>Something else? reasonable write-ins are always strongly encouraged!
>>
>>5644152
>>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
We really don't need something fucking with the livestock
>>
>>5644152
>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
Our farms are barely enough for our population, in an emergency we’ll probably have to slaughter our livestock.
>>
>>5644152
>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
Demons in the woods is something for a witch with divine blood to deal with
>>
Sweet, good to see this have it's own thread!

>>5644152
>Meet with the men of the First Platoon, per Argyros’ suggestion
Let's see if there's some way we can make sure our livestock is protected from bandits.
>>
>>5644152
>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
Sheep
>>
>>5644152
>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
>>
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>>5644152
>>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
>>
>>5644152
>Meet with the men of the First Platoon, per Argyros’ suggestion
>>
>>5644152
>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion

Will need a tracker and an escort, perhaps pantaleon himself?
I am unsure what could constitute a demon here and the danger it represents, a satyr? A spirit?
>>
>>5644152
>>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
>>
So what are the chances Iudas does what another with same name will do in roughly 1,000 years later?
>>
>>5644626
However many shekels you have in your pocket out of 100 right now, anon. Please be a poorfag or a richfag, neither of them got change.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5644631
>>
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>>5644633
Nice. Crisis averted. 4% is really low.
>>
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>>5644152
>>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion

>>5644626
let's hope it doesn't happen
>>
>>5644152
I don't read this quest (though best of luck with it), but I wanted to let you know that you should use a secure tripcode. You accomplish this by putting one hashtag instead of two, like this: ##password. This prevents somebody from reverse-engineering the tripcode and impersonating you.

>That's a really far-fetched thing to have happen!
It has happened before on a wide scale and caused a huge amount of drama. Stay safe out there, Opee.
>>
>>5644697
>tegaki.png
I love your drawings. Anon. How many husbands are in that sack?
>>
>>5644697
The most based us of returns.
>>
>>5644704

Good advice regarding the secure tripcode, all players please note that I'll be doing so in the future.

----

This vote will end at 9pm EST tonight!

Also, after tonight's update, one post IDs will generally not be accepted for votes in order to partially mitigate samefagging. I would encourage anons to post now to "register" for later, if you haven't do so already.
>>
>>5644797
If my ID changes do I just link back to og vote?
>>
>>5644711
A humble dozen demigods, from Scythia to Aegyptos, to Herakles columns to the far Babylon !
>>
>>5644808

yep, exactly

>>5644697

fantastic work per usual anon
>>
>>5644152
>>Meet with the men of the First Platoon, per Argyros’ suggestion
>>
Congrats on taking the reins proper, Lesches! Hoping for Homer's return, of course, but I hope you continue running this as time goes on-- it's quite the read.

>>5644152
>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion

If it's a Daemon, it'll be good to put FOB to good use.
>>
>>5644152
>>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion
>>
>>5644152 #
>>Investigate the scattering of the sheep, per Pantaleon’s suggestion

Zeus forbid some monster is on our property and hurts a guest
>>
>>5645085
Hope to zeus it isn't.

When i was little i got traumatized by the story of the troll grendel who enraged by the sound of festivities came inside the noble halls and slaughtered everyone.
>>
>>5645106
The story of Grendel was obviously inspired by an autistic sperg with retard strength who kicked down the doors of a feast hall when people were too loud and he hadn't gotten his tendies yet. The rampage was legendary enough that he became a troll in its retelling. Though the smell certainly didn't help his case.
>>
>check out dem fluffy bois

>>5644162
>>5644172
>>5644180
>>5644212
>>5644221
>>5644292
>>5644448
>>5644471
>>5644697
>>5644905
>>5644972
>>5645085

>meet Nikon's lads

>>5644181
>>5644371
>>5644819


investigate the sheep situation is the front-runner by a huge margin, I'm calling the vote early!

I'll need a dice+1d20 for Deianira to take a spin on my carefully constructed Homeric-Happenings random encounters table. Also, one of the anons rightly pointed out that we'd need a tracker/escort, so Pantaleon will be accompanying us. Deianira is not so foolish to travel alone - she knows that she's not really a physical combatant.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>5645237
Let's see if this is a true Trojan War Quest Spinoff
>>
>>5645238
A worth heir if I say so myself
>>
>>5645238

Don't worry - it is!

>post will be up before 12pm EST tonight, possibly before 10pm
>>
>>5645242
Do you need more than one dice roll or do we trust the rngfates that a 3 is the best they can do for today?
>>
>>5645338

Eh, for these random encounters, one roll is sufficient. In some cases, a second roll might be required, but not for this particular result.
>>
You waste no time in your decision – if you are the heart of the οἶκος, livestock is its blood. Any threat to your herd is an attack at your future itself.
You stride purposefully around the palace of Hippomedon, until you are directed behind the palace proper. Here, you find bearded, hulking Pantaleon, nearly alike to your brother in his dimensions despite his common origin, carefully whetting his favorite bronze blade. He has placed several wooden stakes into the ground and has halfway skinned the wolves you saw him dragging in the previous morning – their fresh hides strung between the stakes. His hands are black with dried blood, and he appears to be content in his work. He wears the practical garb of his homeland of Ἤπειρος, far to the northwest – a rough-sewn tunic, and a short leather skirt. He has never bothered to adopt the fashions of Hellas, but whether this is out of misplaced pride or simple apathy has never been clear to you.

As you approach from his side, he pauses imperceptibly, his knife pausing for the smallest moment, and his shaggy head tilting to the side. You intuit that not only has he heard you, but he has also identified you by your stride and the sounds of your fine cloak sliding over the earth. You open your mouth to speak, but he rudely preempts you, his speech weighted with the harsher accent of the Epirot people –

“I hear you coming, Lady Deianira, and I know what you will ask of me. Wise of you to collect an escort before you face the unknown, even in the friendly hills of your father. It will be my pleasure to accompany you.” He grins unpleasantly, baring yellowed teeth, and opens his mouth to speak further– but you strike first.

“It will be my pleasure to turn you into a swine, Pantaleon, if you ever forget your place.” Your chuckle has a harsher edge than usual, but the effect is sufficient – Pantaleon’s jaw clamps shut and his brown eyes dart away from yours, deferent. Of course, you haven’t the slightest idea of how this act of φύσις might be done – or at least, not yet.

You hold your head at a regal angle and instruct Pantaleon to meet you in front of the οἶκος in a few minutes. You take the opportunity to collect your bow, quiver of 20 arrows, poor shot that you are, your father’s bronze knife, and the philter of Hippomedon’s Essence that you have on hand.
>>
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Within two hours, Pantaleon has led you through a series of winding paths between the hills and dappled meadows of your estates, and occasionally, stops to investigate some track or another. As your patience begins to run thin and the chariot of Helios starts to turn back towards the earth, he suddenly freezes, and hissing, drags you to the earth before a large grassy hill.

In a moment, you hear it – the distant huffing of some beast and the thin bleating of a sheep. To your ears, the sheep’s calls have the weakened, exhausted quality of an animal dying slowly and in terror. Putting your dignity aside, you follow Pantaleon’s lead, as he worms his way through the verdant grasses to gain a good vantage point on the hilltop, beside a very large apple tree. As you settle into position, next to his right elbow, you dare a glance through the grasses.

To your shock and disgust, you see a blonde man with the lower frame of a bay-colored horse standing over the broken form of one of your ewes. While you have never seen such a thing in person – you know it instantly as no daemon or divinity. It is one of the κένταυρος – the foul offspring of Nephele and the Lapith King, Ixion. They are said to be savages, brutes and drunkards – worse, they are known to be insatiable in their predations – the trampled and expiring ewe before you has seemingly suffered its attention most recently.

Of the beast itself, now that it is unoccupied, its face contorts in anger and it repeatedly kicks its hind legs, scuffing up huge clouds of dust. It grabs a long spear that you had not noticed previously and waves it erratically in thrusting attacks into the air. Howling in frustration and cantering ceaselessly in a tight circuit, it seemingly has not yet noticed your presence – tugging at your shoulder, Pantaleon, motions you back down the hillside.

Once safely pressed against the bottom of the hill, he whispers fervently to you, eyes round with alarm.

“We must be careful – these beasts are dangerous in the extreme, and hardier than you might believe. If we ambush the creature with our bows, we may have yet a chance to wound it enough to force a retreat or kill it outright. However, it may charge – and its hooves are lethal. If we flee, we risk discovery by the beast and it may run us down with its spear.” None of these options are terribly appealing to you, but you wonder if there might be another solution. You could perhaps attempt to reason with the beast, or use your womanly gifts to lure it into a false sense of security? The idea of approaching the beast strikes you as mindless, as the image of the ruined ewe comes unbidden to your mind.

>vote post coming
>>
You guys have to deal with an angry horse-boi now

This vote will close at 9pm EST tomorrow

>Ambush the κένταυρος with your ranged weaponry - while you are a mediocre shot, Pantaleon is quite the skilled archer.

>Flee the situation and rouse the First Platoon. You run the risk of being caught from behind if the κένταυρος notices you.

>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?

>Attempt to deceive the κένταυρος in some fashion through application of your womanly gifts? Write-ins would be welcome, of course.

>Something else?
>>
>>5645459
>Ambush the κένταυρος with your ranged weaponry - while you are a mediocre shot, Pantaleon is quite the skilled archer.
Can we not just cast Magic Missile or Fireball at the bastard?
>>
Did that centaur simply beat the ewe to death or something more terrible?

>>5645459
>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?
I suspect that it will try or be tempted to carry us off, but what are the chances it is part of a larger group and they seek revenge? In any case, I think playing to our greatest strength is good, and Pantyboy can sneak/line up a shot on the centaur while we distract with talk, a precaution.
>>
>>5645459
>Ambush the κένταυρος with your ranged weaponry - while you are a mediocre shot, Pantaleon is quite the skilled archer.

>Nikon trying every social check
>Deianira trying every physical check
Too good to pass up.
>>
>>5645459
>>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?
>>
>>5645459
>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?
>>
>>5645459
>>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?
If only centaurs weren't so stupid and brutish he'd make a fine ally. Too bad he's particularly stupid enough to fuck a sheep to death and then attack the air as if he'd strike whatever he's presumably thinking cursed him to go unsated.

Of course while we're busy asking him very politely to leave and go to a place that has actual horses and cows he might enjoy the company of, Panty can be lining up a shot for his likely to be craning neck. Hopefully he'll understand that sheep are squishy and beasts more his size are much more likely to withstand his "mighty rod".
>>
>you know it instantly as no daemon or divinity.
Oh shoot, do we not get a +3 from FOB when interacting with this guy.
>>
>>5645510
Conversely, his social stats are also probably super shit, being that he is only barely above a wild beast.
>>
>>5645520
True enough, but I can't help but wonder if the wild nature will allow him to simply ignore arguments.

Now I'm wondering if we can fashion something like tranquillizer darts in the future. Though, I don't think ancient Greeks had blowguns.
>>
>>5645536
Fair. It's always a worry that something will be just plain incorrigible. Doubly so for something even more barbaric than the barbaroi.
>>
>>5645459
>>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?

It's a centaur, maybe he knows Nikon?
>>
>>5645458
>ask pantaleon to lead you to the most impervious and broken terrain of the hill so you can give a shout to attract the centaur and he can ambush it.

A thick grove of trees, rocky terrain or a very steep hillside would work wonders in turning his mobility on hooves into a liability.
>>
And for those of you wanting to do diplomacy perhaps you best think of what to say when a ton of manhorse who only wants to smash sees a half divine beauty coming onto him.
Because it's not his brain that you will have to negotiate with.

At least have pantaleon come up from behind and ready to stick the manbeast with arrows.
>>
>>5645459
>>5645683
Sounds good to me.
>>
>>5645459
>Ambush the κένταυρος with your ranged weaponry - while you are a mediocre shot, Pantaleon is quite the skilled archer.

If it were any other Daemon, I'd want to leverage our huge CHA stat to negotiate it away, but... most centaurs are not Chiron-- and this one seems to have attempted to relieve itself with one of our sheep. If it sees our literal supermodel-tier beauty, it'll 100% try rushing us down, considering how frustrated it is right now.

These lands were tamed by force, might as well apply a little more, even if it's not exactly our strong suit.
>>
>>5645459
>Attempt to parley with the beast and convince it leave your estates?
>>
>>5645459
>Flee the situation and rouse the First Platoon. You run the risk of being caught from behind if the κένταυρος notices you.
This is something petty but but you should stop using so much spoilers.
>>
>>5645458 #
>ask pantaleon to lead you to the most impervious and broken terrain of the hill so you can give a shout to attract the centaur and he can ambush it.

A thick grove of trees, rocky terrain or a very steep hillside would work wonders in turning his mobility on hooves into a liability.

If time

>Or dig a couple ankle breakers maybe? Simple trap. Use beauty to lure into trap. Have pant ambush.
>>
>>5645791
I would argue that no centaur is Chiron. He's simply built different, and far better. He was good people.
>>
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four hour warning for votes!

>friendly reminder that one-post IDs will not be counted, I would encourage these anons to either post again or link their prior posts.

>>5645710
>>5645461
>>5646062

---

>>5646246

agreed, I've been doing reading and at least some myths specify that Chiron is really a unique entity and has no connection to the "other" centaurs.

>>5645975

Eh - my apologies, anon. Will attempt to restrain myself in the future.
>>
>>5646435
Everything to do with Apollo is all over the place. Either supremely blessed or cursed.
>>
>>5645469

>ayo horseboi lets chat

>>5645469
>>5645476
>>5645477
>>5645484
>>5645580
>>5645801

>ambush the fucker

>>5645471
>>5645683 (with a good write-in)
>>5645791
>>5646062

>GTFO

>>5645975

>one-post IDs

>>5645710
>>5645461
>>5646062

----

>ayo horseboi let's chat wins!

I'm calling the vote earlier seeing as there've been no votes in a while.

>writing now, post should be out before 12pm EST
>>
>>5645085
>>5646062
Is a need a mario.
>>
>>5646595
Ffs it's a me a Mario. Autocorrect kicking ass
>>
Well fuck. Guess fat horse c*ck is in our future. Talk from a position of strength guys... we aren't Nikki
>>
>>5646595
You now need Mario
>>
>>5646603
What anon needs is to turn off his autocorrect.
>>
>>5646609
Maybe Mario can help him do that
>>
Ambushing the beast doesn’t strike you as the best solution, as you turn the problem over in your mind. For one, the κένταυρος has the advantage of speed – if your ambush fails, then you have made an enemy of a fierce warrior, and if it were to flee, it could swiftly collect his allies to enact revenge. You are no expert in the brood of Ixion, but you know that they often travel in bands just as horses might, wreaking destruction and absconding with mortal women that might catch their fancy. You must assume that it is within several days’ ride of its companions, if not closer. Secondly, you have some doubts about your armaments – your bows are fine enough weapons for hunting wolves and men, but you aren’t certain that your bronze-tipped arrows will be as devastating to the tow-handed savage.

As you mull over your options, you keep an ear turned to the hilltop – you still hear the pounding of hoofbeats and the angrily shouted cries of the halfbreed. You are beginning to catch the words that it is flinging into the air – demanding that someone or something reveal itself in a guttural, broken version of Greek that you hardly recognize. It doesn’t seem to have noticed you or Pantaleon – this search seems to predate your discovery of the beast.

No - fighting the beast seems a poor plan.

“I will speak to the beast and persuade it to leave our lands,” you whisper calmly to Pantaleon.

Pantaleon’s eyebrows climb high on his brow before tumbling together again in a pointed frown, and he stares at you flatly. He seems to struggle containing himself for a long time - eyes bulging - before settling into a resigned silence.

“Of course – position yourself appropriately if I fail.” He simply grunts in affirmation, jaw set. Immediately, he begins working his way around the hillside. You give him several moments head start before you collect yourself. You must be alluring, charming – but also you must give the beast a reason to be persuaded. A flash of inspiration strikes as you catch an errant whiff of Dionysian Frankencese from your cloak – remnants of your labor from the previous night.

Of course – Seisames’ oenochoe…

You take an extra moment to pray in thanks to Apollo for this gift – and only just barely stop yourself from giggling in delight, your anxiety dissipating. Confident, you stand, singing a clear melody, and of a hymn that you know quite well.

>ah, a bit more coming...
>>
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Rolled 12, 11, 14 - 3 = 34 (3d20 - 3)

and Amphion, he of clever hands,
lifted, brick by brick, the stones of Thebes,
Upon the gifted notes of Zeus’ herald
His lyre of spun gold brightly sounding…


As you calmly ascend to the hilltop, voice ringing out brightly as Amphion's harp and with golden hair of the same color - you hear the clattering of the hooves cease. Above you, clouds stream across a deep blue sky, silently carried by the warm breath of Euros. You've lost sight of Pantaleon as you climbed, but you have no doubt that he has been carefully positioned to strike, if need be. Cresting over – you see the face of the κένταυρος, his reddened face seemingly caught between rage and wonder, his chest heaving in, bloody hooves streaking the earth. You adopt a broad smile as you face the beast, and simply say,

"Hail, prince of Ixion! A beautiful day such as this must be praised with music, should it not?" Without pause, you continue your hymn, and voice is clear as the rushing Αλιάκμονας...

>I'll need a dice+1d20+9, best of two from the players...
>>
Rolled 18 + 9 (1d20 + 9)

>>5646662
>>
Rolled 10 + 9 (1d20 + 9)

>>5646662
ERE YA GO!
>>
Rolled 4 + 9 (1d20 + 9)

>>5646662
Horse cock is on the menu today
>>
>>5646663
>>5646664

>11 vs 27
>stunning success, but no crit (since the centaur is not a divinity)

Well, damn. Deianira can fucking sing. I had a whole combat encounter planned out too…

>only one update tonight lads, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens here
>>
27 vs 11 should be enough to tell him to fuck off, right?
>>
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>>5646669
Horse cock avoided today
>>
>>5646669
You don't need spears when you've got pipes.

>>5646671
>he apologizes, tells us where all the satyrs are at, and dips
I do wonder how he's going to pay for the sheep once we guilt trip the hell out of him. Maybe he can tell his fellows there ain't shit here and go despoil some other farmsteads. Or do a recon mission for us or something. Who can say what the future holds?

Fuck off fate weavers no one likes you.
>>
>>5646688
>Satyr?
Aren't they different from centaurs? I'm pretty sure they're the ones with the goat bodies instead of the horse bodies. Both are horrible. I wonder if we can convince them to go mess up another nobles days.

Also, are we back to the Bo2 system rather than the Bo3?
>>
>>5646716
They are, but satyrs and centaurs tend to get along more often than with other groups. Centaurs tend to make good fighters and satyrs tend to make good entertainers. Though the price to pay tends to be your ass for either one, or a whole lot of wine.

As for sending them to harass the others, sounds great, just wouldn't want them to blab they were told to leave from here. Though they'd probably all be killed or scattered without words, knowing how things are around here. Sending them to screw with Damachides would be funny, but the barbarians might capitalize on it as well. Butterfly effect is a bitch.
>>
>>5646686
I guess we're a throat GOAT. Ballin rolls boys.
>>
Does phonefagging always change your id? homeless Mario usually just lurks.
>>
>>5646742
>id
Believe so, unless you are connected to wifi which you also use for your computer or something.
>>
>>5646716

I'm basically just copying Homer's system, in which number of dice rolled roughly equates to contextual advantage. In this case, I gave the centaur best of 3 because he is mega pissed off and you are attempting to diplomance him mid-tantrum. For Deianira, I gave her best of 2 because she had the time to plan her approach with Pantaleon. However, if you failed here - you would have started combat with him at a pretty significant disadvantage and run a serious risk of being speared.

>basically, you guys took a situation that could have led to serious injury or death, but picked a strategy that played to your strengths and the gods threw you a bone, nice work! It helped that the centaur is a poorly-educated moron with an INT of 5. Trust me when I say you would not have wanted to fight him in close quarters as Deianira (although Nikon could probably have wrecked him).
>>
>>5646751
Speared literally or speared (raped)?
>>
>>5646751
I think he meant that Homer had changed the system to be always bo3. But I like it this way too.
>>
>>5646756
It's a centaur, so I'm betting on both
>>
It is pretty interesting that Chiron gets lumped in with the centaurs despite his dad being Cronus and his mom being Philyra.
The guy is siblings to the Olympians and older than some gods.
I guess that's what happens when one looks similar enough.
>>
>>5646727
This whole encounter is not reassuring even if it did go well. We'll need personal bodyguards (not the platoon or the levy) or even something cheaper like a dog for our own protection when we travel around/collect herbs, Pantaleon needs better war gear too.
>>
>>5646926
Agreed, when i suggested an escort before i actually meant both a squad of soldiers and a tracker on top of pantaleon.
Witch or not i won't bet money on deianira against a pack of wolves or a bear.
>>
>>5646926
You mean we need a husband?
>>
>>5646926
Well, would that we could afford it eh? That's definitely something to look into when we can get some wealth to our name. We can barely afford to support a few dozen soldiers and that probably came from looting barbaroi camps and intruders. And they aren't even well equipped. Four or five decently armed and trained guards we can manage if we can sort out our house a bit I'm sure.

But we should definitely get a dog. Perhaps even breed them. Dogs make fine companions in nearly all walks of life. Hunting (and searching) dogs, war dogs, guard dogs, simple house dogs. Even more specialized and unusual things such as messengers and medical assistants are on the table should you be good enough at training them. Dogs are great.

We certainly need to up our security somehow if centaurs managed to get anywhere near our land without us knowing. When we're richer we will need proper scouts.
>>
>>5646957
>>5646926
Yes phonefag Mario agrees. Especially if we're supposed to send the soldiers to Nikki eventually.
>>
>>5646926
All female escort time
>>
The κένταυρος’ face is transformed, transfixed – and even you are surprised at how melodious your voice is, sliding effortlessly even to the highest notes. Its anger and frustration are simply forgotten, as its bloodshot eyes lock onto your figure in wonder. By pure happenstance, the rolling clouds above that had been temporarily interposing themselves between the hilltop and the chariot of Helios suddenly move aside – you are bathed in a column of sunlight that momentarily links you to the heavens. You instantly adapt to this, gracefully raising your arms in a salute to the sky, as you conclude your stanza. The κένταυρος moves – but to your surprise, it adopts a modified kneeling stance – its forelegs curled into the earth, it lowers its face, seemingly in a trance.

“God-dess, forgive me…” its harsh voice grates. Clearly, it has mistaken you for a divinity of some kind – your height and appearance, your musical ability and your sudden presence contributing to the effect. You are only too happy to reinforce his mistaken conclusion.

“Rise, son of Ixion – name thyself! Fear not this happenstance meeting between us. What brings you to the lands of Hippomedon?” You maintain a genial air as you address him, even as you catch Pantaleon’s hulking form starting to rise out from behind a small shrub. With a tiny gesture, you motion him to hide once move, and thanks be to the gods of Olympus, he immediately does so without a sound.

“I am Labostas, son of Anchinichus, son of Kyllaros, who was slain by Theseus.” He refuses to meet your gaze, keeping his eyes – the same hue of brown as his horse hair, you notice – firmly planted on your sandaled feet. It seems that even the Κενταυροι will pay appropriate respects to a divinity, if confronted with one. You wait for further discourse, but none comes.

“It gladdens my heart to see that you honor the old ways, Labostas, son of Anchinichus – but I see you have been mistreating the flocks of Hippomedon, which are under my stewardship. Your presence in these lands will no longer be tolerated.” You allow hardness to enter your voice, trying for all your might to sound like your mother scolding Νίκων for breaking an amphora. At this, Labastos eye’s shift wildly from side to side – you sense that he is ready to flee outright rather than risk a curse.

>more coming
>>
“But know this – a transgression may be absolved through a goodly act of reparations, and through this, favorable relations may grow.” you finish. You smile beatifically – you’re enjoying your turn as a goddess quite a bit, in fact, although you have been careful not to self-identify as such. The residents of Mount Olympus would no doubt be keen to “educate” a mortal who openly announces this sort of delusion.

Labostas is seemingly resigned to his fate – he awaits your demand.

what do you guys want from Labostes, beyond exile from the lands of Hippomedon?

>intelligence regarding his herd, their leader, and their current position? This information would be invaluable if you seek to eradicate them through force of arms.

>livestock stolen from another οἶκος? This would nearly untraceable but carries the risk of Labostas’ capture or death, which may carry unintended consequences to you.

>an armed raid of Κενταυροι on a neighboring οἶκος? This would necessitate a meeting with the leader of the Κενταυροι (and another set of CHA rolls against unfavorable odds), but such a raid could be used to achieve your goals in the Thessalian summons later in the phase.

>something else?

this vote may close at 9pm tonight if there's an overwhelming victor - otherwise may be extended if we have a good debate.
>>
>>5647333
>livestock stolen from another οἶκος? This would nearly untraceable but carries the risk of Labostas’ capture or death, which may carry unintended consequences to you.
>Suggest that his herd move near the lands of the wannabe petty king. They would not trouble the Hippomedon anymore, and being closer to the barbarians means they would not be under the shadow of those who carry Olympian blood. It is not a demand, but an advice he may bring to his people, one that both of us would benefit from.
>>
>>5647333
I'll back this
>>5647337
>>Suggest that his herd move near the lands of the wannabe petty king. They would not trouble the Hippomedon anymore, and being closer to the barbarians means they would not be under the shadow of those who carry Olympian blood. It is not a demand, but an advice he may bring to his people
But instead of demanding cattle, ask that he personally harasses the barbaroi on his way out. Slaying some and giving them reason to pause in their assessment of our land on top of their fears of Nikon.
>>
>>5647404
If he steal cattle from the barbaroi while harassing, that would be good too. He does own us at least one replacement sheep.
>>
>>5647412
Very true. I don't know how many sheep or goats they may bring with them in their camps or if their settlements are close enough for such a journey, but it's definitely something to look out for. We could tack that on.
>>
>>5647337
>>5647404
>>5647412
>>5647415


>Replace the sheep that you damaged and suggest that his herd move near the lands of the wannabe petty king.

This is a very reasonable write-in, but as Labostas is not the chief of his warband, I’d have to do some behind-the-scenes rolling to see what the outcome of his attempt would be.

Also, keep in mind that Deianira would likely be a superior negotiator to Labostas, so if your goal is to persuade the beast men to harass Damachides’ lands, you’d almost certainly have better luck doing this yourself (at the risk of personal harm).
>>
>>5647449
What a pickle. If we just suggested that they move somewhere else instead of somewhere in particular would Labostas be able to convince them with his fear of god(dess) without much issue? Or would he still be fighting to get them to listen?
>>
>>5647474

My thought would be that he’d be rolling for CHA against his boss with a significant bonus but he could definitely fuck it up.
>>
>>5647449
>>5647484
I imagined that would be like that, but I was basically trying to get an extra freebie without putting Nira at risk anyway
>>
>>5647333
>>livestock stolen from another οἶκος? This would nearly untraceable but carries the risk of Labostas’ capture or death, which may carry unintended consequences to you.
>>
>>5647333
>livestock stolen from another οἶκος? This would nearly untraceable but carries the risk of Labostas’ capture or death, which may carry unintended consequences to you.
>>
>>5647333
>>livestock stolen from another οἶκος? This would nearly untraceable but carries the risk of Labostas’ capture or death, which may carry unintended consequences to you.
>>
>>5647499

>freebie
laughs in Doric Greek

No, seriously, it's a good write-in option, but the trade-off for Deianira's safety is that the horselad is a mediocre diplomancer.

----

>I'll check in at 9pm EST to tally votes, looks like we still have some anons trickling in. P.S. Check out Space Janissary Quest if you all haven't, seems like a cool original setting.
>>
>>5647333
>>livestock stolen from another οἶκος? This would nearly untraceable but carries the risk of Labostas’ capture or death, which may carry unintended consequences to you.
>>
>>5647633
I was merely hoping to get some of those magnum dongs to swing in the way of the unwashed barbaric hordes. Alas that Labostas has the charm of a donkey. No one wants to walk into a centaur camp to ensure they go and screw with future problems and they don't trust the four-legged-fucker to convince the head horsecho on his own.

Well hopefully his cattle-rustling skills are more impressive than his linguistic ones.
>>
>>5647333
>>something else?
>Ask him to take you to the Centaur camp
Time to get some horsebois
>>
>>5647333
>>an armed raid of Κενταυροι on a neighboring οἶκος? This would necessitate a meeting with the leader of the Κενταυροι (and another set of CHA rolls against unfavorable odds), but such a raid could be used to achieve your goals in the Thessalian summons later in the phase
>>
Rolled 10 - 3 (1d20 - 3)

raid with twist (have horseboi attempt diplo on his boss as well)

>>5647337

raid with twist (have horseboi fuck up the barbaroi on the way out of town instead?)

>>5647404
>>5647412 (maybe taking place of previous vote above?)

regular raid

>>5647530
>>5647597
>>5647608

one-post IDs

>>5647645 (remember to link your previous posts or post twice anons!)

buy a 1st class ticket to the Dong Festival

>>5647659

organize a full-blown Centaur invasion

>>5647699

---

>Seems clear that the livestock raid of some type is the winner, however, this vote was tricky for me to interpret with the various ideas thrown around. I don't want to discourage thoughtful write-ins though, so instead, I'll make sure to include another Labostas interaction as he returns with his ill-gotten gains (presuming that he does, we'll roll for this). You'll be able to pursue various additional choices with him at that time.

>I won't be able to write another update tonight but I'm interested in finding out how Labostas does in his raiding, so let's roll for this now! I'll need 5 dice+1d20s from the players. 1st and 2nd rolls are contested against my 1d20-3 for detection of Labostas (he'll get a manual +3 centaur livestock rustling bonus), second roll is to determine type of livestock (sheep, horses, swine, cattle), 3rd and 4th rolls to determine how many animals are obtained.
>>
>>5647755

You guys might be interested to know that I was a shit roller in TWQ as well, my luck seems to have carried through to your benefit...
>>
Rolled 6 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5647755
Go horseboy!
>>
Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5647755
>>
Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5647755
Dong festival!
>>
Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>5647759
>>5647761
>>5647762
fuckin satan

>>5647755
>>
Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>5647755
>>
>>5647755
>>5647759
>>5647761
So 9 vs 7
>>5647762
Probably sheep
>>5647764
>>5647767
And 19 of them
>>
>>5647758
Tyche is always having a giggle at our expense. Taunting and teasing us.
>>
>>5647771

Agree with your assessment - he's got a good haul of sheep (good bonus to your existing herd) but he only narrowly escapes! Expect talk of centaurs during the Thessalian summons later in the phase...
>>
>>5647775
Plausible deniability, go!
>>
>>5647785
>Plausible deniability, go!
Couldn't have been us. What kind of idiot woman would go up to a centaur and broker a deal to steal sheep? Don't be crazy.
>>
>>5647775
I want to meet horseboi in chief next, see what fun stuff we can do
>>
>>5647775
It's called we do a little trolling folks, a little trolling
>>
>>5647775
nice
can we talk with him next about intelligence regarding his herd, if he returns and give us some sheeps ?

>>5646950
lol

>>5646957
i know, it was more of a reminder. We are very short on money at the moment.
Glad that we all agree on this though
>>
Also, it occurs to me that I did not call for a Witch roll when Deianira was cooking up her Dionysian Frankencense last phase - swing and a miss on my part.

Could I request dice+1d20+4, best of two? The +4 comes from Deianira’s +2 Will bonus and her +2 Witch bonus - her Physician trait doesn’t apply here. I’m setting DCs at 10, 15, 20 to determine how many “doses” of DF are generated. In this case, Deianira is guaranteed to get at least one dose given my mistake!
>>
Rolled 13 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5648101
>>
Rolled 9 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5648101
Uhh
>>
>>5648113

Nice, so she actually has an extra dose as well. Will update her inventory accordingly.
>>
>>5648133
Neat.
>>
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You let the moment hang in the air, as you juggle competing impulses – the white clouds above roiling overhead as they pass from Mount Olympus out to the the Ionian Sea. With a docile κένταυρος, you’re tempted to make in-roads with the herd of Labostas and to direct them towards Damachides’ lands, but to travel alone or even with a limited personal guard to Labostas’ chieftain would carry risks of…severe abuses. To guarantee your safety, you’d have to travel with the First Platoon at your back, and no doubt the herd would scatter at the sign of disciplined troops in formation, spoiling any chance of diplomacy or persuasion.

Best not to grow greedy – take your price and go! This time, it is your brother Νίκων’s voice in your mind, firm in his conviction and clear-eyed - you see his broad and bearded face wearing a sly smile, gently teasing in his disapproval. Decided, you clear your throat and speak -

“Fair Labostas, you have demonstrated restraint not commonly known to your kind – for this, I grant you an opportunity to make amends. Go out into the Thessalian countryside and gather livestock to replace the ones that you have damaged. Return to this place in four days, and I shall sing of your fidelity and honor to the members of my House.” You speak carefully – no eavesdropping nymph or divinity will be able to claim that you dealt in falsehoods here – you have simply failed to correct a mistaken notion on the part of Labostas.

Labostas leaps up onto its hooves, and barks, “Yes, God-dess…” It wheels about, displaying the bloody mess of its underbelly, flashing hooves stained with gore, and gallops away without hesitation. Apparently, it has no qualms about completing this task as swiftly as possible.

Pantaleon waits for several minutes before revealing himself, brushing twigs and grasses out of his hair and off his tunic. Once close enough for speech, he looks at you with a suspicious light in his eyes, asking curtly – “What sorcery did you cast on it?”. Fingering his bow sullenly, he seems offended that he was not given a chance to bring the beast down.

You laugh aloud and shake your head at Pantaleon, answering, “Only the sorcery of a lilting melody, Pantaleon. Some spells can be cast by a friendly word alone.” He scowls in response, clearly doubting your truthfulness.
>>
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The next days pass by slowly, sun and stars wheeling above – by daylight, you treat a rotten tooth in a farm boy, an infected bite in an elderly woman, a twisted ankle in one of the spearmen; you resolve a minor squabble between your kitchen staff, smoothing egos. Such minor troubles are no test of your skills, and are even boring to you - but even so – these small acts of kindness are beginning to endear themselves to your people. Not to mention, you have heard that Klytie and Theopotides have taken it upon themselves to defend your reputation vociferously to all commoners who might listen. The rumors you catch about yourself recently are less dark in their wild accusations – while you certainly treat with foul daimons and black spirits of the underworld, now your motivations are seen as simply mysterious and unknowable, rather than rancid with malice. A subtle change, you are still heartened – perhaps even a witch can become loved by her people.

By nights, however – you truly become alive. In the witch-light of your hut, your blood sings, your mind sharpens, and your will becomes a scalpel – a σπάθιον.

>Time for a WITCH ACTION! This action will conclude in time for the Summons, which is approximately seven days away. You’ll also meet with Labostas prior to the Summons.

Current Potion Inventory:

One charge of Hippomedon’s Essence.
Two charges of Dionysian Frankencense.

Current Reagent Inventory:
- Deianira’s blood (always available)
- One bundle of Aconite flowers
- One bundle of Nightshade.
- Two black lambs in the fields of Hippomedon.

>more coming
>>
>I'm only posting the potions and spells that Deianira could perform with available reagents, to cut down on repeat posting.

Available Spells:

- Criminal’s Fate: Through this ritual, Deianira summons the attention of one of the Erinyes of Erebus – awful harpies of the underworld, and sets them upon a criminal. Requires a black lamb.

Available Potions:

Lethes’ Draft

Through this ritual, Deianira uses a preparation of nightshade, to create a magical potion which temporarily dissolves the memories of the imbiber. Despite the name of this solution, no waters from the underworld are required for its creation. The effect may last for years on a commoner, months on a nobleman, and perhaps only days or hours for those with very strong divine heritage. A daemon or lesser divinity may roll to directly resist the effects of this potion, if failed, they may suffer the effects for only some minutes or hours. Greater divinities are highly unlikely to be affected by such a concoction.

Reagents required: Nightshade, which grows rarely in the foothills of Thessaly.

Kerberos’ Slaverings

Through this ritual, Deianira creates an incredibly deadly toxin, purified from the dark purple flowers of aconite. When consumed by a mortal, it brings a swift and painful death, and possibly even to those of significant divine heritage. While very dangerous, those with resistance to poison or divine constitution may possibly weather a full dose unaided. Prior or timely application of an antidote could reverse the effects – although Deianira does not currently know of such a preparation. Lesser daemons may be afflicted with incredible torment; unknown impact on a higher divinity.

Reagents: Aconite, which rarely grows in the foothills of Thessaly.

-----

>So basically, what is Deianira going to spend her Witch Action on? Vote will close at 9pm tomorrow. Consider that the Summons could also be Deianira's marketplace...

>cast Criminal's Fate on someone (if so, who?)
>Brew up Hippomedon's Essence
>Brew up Lethes' Draft
>Brew up Kerberos' Slaverings
>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.
>>
>>5648508
>Brew up Lethes' Draft
>>
>>5648511
>>5644212
me
>>
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>>5648508
>>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.
>>
>>5648508
>Brew up Lethes' Draft
>>
>>5648508
>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.

I'm assuming Lethes' Draft isn't a potion of forgetting the past afternoon but instead of general amnesia? Might be useful for someone trying to sneak some sort of information around, or who is haunted by their past.
>>
>>5648519

Right, I’m thinking of it as a sort of generalized amnesia that lasts for a certain length of time before wearing off, although a commoner would be affected for years, and Deianira and Nikon for some number of weeks and maybe only a couple days for someone like Achilles or Pollux. This could obviously be used as a weapon (I.e. nonlethal disabling of enemy) but also sort of a poor man’s nepenthe. I’m sure there’s other potential uses that I haven’t thought of.
>>
>>5648508
>Brew up Lethes' Draft
>>
No hate QM, but why couldn't you just steal Nikandros' story?
>>
>>5648615
Hope that Homer will return
>>
>>5648615

I honestly believe that he might come back if he has some time to recalibrate. I’m huffing some major copium here but I have to believe that he’d be more likely to return if he sees players trying to keep his quest alive and treating his setting with respect. This sidestory is a nice way to flesh out Nikandros’ world while mostly staying away from the main plot line.

I still haven’t heard anything from him publicly or privately so it’s hard to know whether he’d want us to continue the main plot without him. I’d like to give him plenty of time to make his wishes known before I could even consider attempting a true hijacking of TWQ. I’d have to do some serious reading of Hesiod, Homer’s works and other stuff before I could do it justice anyways.
>>
>>5648508
>>5646595
More mats
>>
>>5648636
I wish I knew enough about the period to run a quest at all in Bronze age Greece. Or go back even further and hit up Mesopotamia for that Akkadian (or Sumerian) swag.

Shit I'd have to reread the Iliad just to get the chronology down. To say nothing of looking up the various regional cultures all across the place. I mean shit Central Greece alone has like 7 regional subdivisions, with Thessaly and Peloponnesus having like, five or six each. Then you got Anatolia sitting fat on the other end with all sorts of wacky shit going on with the Hittites. To say nothing of the barbarians in Thracia and Illyria to the north and the Libyans and Egyptians to the south(east).

Boy howdy is there a LOT of variety you can get out of the period, really. One quest could run entirely about a hero investigating the idea that Helen was spirited away to Egypt and the whole war is a false flag op. And as scandalous as it is to say, but not every hero was Greek. Barbarians are always at the gates, and the sea people cometh.

There would be a ton of homework to do if I wanted to put out something that got the feeling of the period correct. Hats off to you and Homer by the way because damn.
>>
>>5648508
>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.

>>5648615
Comfy house management set in ancient Greece is interesting on its own.
>>
>>5648508
>Brew up Lethes' Draft
>>
>>5648726
I hear ya.
I still remember the slightly isekai sumerian civ quest of last year.

[Spoiler]There's an upcoming bronze age mod for rome 2 total war releasing soon which has amazing visuals for the units.
>>
>>5648508
>>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.
>>
>>5648726

Agree with your thoughts, it’s a cool time period and been under-explored by /qst/. Behind the scenes I’m doing my best to get educated in the demography of the time period but it’s a slow process.

Ultimately I’ve been kicking around an idea to do several flashback sequences as Nikandros in the event that we don’t hear anything from Homer over the next several weeks and months - for example, crushing the barbaroi prince I mentioned in the flavor text from the Oikos sheet, or maybe traveling to Mycenae as a 14-year old to be “Lorded”. If were to get through a couple months of Deianira’s plot and through these flashback sequences without any feedback from Homer, I’d start to seriously consider taking up the main plot. Hopefully this spinoff quest isn’t killing his enthusiasm to return…
>>
>>5649047
I think Nira's story can stand on its own, regardless of what happens in the war or whether Homer returns or not. Personally I would not touch Nikos' story, not because I'm ODing on copium, but because any attempt will pale in comparison to what Homer had planned for us with his expertise. Perhaps things may change in the future, but as of now what we have is a Mycenaean Lady sim. The war is something distant and beyond our immediate concern.
>>
>>5649099

Valid feedback, will take into consideration. 100% agree with your thoughts that I’d be providing a much inferior version of TWQ anyways.

I’ve sort of set a mental timeline where we complete Phase 8 as Deianira and reach parity with Nikon’s timeline, and with any luck, we’ll have a better sense by that time about whether TWQ would continue.

>>5648810
>>5648724

>anons, thanks for your votes but remember to post twice or link your previous posts to make sure that your input is counted!
>>
>>5648508
>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.
>>
>four hour warning y'all

Lethes' Draft

>>5648511
>>5648518
>>5648548


Hunt for potions and roll a d20 on the Homeric Happenins' table of fun

>>5648517
>>5648519
>>5648778
>>5649023
>>5649142

---

Last chance for one-post IDs and lurkers to chime in!

>>5648724
>>5648810

--
>>
>>5648508
>Alternately, search for additional reagents by night. This would trigger a random encounter, if you hadn't guessed.

I know that most chance encounters in this time period can't be anything good, but as a woman there is little that can be achieved under the sun while as a witch connections in the night can make us powerful.

Also i don't know of any greek myths about night terrors apart from maybe wolves.
But given the expertise in herbs i'm sure deianira has some strong smelling repellent ready just in case.
>>
>I’m calling the vote early due to impatience!

I’ll need a single roll of dice+1d20 from here.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>5649452
>>
Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>5649452
>>
Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5649463

Now I am rolling again.

>post should be up before 12am
>>
Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5649467
Good thing it's random encounters haha. Bad rolls don't matter here right haha
>>
>anons rolled a 3 – reagent failure, bad luck
>anons rolled a 6 – well, you’ll see.

In the candlelight of your hut, you take stock of your reagents – but find it wanting. Your lips curl in mild disappointment, feeling inadequate. Were Spathion here, she would no doubt castigate you mercilessly for your lack of determination. However, she'd be only too quick to note that the working of φύσις requires a blade-like will - there is no rooms for doubts or hesitation in such matters. Tonight is one of the rare nights where your inspiration is lacking, and your chants to Hecate might falter. Your usual good humor has also failed you - the image of the trampled sheep from your conversation with Labostas has haunted your thoughts, as well.

If you are to capitalize on the summons later in the phase, you must be prepared, but to work a ritual in your current state or attempt pharmokopeia would invite disaster. Better then, that you slip out into the night and make use of the time as best as you can – seeking reagents and magic herbs. You quickly change out of your noblewoman’s chiton and cloak into something more practical – a set of hides and leather skirt. While it offers little practical protection, you are nimbly and more surefooted without the hindrance of your cloak about your ankles. Without a second thought, you arm yourself with your father’s knife and your bow and make your way out into Nyx’s domain.

Despite the darkness, you’ve found that you can see quite well by the light of bright-tressed Selene, daughter of Hyperion – and so you make your way through the dark footpaths and deer trails of your country.

In only an hour, you manage to check three sites where you had found poisonous Aconite in the past – but it seems that these plants had not yet spawned additional violet flowers, and so you move on. Deeper across the fields and hills of the east, you make your way to the rogue Corsican pine, the only one known to you. Every so often, you freeze to a standstill – listening for signs of approaching men or beasts. Here too – you are denied – some creature must have consumed most of the pinecones scattered underneath the limbs of the tree. Squinting, you scan the boughs themselves – but find that the pinecones are underdeveloped, given the current season. None of them have the subtle lustre of power that would provide for another ritual of Dionysian Frankencense. You curse in frustration – but then you hear it. The sound of a footfall in the bushes, to your right!

>more coming
>>
Wheeling, panic flares in your chest as you watch the man – no, daimon, it must be! – step forward out of the darkness. The entity before you is a stocky man-like thing, with rounded shoulders and protruding gut – its legs end in hooves, and atop its head, two goat-like horns. The beast takes another step, and you see with horror that its face is more goat than man, and worse – you see that the creature is quite fully “prepared” to make your acquaintance. Even at this distance, you can practically feel its weird yellow eyes crawling over the exposed flesh of your legs. Its tongue weirdly flickers in and out of its mouth, and it begins to chuff loudly. It begins stepping slowly in your direction, pausing carefully after each step. This strikes you as odd at first, until you you realize with horror that you might approach a lamb in the same fashion - it is hunting you.

You quickly take several steps back, so that the Corsican pine is directly behind you, and the daimon is perhaps 15 yards away, clearly illuminated under the gaze of Selene…

>Deianira’s first supernatural encounter! Bad news – you’ve hit the Late Bronze Age equivalent of a hot Craigslist date. How does Deianira respond? Please note that Deianira gets a +3 to all social interaction rolls with supernatural entities due to her FOB, and NOT her typical +7/+9 bonus to CHA/persuasion rolls.

>Attempt to parley with the beast

>Open fire with your bow (Deianira is a mediocre shot – not great, not terrible)

>Flee on foot

>Climb the Corsican pine

>something else?
>>
>>5649529
>Attempt to parley with the beast
Oh fuck, rape satyrs
>>
>>5649529
>Climb the Corsican pine
>>
>>5649529
>>Attempt to parley with the beast
Oi fuck off ye randy bastard. We're gonna have to stab him in the nuts mid rape or some shit. Fugg
>>
>>5649529
>>Flee on foot
Never change dice
>>
>>5649529
>>Attempt to parley with the beast
>>
>>5649529
>Flee on foot
Oh shit
>>
>>5649529
>Flee on foot
Given the very high chance of failure we should start thinking about how to deal with the unfortunate consequences of this event
>>
>>5649529
>Open fire with your bow (Deianira is a mediocre shot – not great, not terrible)
I hate satyrs.
>>
I wonder if this situation will lead to our FOB awakening.
>>
>>5649529
>Open fire with your bow (Deianira is a mediocre shot – not great, not terrible)
This is my first vote btw
>>
>>5649529
>>Climb the Corsican pine
>>
>Climb the Corisican Pine

I can’t imagine goat hooves are nearly as suited to climbing trees as they are to climbing mountainsides. We can attempt to parlay or shoot down the beast from a position of advantage hidden amongst the boughs of the pine.

Also this is my first post
>>
>>5649891
You gotta look up goats climbing trees.
>>
>three 1 pbtid in quick succession
Most curious
>>
>>5649529
>Attempt to parley with the beast
My logic is that if it ends in rape we could negotiate it down to something less bad. Choosing violence will only make things more painful.
>>
>One-post IDs

>>5649564
>>5649871
>>5649884

Excited to have you along friends, make sure you post again so that your votes count! One post IDs will not be counted for votes to partially mitigate samefagging
>>
>>5649871
>>5649933
like this?
>>
>>5649529
>Flee on foot
>>
>>5648724
Idk why my vote wasn't counted. I linked. It changes my id everytime I post. Mario autocorrect here...

Climb. Them talk or shoot.
>>
>>5649999

Oops that was my error, anon, thanks for pointing it out.

Vote will close at 8pm tonight!
>>
>>5650072
Perhaps you meant this anon? >>5649891
>>
>>5649529
>>Attempt to parley with the beast
I have a feeling that if we talk to it maybe we can bribe it
>>
>here's the tally with ~90 minutes to go, please let me know if I missed someone. Seems close so I'll let this run right out to 8pm EST.

Parley

>>5649536
>>5649546
>>5649903

Climb the tree

>>5649537
>>5649999

Run!

>>5649553
>>5649578
>>5649663
>>5649975

Shoot him! Shoot him!

>>5649739
>>5649871

---

One-post IDs (not too late to backlink your previous vote or vote again to validate anons)

>>5649564
>>5649884
>>5649891
>>5650155
>>
>>5649529
>>5650304

>>Attempt to parley with the beast
Is this enough and I just stumbled on this quest after looking at the Trojan one.
>>
>>5650322

Yep, thanks for posting again anon and thanks for joining us!
>>
>>5650304
I feel like there really is no good way out of this one kek. All of the options we're at a disadvantage. Running sounds great until you remember this is rough terrain and these fuckers excel at maneuvering it in. Can't climb because goats defy physics. Can't talk cause he's a rape goatman. We've only got a small modifier to shooting.

It's a huge pickle. And not just cause of his huge pickle.
>>
>>5650325

Yes I’m doing my best to emulate Homer’s difficult votes. :)

Suffice it to say that you’re about evenly matched here, but I intend for the rolls to be contested, so really anything could happen…
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

>voting is over!

Parley

>>5649536
>>5649546
>>5649903
>>5650322

Climb the tree

>>5649537
>>5649999

Run!

>>5649553
>>5649578
>>5649663
>>5649975

Shoot him! Shoot him!

>>5649739
>>5649871

---

One-post IDs (not too late to backlink your previous vote or vote again to validate anons)

>>5649564
>>5649884
>>5649891

---

>Looks to be a tie between Parley and Flee! Therefore, I leave it to the gods of Olympus to decide. I'm rolling a d2 to break the deadlock (1 = Parley, 2 = Flee!)
>>
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Rolled 8, 9 = 17 (2d20)

Okay, now I'll need a single 1d20+3 to beat my rolls. Best of luck, anons - the gods have decreed that you will attempt diplomancy...
>>
Rolled 17 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5650410
Oh boy, no chance this can go wrong!
>>
>>5650417
Huh, we actually avoided getting raped.
>>
>>5650417
Nira rocking these diplomacy rolls. Hopefully our luck stays like that.
>>
>>5650417
>>5650420
>>5650421

At this point I’m starting to think that Deianira and Nikandros share a pool of luck together - she’s been emptying that bank account and leaving Nikon out to dry. Would explain why he was getting shit rolls for practically all of thread 2…

>9 vs 20 - great success. Again, you guys talk your way out of a whole combat encounter that I had planned.

>post will be out before 12pm EST
>>
>>5650417
>local animal people constantly mogged by hot demigoddess
>>
>>5650422
>deianira never gets a combat encounter
>not because there are none she's just the smoothest operator known to greece
>>
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>>5650422
No. The lesson is cha moggs everything else.
>>
Ah, due to unforeseen circumstances, update will be delayed until tomorrow. Apologies all, have a nice Saturday evening.
>>
>>5650417
>satyr surprises super hot witch in the woods at night
>checks sundial, it's rape time
>Deianira sees satyr
>"ew"
>satyr goes limp from shame and flees crying into the night.
>>
>>5650472
Damn you, Zeus.
>>
What the gods giveth with one hand they taketh with another.....
>>
Fun fact, Hector is considered as the greatest warrior on the Trojan side, and he is so when compared directly to an actual demigod in Aeneas (Aineias if you prefer the more proper Greek spelling). Imagine how busted you have to be to stand next to a half-god and have people say you're straight up plain stronger. Granted, Aeneas actually survives the war and gets plot armored as fuck from the gods on more than one occasion so I guess it's a short lived glory. Of course if you took the top five heroes on the Achaean side and took the top five heroes on the Trojan side, only Hector could stand up to them (barring Achilles of course, who dogwalks whatever you put in front of him). The disparity in strength the champions display is huge.

Though Aeneas is Aphrodite's kid, so I guess that doesn't lend itself to humongous strength and unparalleled skill at arms in any fashion like you may get from the other deities.
>>
>>5650724
If I recall properly, I do believe there was a hero who came after Hector died who was considered Achilles' almost equal and who drew blood from him, that being Memnon, king of Aethiopia and son of Tithonus and Eos and who also wore armor made by Hephaestus. Also, when the two fought, Zeus decided to make the guys huge and tireless so everyone on the battlefield could have a good show.
>>
>>5650422
I crawled through last thread and it appears that you were responsible for much of our bad rolls. Maybe the key is to have you roll for our enemies lol. No offense.
>>
>>5650835

I feel somewhat responsible for contributing to the negative vibes - if i hadnt rolled at all, perhaps there would have been less complaining overall and Homer might still be running TWQ. I’m partly running this quest to make amends and partly to see if we can convince Homer to return. I haven’t given up hope!

>my next update is like 90% written but I won’t be able to post until 12-1pm EST
>>
>>5650895
Nice
>>
Your heart is pounding in your ears, and the δαίμων takes another step, prowling forward on cloven hooves. Selene’s light clearly illuminates its features again, revealing a leather strap across its shoulder, suspending a hide bag at its side. No pipes or flutes of any kind are present in its hands or about its figure. Ah - this is no satyr, you think, but possibly rather one of the 12 Panes? No, the δαίμων must be descended from one of these Panes that you have heard tell of. It is said that the god Pan has a habit of dividing himself into multiple lesser beings, or perhaps fathered 12 lesser versions of himself – the stories you have heard are unclear on the matter. The δαίμων’s cloven hooves suggests parentage through one of the shepherd’s charges, as well as through the God of Olympus – and therefore you might be considered roughly equal to the δαίμων in station, given your own recent divine ancestry.

You suppress the urge to sprint away or climb the Corsican pine – you suspect that any flight from the δαίμων will instead lead to a footrace with an unpleasant conclusion. You master your fear and seize the moment, your voice ringing out confidently into the shadowed glen –

“Well met, surefooted son of Pan! It is I, Deianira Hippomedion, golden-haired witch of Thessaly, and brother to Nikandros, the bearded giant!” The mention of your status as a witch causes the δαίμων to freeze mid-step, and at your brother, Νίκων, it reverses its progress, taking a step backwards, still breathing heavily. You guess that the creature has not heard of you or your brother, but at the epithets you have provided, is now harboring doubts. You again call out to it, your voice clear, revealing none of the anxiety that is currently writhing under your skin.

“Name thyself so that I might know your parentage and speak well of our meeting to the gods and to the spirits of my land!” The creature seems surprised that you have addressed it as an equal; you’re certain that few of its victims have had the presence of mind or ancestry to do so.

Its voice moans back in reply, goatlike in its timbre, “I am Tropa-aa-nus, son of Aigipa-aa-n.” It hesitates a bit, eyeing your bow, continuing – “Golden-ha-aa-ired Deianira, what brings you to my glen?”

>more coming
>>
You’re quick to explain that you are searching for reagents for your sorcerous rituals, thinking that further conversation about your unnatural powers will temper its lustful energies. Tropanus, in turn, explains that it has consumed all the Corsican pinecones scattered through the area – it implies that beyond the use of these in the creation of the Dionysian Frankencense, an alternate preparation of the pinecone may “enhance” the firmness and resolve of a male when it comes to matters of intimacy.

After several minutes of conversation – you have settled into a sort of détente, trading bits of rustic knowledge and herblore, each of you probing at the other’s motivations. However, through witty banter and through no small part to your accurate guesswork regarding the creature’s parentage, you seem to convince the δαίμων that the penalties of any assault would outweigh the momentary pleasures of it. Your implication of sorcerous ability seems to be a novel predicament to Tropanus – it surely has not been threatened in the past, even indirectly, by a possible curse delivered by a mortal woman.

Finally, you put the pleasantries aside and strike once more –

“Sure-footed Tropanus, might I ask for the blessing of your woodland knowledge? As a witch and mortal, always when I encounter δαίμων of fair bearing, I seek to learn their wisdom. For recompense, perhaps, I might make my herds of livestock available to you, and remember you fondly?” Once again, Tropanus’ tongue flickers grotesquely at the prospect of unlimited access to his own fulfilment, and perhaps the prospect of reaching its true desire – namely, yourself. Of course, you would never soil yourself to lie with such a creature, but Tropanus does not seem to consider this possibility. He eagers wets his lips and replies,

“Na-aa-me it, golden-haired Deianira, and I will share whatever fragment of φύσις that you desire?”

>another post coming
>>
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>Tropanus is willing to share one of the following potion/rituals with Deianira out of good will and the chance to get at her livestock, the randy bastard. Please pick one! Vote will close at 9pm tomorrow. Please note that Tropanus will provide Deianira with the corresponding reagent along with knowledge of the ritual.

POTIONS:

>Pan’s Philter. Deianira prepares a concoction of musty spices, Corsican pinecone and wine while extolling Pan in his role as a lusty fertility god. Male imbibers gain a fragment of Pan’s mythic vigor for several hours – a person who does so will become ravenous, even rapacious, with sexual desire, and become capable of incredible acts of endurance in the process. This philter is of questionable value to a young man, but priceless to a man of elder years, giving him the ability to conceive numerous offspring when this be otherwise impossible. Women who ingest this may experience unanticipated effects.

Reagent: Corsican pinecone.

>Goat’s Agility: Through the ritual process, Deianira creates a salve of laurel leaves. When applied to the wrists and ankles, the user gains a measure of Pan’s agility and surefootedness for several hours. Further successes during the ritual process create a stronger salve, rather than additional changes (Basically, a flat boost of +4 AGI at base, but each degree of further success will increase the bonus by +2).

Reagent: Laurel leaves.

>Pan’s Eye: Deianira creates a salve of holm oak acorn, olive oil and the pressed skins of grapes while extolling Pan in his role of a hunter. The solution produced is a clear amber, and when applied to the eye of an archer or hunter, provides unerring accuracy to any fired projectiles. The eye in question takes on the yellow appearance of a goat’s eye, and therefore is obviously noticed as a supernatural process. Unlike other preparations, this effect lasts indefinitely until spent – although it should be noted that having a goat’s eye for long periods of time is inadvisable. QM’s note: This provides a flat +3 bonus to ranged combat, and gives the user the ability to re-roll TWO separate failed ranged combat rolls.

Reagent: Oak acorn.

SPELLS

>Pan’s Rustic Blessing: Through an elaborate set of ritual processes taking up TWO Witch Actions, Deianira may imbue four oak acorns with the blessing of Pan. By planting these acorns upon the four corners of a small field, the livestock within will experience of frenzy of breeding and duplication over a 24-hour period – livestock who become pregnant during this time will experience the entirety of their pregnancies over the course of a single night, and the new animals will age to maturity in only a few hours. Repeated uses of this spell on the same herd would bring the unfavorable attentions of the Gods. QM’s note: The maximum number of new livestock produced would generally be less than 100 animals, but some wiggle room is provided.

Reagent: Oak acorn (only 1 is required).
>>
>>5651070
Either one of these two
>Goat’s Agility: Through the ritual process, Deianira creates a salve of laurel leaves. When applied to the wrists and ankles, the user gains a measure of Pan’s agility and surefootedness for several hours. Further successes during the ritual process create a stronger salve, rather than additional changes (Basically, a flat boost of +4 AGI at base, but each degree of further success will increase the bonus by +2).
>Pan’s Rustic Blessing: Through an elaborate set of ritual processes taking up TWO Witch Actions, Deianira may imbue four oak acorns with the blessing of Pan. By planting these acorns upon the four corners of a small field, the livestock within will experience of frenzy of breeding and duplication over a 24-hour period – livestock who become pregnant during this time will experience the entirety of their pregnancies over the course of a single night, and the new animals will age to maturity in only a few hours. Repeated uses of this spell on the same herd would bring the unfavorable attentions of the Gods. QM’s note: The maximum number of new livestock produced would generally be less than 100 animals, but some wiggle room is provided.
>>
>>5651070
>Pan’s Philter. Deianira prepares a concoction of musty spices, Corsican pinecone and wine while extolling Pan in his role as a lusty fertility god. Male imbibers gain a fragment of Pan’s mythic vigor for several hours – a person who does so will become ravenous, even rapacious, with sexual desire, and become capable of incredible acts of endurance in the process. This philter is of questionable value to a young man, but priceless to a man of elder years, giving him the ability to conceive numerous offspring when this be otherwise impossible. Women who ingest this may experience unanticipated effects.
Fun
>>
>>5651127
Forgot image
>>
>>5651070
>Goat’s Agility
>>
>>5651070
>Pan’s Rustic Blessing
This is amazing and basically a cornucopia cheat.

Pan's eye is also cool (even if goat eyes are normally awful at sighting)
Having an archer snipe the enemy leaders from afar is tactically incredible.
But it won't come up as soon and this isn't a war quest (yet).

>>5651127
>Pan’s Philter
>Women who ingest this may experience unanticipated effects.
(Please gods no! not the futa potion!)
>>
>>5651070
>Pan’s Rustic Blessing: Through an elaborate set of ritual processes taking up TWO Witch Actions, Deianira may imbue four oak acorns with the blessing of Pan. By planting these acorns upon the four corners of a small field, the livestock within will experience of frenzy of breeding and duplication over a 24-hour period – livestock who become pregnant during this time will experience the entirety of their pregnancies over the course of a single night, and the new animals will age to maturity in only a few hours. Repeated uses of this spell on the same herd would bring the unfavorable attentions of the Gods. QM’s note: The maximum number of new livestock produced would generally be less than 100 animals, but some wiggle room is provided.
Imagine if we could give this to our own soldiers.
>>
>>5651070
>Pan’s Philter
Hehehehe sexo
>>
>>5650754
>you have to look as far as the middle of africa to find a guy who can not get steamrolled by achilles
>zeus turned it into a proper spectacle
Talk about a clash of the titans. This Memnon guy sounds quite baller. Demigods aren't fair.

>>5651070
The spell option is good, but overuse would bring consequences. Though we could use it on the herds of others just as readily as our own for brownie points. The potion options are all good. The agi boost especially can turn someone into an untouchable blender. And rerolls from the eye are always good. But there are old men around us, and old men further afield. And plenty of people who do not have children. And giving someone the ability to reproduce is an insane boon for people at the time. The sort of thing you travel from across the known world to try if you're desperate. So I have to go with

>Pan’s Philter. Deianira prepares a concoction of musty spices, Corsican pinecone and wine while extolling Pan in his role as a lusty fertility god. Male imbibers gain a fragment of Pan’s mythic vigor for several hours – a person who does so will become ravenous, even rapacious, with sexual desire, and become capable of incredible acts of endurance in the process. This philter is of questionable value to a young man, but priceless to a man of elder years, giving him the ability to conceive numerous offspring when this be otherwise impossible. Women who ingest this may experience unanticipated effects.

>>5651173
>(Please gods no! not the futa potion!)
Nah, it probably just drives them nutty. Strip naked and go screaming into the woods sort of nutty.
>>
>>5651231
Wait, Cnotheos said that Seisames and Egeria don't have children right? I wonder if we could give the potion to them. Unless it's the wife that isn't fertile, or they just don't have sex.
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>>5651236
As long as the problem isn't infertility with Egeria or that they simply do not want kids the philter should take care of it. If he's just got trauma blocking his boner, it should make him randy enough to get past it. If his tadpoles don't swim it sounds like this should help with that, too. But it's a delicate subject to broach.
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>>5651244
If we mix the Pan’s Philter potion with the Goat’s Agility one, will the tadpoles swim faster or they can reroll?

We have to roll for them or QM will have to do it?
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>>5651417
>roll me a 1d20+6 for reaching the egg
>2, 3, 5
>well you get a kid, he's gonna have down's though
I wonder if double nat 20-ing gives you an Achilles tier kid.
>>
>>5651236
>>5651244
>>5651417
>>5651439

I’ll just chime in to say that for the purposes of Pan’s Philter, it temporarily solves both psychological causes of impotence and also physical causes of infertility for both participants (excluding actual physical damage such as castration). Basically, no need to worry about the specific nature of the infertility, the magic of the potion will fix this.

However, to be clear, Pan’s Filter also turns someone into a sex-crazed lunatic with seemingly limitless stamina and this could also be “weaponized” through careful application. In terms of women ingesting the philter, no futa stuff, but would lead to “surprising” outcomes.
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>>5651466
The fuck juice is strong indeed.
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>>5651070
>Pan’s Philter. Deianira prepares a concoction of musty spices, Corsican pinecone and wine while extolling Pan in his role as a lusty fertility god. Male imbibers gain a fragment of Pan’s mythic vigor for several hours – a person who does so will become ravenous, even rapacious, with sexual desire, and become capable of incredible acts of endurance in the process. This philter is of questionable value to a young man, but priceless to a man of elder years, giving him the ability to conceive numerous offspring when this be otherwise impossible. Women who ingest this may experience unanticipated effects.

The lure of the fuck juice is too strong
>>
>+4 and possibly +6 agility or magic sex juice
>juice is winning vote
I hope we can use the juice to make a berserker as that incredible act of endurance for a group/champion fighting sounds useful.

Wait, is the agility boost directly to the stat or an agility stat check?
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>>5651683
Hey man, people would literally kill over the fuck juice if they were having trouble producing an heir. Think about the favors you can drag out of a noble or king with that. Or the wealth. It's not all about combat. Besides, we can always mog the rape goat later to coerce more secrets out of him for it. Just have faith, brother. Unless of course he starts to hit the gym.
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>>5651683

Pan’s Philter is probably not good in combat situation, it would interfere with someone’s ability to concentrate on the fight itself. That being said, in a fairly limited range of scenarios it could be helpful beyond its intended use. For example, if some asshole was interested in “dating” a nymph of some kind but she was too fast on her feet for him to catch, the philter might give him the stamina to run her down.

In terms of the AGI boost, Goat’s Agility is providing the bonus directly to one’s AGI stat. So obviously it would be more beneficial for someone with some AGI investment, but even going from 8 AGI to 16 AGI (remember that additional degrees of success during creation results in a stronger boost) is a big change. The boost won’t bring someone above their AGI cap though.
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>>5651907
How fun would giving a dose of Philter for Deianira's future husband be?
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>>5651907
Some number crunching based on Nira's stats.
>11 + 4 = 15 (+3)
>11 + 6 = 17 (+5)
>11 + 8 = 19 (+8)
Huh, this seems a bit strong with some good rolls.
Is our damage also determined by our agility?
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>>5651927

Hmm, something to consider. Seeing the bonuses laid out that way does make me reconsider.

I was thinking about setting the DCs for the ritual process fairly high (making +8 salve) less likely, but I might revise the bonus to +3, +2 and then +1 for a +6 total.
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>>5651070
>Pan’s Rustic Blessing
I like the economic aspect. Is Tropanus effectively our orbiter incel satyr now? Or at least, he'll orbit our herds.
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>>5649999
Agility potion. We are the fuck potion in da flesh.

Orrrrr we could renegotiate for 2 potions. And we find some womanflesh for our new friend.
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>>5651070
>Pan’s Philter. Deianira prepares a concoction of musty spices, Corsican pinecone and wine while extolling Pan in his role as a lusty fertility god. Male imbibers gain a fragment of Pan’s mythic vigor for several hours – a person who does so will become ravenous, even rapacious, with sexual desire, and become capable of incredible acts of endurance in the process. This philter is of questionable value to a young man, but priceless to a man of elder years, giving him the ability to conceive numerous offspring when this be otherwise impossible. Women who ingest this may experience unanticipated effects.
>>
Why vote for the virility potion if we don't even know if people wants it first?

What if nobody (important) has needs of it?
What then?
Give it to the bull so he impregnates the cows better?

I feel it is best to hold it until we know more from chatting up the wives of the nearby nobles.
Unless tropanus suddenly dies by lightning bolt he would be available and willing to trade for it later.
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>>5652305
I think the bull would be the rustic blessing instead of the philter.
As for why, I have no idea.
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>>5652305
Well you can sneak it into someone's drink and make them act unwise. Wars are fought over infidelity sometimes, you know? Or even better if you can cause someone to do something foul in a temple, massive misfortune and curses. It's something that can be weaponized in that regard. Though simple disunity in a house can sometimes topple it as well. Imagine the sort of internal conflict there would be if a man fucked was driven to fuck his mother, or sister, or son's wife.

It's actually a very scary thing if you can manage it.
>>
Some additional thoughts before update tonight.

>>5651927

>is our damage also determined by our agility?

I’ve been wrestling with this behind the scenes but I’ve recently decided to hold true to Homer’s original combat system, so damage will be decided through the mechanics he created. I had originally planned to change how this works to reflect that Deianira fights differently than Nikon, but it wouldn’t be fair to change the combat system just so Deianira is more combat-capable. Please note that close combat for Deianira is a generally poor idea. Also, I want to respect the Malus that we selected for Deianira in TWQ thread 2.

>>5652108

Orbiter, yes. Incel - definitely not, lol

>>5652305
>>5652308

Correct - the philter is meant for human consumption only, and the blessing is designed to work on livestock only.

In terms of the value of Tropanus’ gifts - each of these spells/potions will have potentially interested buyers, but it’s up to players to locate these individuals and then make the sale. Fortunately you guys have already set a local diplomatic meeting in motion (with wives, no less) and so you’ll have plenty of opportunity to gossip.
>>
>>5652316
Oh yeah, there's the guy whose wife can't have children for some reason. I forget his name.
>>
Vote so far:

Pan's Philter
>>5651077 (only a half vote)
>>5651127
>>5651184
>>5651231
>>5651593
>>5652219

Goat's Agility
>>5651077 (only a half vote)
>>5651171
>>5652153 (I think you're voting for this?)


Pan's Rustic Blessing
>>5651173 (I'm pretty sure you're voting for this?)
>>5651183
>>5652108

----

Let me know if I missed a vote but it looks like Pan's Philter is ahead with 5.5 votes.
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>>5652547
You counted me as philter when i voted for blessing
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>>5652550

Oops thanks for correction, noted
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>>5652547
My vote is for the rustic blessing yes.
The philter rambling was in response to another's post, sorry if it was unclear.


>>5652315
the thing with weaponizing this philter, while it would be effective in ruining lives and relationship you have to consider that we are possibly the only known witch of the area.
If anything looks suspicious the blame will fall on us first and foremost.

We're better off selling it to merchants.

Besides even if it works it may work too well and the wife getting it too rough could resent it on us.
By the description given it turns the man into a beast.
(Though giving it to both may indeed make it a night to remember).
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>>5652570
>If anything looks suspicious the blame will fall on us first and foremost.
This is true. However, are you really gonna be the guy to accuse a witch of doing something bad? And as long as we keep our reputation on the up and up as a healer it would also dispel those ideas somewhat. And there are plenty of examples besides of people going mad in various ways, spurred on by various things. It wouldn't be surprising if someone in hushed tones wondered if Aphrodite made someone into a hornball for a night. Or Dionysus had a giggle and made the win a tad strong for him for some fun. Consider that as the only known witch in the area, any time something happens involving us or not we will be under suspicion, so you may as well do things if the situation allows and you can see the benefit in doing so.

Guilty or innocent it's our word against theirs. So let's be sure to have a reputation as fair but fearsome as well. At least then we won't be openly blamed for every problem in these hills.

The best use of it is to spread word, subtly or otherwise that we can grant a tincture of unparalleled pleasure, debauchery and fertility for a night. Selling it to merchants works, but merchants tend to be good at getting lower prices. A stupid noble looking for a good time, or a desperate couple looking for a kid will always pay more. Granted, we'll have to turn away plenty of people. Like a fucking lot. But everyone who comes here is an opportunity. And eventually when we're a thriving enough place on our own that traffic alone will generate wealth and influence. A center of trade borne by hearsay and hope. A fun if unlikely thought.
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>>5652576
Indeed there are opportunities in it, yet the dangers of misuse outweight the gains.

As for reputation the word of a witch and woman would always be valued less, and no amount of good or fearsome reputation will deter a powerful vindictive man that's been humiliated.

And true the gods fuck around but it rarely without cause and trying to shift the blame on them would see us cursed or worse.
Also for people desperate to get back at somebody a witch is an easier target than a god.

All in all the animal husbandry one would see us get good favors without messing with an important somebody's junk or mind.
>>
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>Pan’s Philter wins with 5 votes

The ritual instruction from Tropanus is not a friendly one, despite your careful words of respect – Tropanus seems to care little for your conversational pleasantries, replying with odd grunts and vocalizations, in between sharing the verses of his ritual chant and the correct method of philter preparation - it is speaking half in the tongue of beasts, you think. You notice that as it chants, it continues to work in a step here and there towards you, moving through the inky shadows of the glen, when it thinks you aren’t paying attention. On your part, you shift on your sandaled feet, repositioning backwards as it advances. It either can’t help itself from doing so, or half-believes that your attention may falter for the split-second necessary for a surprise assault.

You don’t give it the chance – the moment that you have the necessary chant to Pan and philter preparations memorized in full, you firmly instruct Tropanus to lay supply one of its oak acorns on the ground, under bright-tressed Selene’s light, and motion him away with your bow, arrow nocked. You manage to do this with a smile. It stands there, breathing heavily, yellowed eyes staring at you, drawing in your scent, and then silently disappears into the brush. It unnerves you in the extreme that you immediately lose his position – your eyes dart wildly and you don’t dare to move for fear that you’d miss the muffled sound of a cloven hoof striking the soft earth.

The night is silent – your heart beating in your ears, your tired fingers tensed around the bowstring, your gold-flecked eyes hunting for any sign of the δαίμων. Finally, after an hour or more, you dare to step quietly towards the acorn and stash it in your leather bag.

>Potion gained: Pan’s Philter!
>Reagent obtained: Oak acorn!

You streak back to the palace of Hippomedon over the hills and valleys of your lands, your golden hair flying loose from your braid, and you weep with relief when you step into the courtyard. You desperately wish that Νίκων was here.

It has been 13 days since you have seen his face.

You spend most of the next day in Hypnos’ embrace, tossing and turning in your cot, sweating through your robes. In the late afternoon of the following day, you nearly leap out of your chair when you hear hoofbeats, your nerves still shaken. It takes another two days before the shadows under your eyes fade, and your humor returns – before your easy wisecracks alight on your tongue and take flight to the amusement of your οἶκος staff. You had pretended not to notice when you overheard them murmuring in alarm as you stalked the halls of the palace, and likewise, you pretend that there had been no interruption in your good mood once it returned.

>more coming
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>>5652603
>trying to shift the blame on them would see us cursed or worse.
I never said to do that. Slow your roll, pal. I just said it is something people might consider. And that if they do so they'll just throw their hands up and move on.

>rarely without cause
>laughs in 80% of ancient greek rape cases

The herd ritual gives diminishing returns though. Great for smaller herds but once they start getting up there in size, less useful. And it still will attract the attention of the gods if we do it too much on a herd. Which I would say is objectively more of a problem than having any number of mortals be mad at us.

As for the assertion about the cost/reward. Well that depends on how big or small you're thinking. It's entirely possible to wipe Damachides off of the map with it. Sure, it would be an extremely niche circumstance, needing tons of cogs to fall into place. But getting him to rape someone's daughter or wife is almost a guarantee to get them extremely cross with him. And then his excuse will be "The witch made me do it". So yes while his word would be valued more than ours, it would still sound more like a guy covering his ass than an honest reason.

You make good points, I'll admit. You're right. But I feel both of our thoughts are largely irrelevant as they hinge on certain sets of external circumstance to work. It ultimately comes down to gut feeling. Mine being for the philter. Even if I do agree that the spell is a supremely tempting offer and incredibly useful.

>>5652604
That damn goat got Nira shook something fierce. Maybe we should start hitting the gym ourselves.
>>
You do not fail to instruct the shepherds to take the goat herds to the Corsican pine, although you are careful to warn them to travel in sets of three and keep a night watch.

>You have upheld your part of the bargain – Tropanus is “tampering” with your goatherd for the rest of the phase.

On the fourth day, Iudas, Argryos and Pantaleon find you in the gynaikon, repairing one of your mother’s cloaks. You have servants for this, of course – but sometimes you are pleased to do such things yourself. You stare at them blankly before you recall what might bring them together – of course, the Κένταυρος! You had nearly forgotten your encounter with Labostas after the trauma of your negotiation with Tropanus.

Argyros, stolid and soldierly, is wearing his linothorax. His face is framed by white locks of hair, but wearing his armor seems to make him younger. He kneels in respect, and begins,

“Lady Deianira, you must allow a group of the First Platoon to accompany you as you return to collect your due from the Κένταυρος. Pantaleon tells me you handled this chance encounter with the graceful tongue of Odysseus himself, but all the same, spears can protect you better. I'd rather that we kill the beast outright rather than risk intrusions from its monstrous kind.” He patiently motions to Iudas, as he finishes speaking.

Iudas, wearing robes of gray, nods at you directly, and softly says,

“We must be prepared to address this problem head-on. We must learn the location of their encampment and eliminate them. Bring trackers, not spearmen - and they will trail the beast to its lair. If we are successful, you may present this gift to the nobility during the Summons, and perhaps organize a raid.” Iudas’ brown eyes watch you flatly. You are not surprised by his counsel – behind his pleasing words, there has always been a cutting edge of rationality. "The οἶκος of Hippomedon must demonstrate its value beyond wealth."

Pantaleon, blunt as ever, simply remarks in his half-barbaroi accent,

“Clever plans fall apart as swiftly as they are spun together. I will accompany you to the beast, and you will persuade it to bring us to the chieftain directly. You will then convince the beasts to leave the lands of Hippomedon and raid elsewhere." You peer at Pantaleon with some surprise – he seems to believe in the grace of your tongue or the absolute power of your φύσις - you're not quite certain that he is serious, although his face betrays no sense of comedy. Argyros angrily interjects at this, "what utter foolishness!" - but Pantaleon stares at you frankly.

>How will /qst/ handle Labostas' sheep delivery?

>Go with 15 spearmen like Argyros suggested, with the intention of killing Labostas outright.

>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?

>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain?

>Something else?
>>
>>5652620
>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?
Kill two birds with one stone.
>>
Can we bring pantyboy as a tracker as well?
>>
>>5652620
>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?
>>
>>5652620
>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain?
This is probably dumb, I know.
>>
>>5652620
>>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?
I'd rather know how many there are before we walk in or antagonize them. If we can even kill them all with the soldiers we have or if their herd is too large. If it's too big, we'll want to involve the other houses. If not, we can kill them ourselves or decide to talk them away.

Though to be honest I don't want to kill them. Making allies in some fashion out of centaurs opens up some avenues. If for no other reason than they'll probably keep other herds away.
>>
>>5652620
>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?

The goal is to get these centaurs to exit stage right to another noble's lands or kill them, right? Knowing their location and strength would be a good idea for either action.
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>>5652631

>can we bring Pantaleon as a tracker?

Sure, let’s assume that he would be one of the three trackers if this option wins.
>>
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>>5652620
>>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain?
Believe in the power of Deaiania
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>>5652620
>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain?
>>
>>5652640
>>5652153

Do centaur like pan? Could we redirect them into getting rid of him?

>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain
>>
>>5652620
>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?
I don't trust this beasts, maybe have the spearmen ready not too far away.

>>5652634
Their rapey tendencies are too much constant for be reliable allies, i don't want to bring misfortune but if anything i fear they might start talking with others like them about us (beyond our girl beauty, the fact she is a witch and on the border would bring their attention. Also that we talked with them. We are a novelty, and a novelty that is rare and above their common preys).

They are to be used against our enemies, and to be killed for gain glory for our house. Also for more free stuff if we can diplomance them again.
I hope we can find that nymph Nikon found in the river. Someone benign and that wouldn't rape/harm us, possibly a good teacher and friend too. She might recognize we are Nik sister.
>>
>>5652620
>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain?
>>
>>5652826
Certainly we can't make true allies out of them. They are basically beasts. The moment leadership changes or simply that they grow bold all good will is probably swept away. I'm more keen on keeping them around though because they're essentially a buffer against other stuff. Like barbaroi. It's much easier to deal with the centaurs because they're not going to be capable of very complex maneuvers and strategy. The worst they got as a military or economic threat is that they are exceptionally mobile. I suppose tool is a better term than ally, I apologize for my brainlessness. But it is a pipe dream. And I won't hold out for it.

Come to think of it, there really aren't many classical Greek monsters that you can build any sort of stable treaty with. Maybe the cyclopes, depending on which you get (or who you ask). The satyrs might make it onto the list but they're just too horny. The myriad giants are all out (why cyclopes are differentiated despite also being giants I can't tell you), for the obvious reason that anyone who hangs out with them is going to get zapped straight to hell. Harpies might be in if you go off of Hesiod, but they're probably out if you use anyone else. I won't consider the sirens since they're not numerous enough to treat them as a proper group but more like just a large family (that's just me though, if y'all think there are tons of them then possibly?). I think griffons were just animals in Greek myth, so no chance there. I believe the dragons of the period were also more like tools or simple animals than proper cunning creatures of later cultures, so they're out, too.

Leaving out the solitary examples of creatures like the Minotaur and Chimaera. Also the various near-human tribes.
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>>5652620
>Go with Pantaleon alone, and attempt to diplomance Labostas to bring you to his chieftain?
Diplomancy has allowed us to avert rape, and replace our lost sheep. Let's stick with it.

>>5652871
Dryads, nymphs, and pegasi?
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>>5652882
I lump up dryads and nymphs as deific/divine creatures rather than monsters. For the obvious distinction that they are closer to spirits than creatures. But they're certainly on the table.

As for pegasi, as far as I can tell, Pegasus himself is rather unique. With the closest thing to winged horses coming from India. The land of all the weird shit to the Greeks kek. If we did find anything sired by Pegasus though they'd pretty much just be extremely magnificent and particularly intelligent horses, with or without wings. And yeah they'd be fantastic on an individual basis, certainly not something to turn our nose up at, but at the end of they day they'd still be horses.
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>>5652888
Meant to say divine beings, not creatures. That's what I get for not proofreading.
>>
Good discussion all around so far, anons.

However, to be clear, Deianira is smart enough (at 15 INT) to know that attempting to diplomance the centaurs in their own camp is an extremely high risk venture. Death (and therefore the end of Deianira’s Sidestory) is certainly possible for her if it goes badly. Given this, I want to reiterate that this choice is a dangerous one.

However, success here would lead to some very interesting oikos actions for Deianira in the future, and also open a series of plot hooks that would otherwise be closed to her.

Tl;dr - diplomancing the centaur chieftain is very high risk, very high reward proposition
>>
~3 hour warning until vote closes at 9pm

Vote seems close, so lurkers, this is your chance to make a difference!
>>
>>5652620
>>5652633
I'll change my vote to:
>Go with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp?
>>
>>5652620
>send pantaleon with three trackers, who will lie hidden and then trail the Κένταυρος back to its camp.

Send the trackers but don't follow the centaur yourself.
I don't see how deianira can help the trackers do their job unless the centaurs are hidden behind a magical barrier that only our special eyes can see.
>>
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>send three trackers (including Pantaleon)

>>5652626
>>5652632
>>5653410
>>5652634
>>5652635
>>5652826


attempt diplomancy with the centaur chieftain

>>5652650
>>5652682
>>5652748
>>5652857
>>5652882

missed the vote cutoff at 9pm EST (but you picked the winning side anyways)
>>5653498

---

Looks like "send three trackers" wins narrowly, 6-5. Writing now.
>>
It’s a surprisingly difficult decision – difficult enough that you forget yourself and lose your nymphlike affect, sternly meeting the gaze of your advisors before dropping your head in contemplation. Despite your recent terrors with Tropanus, you’re tempted to throw caution to the wind, and meet with the Κενταυροι chieftain personally. Surely, the very act of your approach would cause them to doubt themselves, and provide you with an opportunity to reason with them? These beasts are savages and could no doubt be easily swayed by a woman with divine heritage, such as yourself.

Sister, please – you must think like the head of the οἶκος. Many depend on you!

You sigh, robes rustling gently as you inhale. As is typical, your brother’s advice is sound and rational. You raise your head and find that Argyros and Iudas are trading concerned glances, while Pantaleon has seemingly lost interest in the discussion, and is scraping something off his sandal with his knife. You interject, saying,

“Uncles, uncles, please – there is no cause for alarm. I have considered each piece of counsel carefully, and Iudas, you have spoken wisely. We must show the local οἶκοι that the house of Hippomedon is rich in ability and action, if not in livestock or spearmen. Pantaleon, pick your two best hunters – you shall track the beast Labostas to its lair and report back on its location, forces and arrangement. With luck, we may convince one of the houses to join us on a raid before the end of the month.” The men stare at you silently, and a long moment passes.

“Is something wrong?” you ask, gently raising a hand. Iudas, Pantaleon and Argyros trade knowing looks with one another, before Pantaleon gruffly speaks,

“Women cannot lead an οἶκος – it is not in their capability.” A slow flame of anger begins to rise in your chest, and for once, you cannot seem to stamp it out. It grows hotter and hotter, but before you can shout in outrage, Iudas calmly proclaims, “But perhaps a witch can do what a woman cannot.” The three men stand in unison and leave the gynaikon as one - Argyros looking grim, Iudas thoughtful, Pantaleon nonchalant. You are left unsettled, with the coals of your anger fading – you aren’t certain if these men trust you, fear you, or love you. A more unsettling thought – perhaps, they do not know either.
>>
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Rolled 5, 6 = 11 (2d20)

The march to meet Labostas is a dreary and forgettable one – it seems that the Hyades, the rainy ones, are visiting Mount Olympus, and all of Thessaly is being drenched in their passing. You pass through the foggy hills and valleys, doing your best to keep up with Pantaleon and his two hunter companions. The three men are in a grim mood, clearly no more eager for this task than you are. Your cloak, pale blue in color, is completely spattered with mud and filth by the time you reach the hilltop. The dead sheep is still present where Labostas had broken it, an unpleasant reminder of your meeting.

Pantaleon and his hunters take position at various vantage points about the hilltop and hillside – truly, they are skilled – you lose track of them yourself. Minutes pass into hours, and you spend the time squinting at one bush or another, attempting to spot Pantaleon – no success.
With time, however, you hear the bleating of sheep to the south. Labostas soon follows, herding a small group of the animals – 19 in total, you quickly tally. Labostas himself seems to be irritated – you notice that he is gripping his side, where he has been wounded by a stray arrow, you think. His face looks lean, exhausted – you imagine that he had been discovered at some point in his rustling.

His brown eyes find you on the hilltop, but he does not approach further. He simply waves his spear about his head and screams, “God-dess, my debt is paid!” And with that, he simply charges back into the mists. Pantaleon and his hunters spring out of the bushes around you and flash off down the hillside – you barely hear their steps despite their speed.

The rain continues to fall around you for a moment before you realize your error. You must herd the damned sheep yourself. You cackle aloud – half in self-deprecation, half in pity.

>19 sheep gained! You've bought some time for your DWINDLING herd of sheep.
>Deianira has a muddy bitch of a time bringing her sheep back, lol

>I'll need 4d20+3 for how the trackers do following Labostas back to his camp. My first roll (with manual -5 modifier) is to determine if the trackers beat Labostas' notice, and the final roll is against the centaur camp itself (no modifier), to see if the trackers manage to gain good intel and evade notice. You guys have the contextual advantage since the Centaurs are generally savages and are not expecting to be tracked at current. Deianira will get the tracker's report before the Summons.
>>
>>5653540
We need to dropkick Pantyboy in the back of the head sometime. And have a chat with Iudas. This whole thing needs to be rectified. Argyros is the only one I'm not quite worried about. Of course, that gives me all the more reason to worry. Being lax is the best way to be betrayed after all. So we need to find a way to reassure him as well.

>>5653548
>My first roll (with manual -5 modifier)
>is a 5 with -5 OOF
So you want a 4d20 or 4 d20s? Just to be clear.
>>
>>5653552

Sorry, to be clear, I'm looking for 4 rolls of dice+1d20+3 from the players.
>>
Rolled 3 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5653548
>>
Rolled 6 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5653548
>>5653555
Right-o. Just wanted to check because this sort of thing seems to happen a lot kek Also trips
>>
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Certified Trojan War Quest rolls moment
>>
>>5653548

I see that I continue to roll like dogshit, the gods must be making up for Nikandros' suffering, anons

----

The remainder of the phase passes in a whirlwind of last minute preparations before the Summons - you personally investigate the kitchens, the οἶκος staff, and you check and re-check the list of attendees with Iudas, along with their reputations and likely interests. On the morning of the Summons itself, under the bright chariot of Helios, you are pacing anxiously in the courtyard. You can't help but endlessly play out your greeting, as you welcome the local nobleman into the Hippomedon palace - when the tension is too great, you find your handmaids and begin mocking. In some ways, this is your first act as an adult - and you feel it, your heart fluttering nervously.

But then - you hear shouting at the palace gates. You catch fragments of the argument carried through to the courtyard, and cast aside propriety as you sprint out of your room on the second floor and leap down the stairs. You take a moment to collect yourself, breathing deeply, rearranging your cloak and chiton, and then glide at a stately pace to the courtyard entrance.

>I'll need one last dice+1d100 for FUN things.
>>
>>5653556
>>5653558

perhaps I spoke too soon
>>
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Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>5653563
>>
>>5653566
FUN is now FUN
>>
>>5653566

Well, I wasn't expecting this.

Update tomorrow at 9pm or so anons.

I still need two more rolls of dice+1d20+3 for how the trackers performed, but let's wait for some new anons to roll through.
>>
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>>5653566
Oh fuck, does a god show up in a good mood or something? Oh shit. Damn son.

>>5653573
It truly is a certified Trojan dice moment.
>>
Rolled 18 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5653548
>>
Rolled 11 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5653548

>>5653566
Is this the moment Deianira first meets her future husband????
>>
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>>5653585
>mfw anyone mentions getting nira a husband, nikon is on job
>>
>>5653594
Anon...... he left to buy smokes down the street forever
>>
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>>5653566
I really do think Nikon and Nira share a luck bank.
>>
>>5653618
NO, I DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT
>>
>>5653618
Joke's on you, Nikon doesn't smoke you NAYSAYER

>>5653621
kek
>>
>>5653622
DAD ISN'T COMING HOME CLETUS
>>
>>5653621
Nira needs longer hair
>>
>>5653618
We will believe in Nik forever !
Even if we are the last ones !
>>
>>5653556
>>5653558

>9 versus literally 1, good success against Labostas, the trackers escape notice, but they're idiots. Labostas is an even bigger idiot who repeatedly fails to notice that he is being followed.

>>5653579
>>5653585


>21 vs 6. Excellent success against the Centaur camp. They are drunk morons who haven't bothered to post a guard and are too busy fucking around to notice Panty and the boys.

---

>>5653621
>>5653644

>kek, nice memes, anons, keep em coming

---

>>5653594
>>5653618
>>5653622
>>5653625
>>5653708

I still believe in Homer, but given that I have not heard from him publicly or privately (at the email address in the thread opener) since his last post on 04/06, I am starting to prepare for the possibility of his continued absence. Homer, if you're reading, please reach out! I would love to hear from you! Even if you're not interested in running TWQ anymore, it would be great to consult with you.

For now, my plan is to basically run Deianira's Quest for at least the next several months to give Homer a chance to reach out and make his wishes known. In the meanwhile, I've purchased the Lattimore translations of the Odyssey and the Iliad, and I hope to finish reading these by the end of May. As I mentioned earlier, I think I've developed a possible narrative runway for me to take over the main TWQ plot and do a serviceable (if not great) job, if we don't hear from Homer over the next several months.

----

Okay, last thought - we'll need to roll for how many centaurs are present at the centaur camp. Someone give me a dice+2d12.
>>
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Rolled 10, 8 = 18 (2d12)

>>5653771
Since no one's rolling
>>
>>5653566
The event is that tits out is the new fashion and everybody is doing it.
It must be, i can see it slowly building up in favor with the gods and fates until finally it conquered the land!
Truly the destined career of Deianira must be fashion model to spearhead the new fade across the land.
>>
>>5653925
Fellow enjoyer of authentic ancient culture with a based opinion
>>
>>5653566
>Dionysus shows up
>Farts out a luxurious and fertile winery
>Keks and leaves

Διόνυσος moment
>>
>>5654011
>"I brought margaritas!"
>"Was that the wine god? What the fuck is a margaritas?"
>"I don't know but he seemed really into it so just drink you fool."
>>
>>5653621
>>5654011
>>5654063
lmao
It's good to see that the memes live on in the sidestory
>>
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When you approach the courtyard entrance, you are greeted with an unusual sight – an older man, wiry and thin, wearing a filthy, tattered cloak, is prostrating himself pathetically before your οἶκος servants. To your eye, he is immediately recognizable as one of the innumerable πλᾰ́νης (vagrants) who pass aimlessly through Hellas, adrift from society at large. Such men (since they are almost always men) survive on the scraps of generosity that might be passed to them by strangers, and by whatever they can scrounge from the land itself. To the πλᾰ́νης's side, you see a large leather bag and walking stick, tossed carelessly to the earth. The two servants are tugging on his elbows and begging him to stand, without success – they were no doubt hoping to turn him aside before his presence was noticed.

As you step forwards, the πλᾰ́νης's head rises, and you get a glimpse at his rough features – he is spectacularly ugly, with one ear frayed and chewed, and a shapeless, lopsided nose, clearly broken many times. He seems to have aged very poorly in his years of wandering – you suspect he might younger than his appearance implies. At the sight of you, he grins broadly and you are disgusted to see that he has lost many of his teeth – the ones that remain are blackened with rot.

“NOBLE LADY!” he cries at an earsplitting volume, and before you have a chance to speak, he plants his face back down on the dusty ground, arms extended forwards in a childlike parody of respect. Bizarrely, he continues to shout into the dirt as he does so– “GOLDEN-HAIRED LADY, FAIR AND TALL – I BEG OF YOU – THE WAR!” He yowls weirdly, sounding for all the world like a man-sized cat, and begins writhing pitifully on the earth, although whether with excitement or fear, you can’t immediately discern. “WAR IS COMING TO HELLAS, DEAR LADY!” It’s not surprising that Agamemnon’s invocation of the Oath of Tyndareus has reached even the ears of this unfortunate soul – you’re certain that all of Hellas must be buzzing with the news, only a few weeks old.

You’re unsure to how to respond – you have some experience with madness, of course, but your mother has retained most of her noble bearing, despite her words and actions being nonsensical. The man before you is clearly erratic and unpredictable – he couldn’t not have arrived as at a less convenient time.

“Rise, πλᾰ́νης - please speak clearly, if you can.” You attempt a calm and pleasing tone, but already your frustration is beginning to build, your typical good humor nowhere to be found. You simply don’t have the time for this nonsense – not today. You have only hours before the noblemen begin to arrive!

>more coming
>>
He pauses momentarily upon hearing your words, before flopping over onto his back, his wild eyes locking onto yours, and whispers, barely audible, “The toads and the mice – dear Lady – they are marching to war. Their generals muster the troops, they sharpen their splinters and shine their leaf armors… Oh, they have spies everywhere – watching us from the streams and brooks, from inside the walls! Oh, what bloodshed will be wrought! What carnage and acts of heroism will be visited upon the fields and valleys of Hellas! I and I alone remain to tell this tale, to make immortal these events…” He trails off in mid-thought, and then from his hide pack, draws a wax tablet, furiously scribbling. You lean forward a bit to investigate and see that the tablet itself is battered and worn, and the wax long since shredded past usefulness – his stylus scrabbles uselessly against it.

Zeus on Olympus..., you think. He is completely insane.

“I BEG OF YOU” he suddenly shrieks, startling you – “AND YOUR GENEROSITY, GOLDEN-HAIRED VISON OF APHRODITE! LET ME REST WITHIN THE WALLS OF YOUR PALACE SO THAT I MIGHT GAIN A MEASURE OF RESOLVE FOR THE CONFLICT TO COME!”

Before giving you a chance to respond, he continues in a conspiratorial fashion, winking an eye – “I must put on a show of wretchedness for the mice, you see – it is the only way to convince them that I am no threat. The frogs are simpler - they ask only to hear my beautiful singing voice each night before bed…”

You stare at him wide-eyed for a few moments before you realize that he (along with your servants) are waiting for your response.

>Deianira has been accosted by a random πλᾰ́νης, what do? The Ancient Greek custom of ξενία (xenia) demands that she honor his request, but he is insane and may almost certainly will throw a wrench into the Summons.

>Attempt to persuade the πλᾰ́νης to leave your estates outright? His presence is sure to create problems.

>Grant him the ability to stay on the Hippomedon grounds, but safely away from the palace itself? A small dinner will be provided to him.

>Grant him the ability to stay within the palace walls, providing him with a meager dinner and cold bath, and locking him in a storeroom to prevent mishaps?

>Give him full guest rights within the palace, including hot dinner and hot bath? He would be free to wander the palace as he sees fit.

>Treat him as a nobleman - hot dinner, hot bath, and an invitation to your Summons later tonight as a man of power and prestige?
>>
>>5654260
>Treat him as a nobleman - hot dinner, hot bath, and an invitation to your Summons later tonight as a man of power and prestige?
Let us release a Diogenes upon those noble sops to come.
>>
>>5654260
>Give him full guest rights within the palace, including hot dinner and hot bath? He would be free to wander the palace as he sees fit.
A guest is a guest
>>
>>5654260
>>Give him full guest rights within the palace, including hot dinner and hot bath? He would be free to wander the palace as he sees fit.
I mean, he has invoked xenia. And we are literally right under Olympus. We'd be a fool not to. Besides, nutty and strange he may be, but he hasn't so far done anything beyond being a tad annoying. How bad could he be, right? Right?

Fuck.
>>
>>5652748
Treat him like a noble. We got a natty 100 this dude is definitely a God or demigod. Make up an excuse about Nikki's generosity or something to other nobles.
>>
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>>5654260
>>Give him full guest rights within the palace, including hot dinner and hot bath? He would be free to wander the palace as he sees fit.
Dang
>>
>>5654260
>>Treat him as a nobleman - hot dinner, hot bath, and an invitation to your Summons later tonight as a man of power and prestige?
the toad and mice bit makes me think of the little illaid. mayhaps this is Homer?
>>
>>5654391
Homer won't be alive for another five hundred or so years I believe.
>>
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>>5654391
>toad and mice
Even the mice and toads get their own epic.
>>
>>5654419
Where can we find ourselves a mouse Achilles?
>>
>>5654260
>Attempt to persuade the πλᾰ́νης to leave your estates outright? His presence is sure to create problems.
>>
>>5654424
id changed, this is me >>5651184
>>
>>5654423
>that frog is riding a crab
Damn this toad/mouse war is fucking intense.
>>
>>5654391

I recently learned of the Batrachomyomachia and felt that it would be a fun reference.

>>5654398

Correct, who can say when the actual toad vs mice war occurred?
>>
>>5654260
>Treat him as a nobleman - hot dinner, hot bath, and an invitation to your Summons later tonight as a man of power and prestige?
I'm thinking he's a god, but I'd be willing to vote to treat him as a guest if there's a tie.
>>
>>5654260
>>Treat him as a nobleman - hot dinner, hot bath, and an invitation to your Summons later tonight as a man of power and prestige?
>>
>>5654260
>>Give him full guest rights within the palace, including hot dinner and hot bath? He would be free to wander the palace as he sees fit.
It's more fun this way
>>
>>5654260
>Give him full guest rights within the palace, including hot dinner and hot bath? He would be free to wander the palace as he sees fit.

Okay, this is either a hidden God or a man blessed by Apollo but too crazy for his prophecies to make sense. Or maybe just a funny bum. Either way, the 'spies' tangent has me worried.

Do we have traitors among us? Or are we going to allow them in with the summons? Hmm.
>>
>>5654771
>Do we have traitors among us? Or are we going to allow them in with the summons?
Well I'd say nearly everyone is going to be our enemy now that Nikon isn't home. Either that or aiming to wed us because we're an unmarried noblewoman with a brother who is also unmarried and childless. Sure, our estate isn't really worth a damn right now but it's basically free land to any prospective husband.

We're in open waters with no friends.
>>
>>5654801
>everyone is our enemy
>random hobo is the only one who stands up for us
>>
>>5654810
>uneasy partnership with tropanus ended now random bum is our φίλος
>>
Votes have dried up, so let's tally!

Treat as nobleman

>>5654263
>>5654327
>>5654391
>>5654582
>>5654604

Full guest rights

>>5654269
>>5654279
>>5654349
>>5654750
>>5654771

GTFO you bum

>>5654424

---

Looks like a dead tie, unless I'm fucking up the count. I'll give one more hour for anons to change their votes or lurkers to chime in?
>>
>>5654260
>>Treat him as a nobleman - hot dinner, hot bath, and an invitation to your Summons later tonight as a man of power and prestige?
>>
>>5655001
>>5655031
Nobleman it is then.
>>
You breathe deeply, girding your mind and body against what you are about to say and – once again, the vagrant interrupts your train of thought –

“Wait!” he cries, bouncing to his heels and then suddenly bends forward gently to clasp your knees in the formal method of supplication. “You must forgive me, bright-tressed Lady – I have forgotten the proper way of things,” – the madness of his voice seems to recede briefly, and he stares up at you solemnly, before gently brushing your chin. “I beg guest rights of you, noble Lady.” Seemingly satisfied with this, he turns his filthy head aside and waits for your response.

You can hardly believe your words, as they tumble from your mouth.

“Rise, humble traveler – for tonight, you will dine and drink amongst the lords of Thessaly. You have had the good grace to arrive upon the night of a great diplomatic summons! Now, come – let us bathe you and prepare you for tonight’s engagement!” You clap your hands and your οἶκος staff quickly march him into the courtyard. Your curiosity about his name and history will have to wait – ancient custom dictates that you must not inquire about such matters until his needs are met in full.

---
Days have passed almost without notice since your muddy march with Labostas’ sheep, and now, today of all days, events are stacking up on themselves faster than you can believe. Abercion has hardly left your sight before you hear the coarse grunting of – who else? – Pantaleon and his trackers. You spin and take in their appearance in the bright Thessalian morning – they are muddy, obviously exhausted, but without obvious injury. Your patience, already frayed by this morning’s surprises, causes your tongue to lash out at him -

“Has Κοάλεμος minor Greek god of stupidity, FYI stolen your tongue as well as your wits, Pantaleon, or are you preparing your report in hexameter, perhaps?” His tracking companions eye each and poorly hide their grins behind yawns – probably, he has been as unpleasant to them over the last several days, as he is typically to you. Pantaleon merely grunts again and launches into a succinct report of the Κενταυροι’s camp – interestingly, they have wedged themselves into a valley just inside the realm of Lyciboeus, quite close to your lands. It seems that Lyciboeus’ general disinterest in military matters has led to haphazard patrolling, and the beasts have taken advantage of this. Already, your mind is tinkering with the possibilities – either the Κενταυροι are quite lucky, or they have chosen this place with a surprisingly astute assessment of the local forces in the area.
>>
Pantaleon goes on to say that the conditions of the camp itself were hardly better than the den of wild animals – no defenses of any kind, filth and refuse in every direction, and not even an attempt of sentries. He and his trackers had camped on the same hillside for half a day, and saw no less than four drunken brawls over this time. By Pantaleon’s count, there were 18 Κενταυροι in the camp proper, including Labostas. Surprisingly, the leader or chieftain of the beasts was large, but not the largest of them – Pantaleon spits as he recounts that the chieftain, black-haired, black-bearded and with a horse-coat to match, was too busy torturing some captured spearmen for sport to intervene as his compatriots battered each other.

You hear footfalls to your left and find that Iudas and Argyros have appeared from some corner of the palace or another, and are listening carefully. “My congratulations, Pantaleon – you have done very well indeed,” remarks Iudas. “And yet your service to House Hippomedon this day may not yet be complete.” You motion to your servants and suddenly there are waterskins in the hands of Pantaleon and his trackers – they gulp greedily in their thirst. After a few more moments, Argyros shoos the trackers away, leaving you alone with your three advisors within the bright courtyard of your father.

Iudas turns to you, and his dark brown eyes betray weariness, “My Lady, we must come to a determination. How will we explain your brother’s absence to your peers? It will be impossible to avoid the subject…” You have wrestled with the same dilemma over the past few days, unable to determine the best path, but it seems that you can delay no longer.

>more coming
>>
Pantaleon, his beard still dripped with water, and words dripping with half-barbaroi malice, interjects – “Let Lady Deianira tell the truth of the matter – he has left the halls of his father in search of fame and glory. It will be impossible to keep the truth from them anyways.”

Argyros shakes his head furiously, his white locks waving gently, and replies “No, Pantaleon – you ask the Lady to stroll into the wolves’ den alone and unarmored. Better that we tell a believable lie – that King Peleus’s court has called upon Nikandros unexpectedly, that they have heard of his raids against the barbaroi, and King Peleus wants to inspect him personally.”

Iudas, speaks next – “Hardy Pantaleon, Veteran Argyros – your counsel is deeply valued. But I must speak against each of your proposals. Pantaleon – this οἶκος will be ripped apart, its staff enslaved and its livestock sold, if Nikandros is known to be abroad in Hellas. Argyros – your proposal may yet be a success one, but I feel it best that Nikandros is present for this Summons.” He stares pointedly at Pantaleon, as he says this last. Pantaleon, clearly not understanding, stares back at Iudas, hard-eyed. You grasp Iudas' meaning instantly in a flash of insight.

“Pantaleon, dear - ”, you begin pleasantly, “how would you feel if I bandaged your head for the feast tonight?” You cackle aloud as his face collapses into a fierce frown…

>whew, vote post coming, one more
>>
>Well, /qst/ - this is a big vote that will determine how House Hippomedon will be viewed in the medium-term by Deianira's peers. This vote will close at ~8pm on Saturday, 05/06 - I'm taking tomorrow night off!

>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.

>Argyros' middling approach is superior - you must mix the wine of truth with the water of lies. By claiming Nikandros' absence on the business of the court of Peleus, you create an expectation of Nikandros' return - and also propagate the myth that King Peleus knows of your brother. This fiction may serve to protect your House from ill deeds and betrayals - but not forever. Still, it may give you the time you need to find allies and build your strength.

>Iudas, clever as always, has found the simplest solution. Pantaleon is of a similar size to your dear brother, Νίκων - and if properly bandaged, may be convincing as the victor of a daring raid against the Κένταυρος. The noblemen of Thessaly know your brother best by the tales of a giant, ambushing barbaroi by the dozens through quick wits and a strong arm - and if the reality does not quite meet the myth, will that not confirm their view of the truth? Success here may provide months or even years of protection, time well enough to gather your strength. However, if the deception fails outright tonight - your house will be exposed for liars. Affronted noblemen have been known to swear oaths of revenge for smaller slights - you would not survive the season if it becomes known you attempted to pass a commoner off for one of divine heritage...

>Something else?
>>
This is a nice breaking point as well, for shitposting, memes and general feedback from the players.

What can I do better? I'm noticing that my prose is somewhat lacking in description of the environment so I might try to do a better job in "setting the scene", so to speak.
>>
>>5655072
If we KNEW the hobo was a god I'd go with Panty's plan. Saying I don't need a man I'm a witch and then the random dude no one invited animorphing into a god to say he's here too would be the biggest fucking power move. But we don't know. He could just be a prophet of some sort, or a plan madman with insane luck.

So I'll have to go with
>Argyros' middling approach is superior - you must mix the wine of truth with the water of lies. By claiming Nikandros' absence on the business of the court of Peleus, you create an expectation of Nikandros' return - and also propagate the myth that King Peleus knows of your brother. This fiction may serve to protect your House from ill deeds and betrayals - but not forever. Still, it may give you the time you need to find allies and build your strength.
partly because I don't trust Panty to not fuck it up with his grunting. Nikon is a noble still, so they'll expect him to have the bearing of one despite his murderous reputation.

>>5655076
I'm a simple guy so I don't really see any problems with anything. If you're seeing a problem with atmosphere I would suggest just thinking about ambience. Little background things. There's always something going on out of focus and unimportant after all. Though it may be superfluous and distracting. So I wouldn't worry about it overmuch.
>>
>>5655072
>Argyros' middling approach is superior - you must mix the wine of truth with the water of lies. By claiming Nikandros' absence on the business of the court of Peleus, you create an expectation of Nikandros' return - and also propagate the myth that King Peleus knows of your brother. This fiction may serve to protect your House from ill deeds and betrayals - but not forever. Still, it may give you the time you need to find allies and build your strength.

Technically we aren't telling any lies, as a noble under King Peleus, Nikandros has likely visited him first out of duty. As long as we don't tell them that he's gone off to war, they may assume he'll be back any day now.

>>5655076
It's very good so far Lesches, I am enjoying this quest. It's also a very interesting perspective.
>>
>>5655072
>>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
Go big or go home

>>5655076
I always like flowing wonderous description of settings, clothing and food so more of it sounds good to me.
>>
>>5655072
>Argyros' middling approach is superior - you must mix the wine of truth with the water of lies. By claiming Nikandros' absence on the business of the court of Peleus, you create an expectation of Nikandros' return - and also propagate the myth that King Peleus knows of your brother. This fiction may serve to protect your House from ill deeds and betrayals - but not forever. Still, it may give you the time you need to find allies and build your strength.

>>5655076
I'm just glad this quest is still going.
>>
>>5655172
If this quest dies someone will have to run "Trojan War Quest: Deianira's Sidestory: Seisames' Sidestory". But this quest won't die. Because we have faith?
>>
>>5655072
>Argyros' middling approach is superior
This will be really funny when the word comes that the geriatric king yelled at Nikon.

>>5655076
I think you are doing a good job. But, if I had to nitpick, I would say that at times in the narrative, you switch from a number like this, 1, to the written version, one.

>>5655175
FAITH! Though a "Trojan War Quest: Deianira's Sidestory: Of Mice and Toads Sidestory" would also be interesting in my opinion.
>>
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>>5655072
>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.

>>5655076
I do have an issue. We aren't wearing historically accurate open bodices!
>>
>>5655072
>>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
My feminine penis is large and girthy and full of barbarian vigour. Please spear yourself upon it in your own time my foul-hearted neighbours.
>>
>>5655072
>Argyros' middling approach is superior

When in doubt mix the waters.
Actually the bum's inclusion in the meeting will be quite the distraction from the nikon situation.

I'm half expecting him to be the tailor who invented the bosom window style of clothing.

But for when the truth escapes would they really go to such lenghts?
they are still countrymen, would they really risk conquering the oikos and selling the people and sister of that mountain of a man who folded a barbarian king into two?
Who is currently buddying it up with the best of the best warriors in hellas?
>>
>>5655289
Considering that Agamemnon was willing to talk shit and make demands of Achilles that would be considered out of line when within strangling distance of him? Yeah, I'm sure the average noble would be more than willing to take something from a guy who is traipsing halfway across the civilized world when the land he left behind is being managed in such a way that is not culturally acceptable for the time.

Consider that at the time, the only thing that really mattered was whether or not you could take and hold something. If someone stole a bunch of shit from you and ran away, that was their shit now. If some guy marched an army onto your land and claimed it, it was his. The only way to get people not to do that is basically through making sure they know you are not to be fucked with. Whether that's through alliances, shrewd talking, prophecy, or plain strength of arms. So while Nikon's away he can do none of that. And when he gets back, it'll just be him and whatever men come back with him against whatever armies the occupier has at their disposal. Though are pretty good odds in their eyes.After all, Nikon is still a country bum, they don't expect him to make friends or allies out of anyone important or strong out there.

And since the war is going to take a decade, after a while they'll just assume he isn't coming back. That's when the -fun- begins.
>>
>>5655289
>Who is currently buddying it up with the best of the best warriors in hellas?
What is the timeline? Has Nikon even reached Skyros by this point?
>>
>>5655072
>Argyros' middling approach is superior - you must mix the wine of truth with the water of lies. By claiming Nikandros' absence on the business of the court of Peleus, you create an expectation of Nikandros' return - and also propagate the myth that King Peleus knows of your brother. This fiction may serve to protect your House from ill deeds and betrayals - but not forever. Still, it may give you the time you need to find allies and build your strength.

This is quite safe and should work, if there are familiar faces that did see Nik in his younger days (like older childhood friends for diplomacy between houses), we can avoid possible problems.

>>5655076
i really like the mythical aspect, and i prefer the mix of ancient and classical greek for how the setting should look/feel. Gives more variety and cooler too.
great job !


>>5655304
i think more than a few days have passed, he should have already encountered the nymph at least.
>>
>>5655072
>>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
>>
>>5655304
>>5655324

>in terms of Nikon’s plotline, we’re about 20 days in from the start of DQ quest. Homer was giving timelines in terms of modern weeks and I have been using Ancient Greek phases of 10 days, so there’s not a perfect alignment. I would say that Nikon has met with Asterope, has traveled down to Phtia and has learned about Achilles’s absence, and is probably either just about to hit Skyros or has landed recently. TWQ went on hiatus somewhere around Nikon’s two-month mark, so I’m thinking about the Diomedes fight being the end of Nikon’s first month. Someone let me know if I have the timeline wrong here though
>>
>>5654327
Middling approach. But can we add that on the way back he stopped to kill the centaurs? Elongates the reason he's gone for further down the line. Then we could spin into pant pretending to be Nikki.
>>
>>5655072
>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
Refuge in boldness
>>
>>5655072
>>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
>>
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Oh boy, seems like we are 6 votes for assuming charge and 6 votes for delaying.
A dead tie.
Will we have to leave the outcome to the will of the gods?
>>
>>5655996
It's better that way. Then if shit goes south we can blame the gods. Because that always goes over very well in Greek myth.
>>
>>5655072
>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.

Let's do this
>>
>>5656049
Damn guess we going down the pantaleon route then, it's what? The third or fourth time we follow his suggestion or involve him in our decision?
Is it because he's like a more rugged copy of nikon?
>>
>>5656075
I think it is because he represents both high risk and high reward. We all have a terrible gambling addiction.
Anyways, if we go panty boy route, I say we should drug the entire assembly and try pulling a hash and assassins situation.
>>
Looks like a tight vote ~36 hours in. I would encourage anons to continue debating since this is an impactful vote.

>>5655407

Hello, anon, don’t forget to link your previous posts or post again so your vote counts!

>>5656083

>killing your houseguests

Of course, you could try this, but the sheer violation of Xenia here might cause Zeus to nuke the Hippomedon palace from orbit or otherwise guarantee your untimely end.
>>
>>5655407
>>5656103
>>5652748
I did link T.T
>>
>>5656220

Derp, my bad anon. This is what I get for phone posting
>>
>>5656075
What can I say, I love danger and her rewards.
>>
>>5656420
Personally I just want to save the witch card for when everything starts to fall apart. At which point we should be better established. We also only have one scary witchy option in that poison, which is hard to actually use if people just refuse to eat or drink stuff from us.
>>
>>5656435
It's all about perception. If people think that we can turn people into pigs and keep them as sex slaves for a decade then they will stay away. So we have to make ourself appear bigger than life. The best time to reveal that is now.
>>
>>5656446
Sure but how do you convince them that you can turn people into a rat and give them silly small hats to humiliate them? It's not like we have a prior reputation of doing stuff like that. And considering the old man who is gonna be pissed off as fuck just being here I don't think he's going to buy it.

You're basically hedging your bets that we can bullshit hard enough that they abandon not only social convention but personal attitudes out of apprehension.
>>
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>>5656453
>You're basically hedging your bets that we can bullshit hard enough that they abandon not only social convention but personal attitudes out of apprehension.
You're goddamn right
>>
Apropos of nothing, I appreciate the anon's committed effort to ancient cleavage and titty posting.
>>
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>>5656474
I aim to please
>>
>>5656453
Well we chose the philter of virility so that old man is probably gonna end up in our pocket...

Wow that sounded dirty writing it down.
>>
>>5656645
>>
My sincere apologies anons, no update tonight given the fact that I am inebriated.

However, expect an update tomorrow!
>>
>>5656740
Dionysus that fiend.
>>
>>5656753
The hobo's identity has been confirmed.
>>
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>>5656754
>tfw it's actually apollo and he burns our retinas for assuming it was the drunk god
>>
>5655072
>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
>>
>>5655072
>>Pantaleon is correct - perhaps you should attempt to shatter expectations cleanly and all at once. A woman cannot lead an οἶκος - but what about a witch? Announce your brother's absence, announce your true identity as a woman of sorcerous power, and strike decisively towards independence. This would be a phenomenally risky strategy, as noblemen and Kings alike may hear of this in time, but it may provide outsize dividends, if successful - by proving that you are outside the typical conventions, you may make unusual allies - if you survive long enough.
>>
Second post or whatevs

>>5656740
Have fun kentaur
>>
>>5656237
Tis fine. Epic qst Fren.
>>
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Rolled 2 (1d2)

>thanks for everyone's patience, we should be able to resume regular updates for the foreseeable future. Next update should be out before midnight tonight (EST)

Vote tally

Argyros' compromise

>>5655097
>>5655138
>>5655172
>>5655187
>>5655289
>>5655324
>>5655407 (one post-ID but linked to prior posts)

Pantaleon's Big Reveal

>>5655163
>>5655191
>>5655259
>>5655334
>>5655533
>>5655625
>>5656049

---

Late votes (sorry lads, you missed the 05/06 8pm EST cut-off, but appreciate your participation!)

>>5656916 (one-post ID anyways)
>>5657114 (valid vote but too late to count).

---

I've counted three times and looks like a dead tie at 7-7, but let me know if I fucked up the tally? Rolling a d2 to determine Deianira's decision. 1 = Argyros' compromise, and 2 = Pantaleon's Big Reveal.
>>
>>5657401

Looks like Tyche favors bold action from Deianira...

how exciting! Deianira's life and wellbeing essentially will hang in the balance depending on how well this party goes for her.
>>
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>>5657405
>>
>>5657401
The gods have willed it
>>
>>5657440
I have been standing out in the sun all day trying to get a tan to fool Tyche into thinking I'm 10% more Greek than I actually am. Hopefully the dice shall be fooled and bless us with success.
>>
You’ve delayed this decision over the past several days - how to manage Νίκων’s absence. But finally confronted with the critical moment, your doubts suddenly evaporate. You might be standing under the radiant Thessalian sun, with the warm scents of barley and sheep in your nose, but you recognize this moment for what it is – that inflection point when your midnight ritual reaches a fever pitch, and with your will sharpened to a scalpel’s edge, your φύσις springs to life. You realize that any deception on your part tonight will be uncovered in time, because you are confident that your brother will have a role to play in the future of Hellas. It’s only a matter of time before his name becomes known widely, and tales of his exploits reach the rural outskirts of Thessaly. When this happens, whatever deception you would use to shield your household would be punctured immediately. Your compatriots, the local οἶκοι – they would likely be incensed by such misdirection. By delaying the moment of this revelation, you would only be magnifying your inevitable punishment.

Νίκων often told you that a single decisive strike could change the course of a battle or deliver victory in a losing game of petteia. Therefore, these noblemen should best be confronted head on – why not announce yourself openly as a force and power in your own right? By doing so, you immediately change the balance of power in the local area and will force the neighboring nobleman to adapt to a novel situation. Women cannot lead a household - but you are not "just a woman". If pressed to prove your claim of witchery, you could certainly demonstrate your sorcerous abilities, but the rumor of your powers would be more useful than their actual application – by keeping the nobleman guessing as to your true abilities, they would likely only move against you cautiously, at first. And besides - curses are things to be dreaded and feared – surely, they would not risk open hostility or warfare with you? You must imagine that your open declaration would be viewed with intense suspicion by some, but even so, it would also serve as a message of capable defense of your οἶκος…and implied sorcerous retribution. Your nose wrinkles – better that they never learn that you have always found jinxes and hexes to be distasteful!

The decision made, your voice rings out confidently to your advisors – “I will announce that Nikandros Hippomedion has answered the call of Agamemnon in search of fame, glory and wealth, and that I, Deianira Hippomedion, will act as head of the οἶκος. Let them speak out against their host, if they would deny my authority. Let them mistake my boldness for foolishness, and my humor for overconfidence – I will surprise them with cunning, and if need be, sorcery!”
>>
Pantaleon is suddenly wearing a wolf-like grin, his eyes seemingly glowing with the light of Helios’ burnished chariot – perhaps the first clear sign of approval you have seen from him in over the past weeks. Argyros doesn’t even bother to hide his horror at your decision, his rictus-like face suddenly as pale as the white cloak he is wearing. And Iudas – as is typical, his browned face and riverstone eyes are emotionless – his visage is carved and expertly painted marble, revealing nothing. Knowing him, you can practically hear clacking pebbles on the counting board of Iudas’ mind.

Once your decision is made – time seems to speed towards the feast itself. Suddenly, the men of the First Platoon are roused and lining the path to your palace, carrying torches and displaying your house’s martial strength. Outside of yourself, you watch your willowy figure from above as you graciously welcome the chariots of the arriving noblemen, addressing them as strangers in the ancient custom and welcoming them into your palace. Sturdy Aristonax and nimble-fingered Ianthousa, grinning Podageus and disciplined Melaneira, blonde Seisames and beautiful Egeria (accompanied by portly Cnotheos, you’re pleased to see), and finally, wealthy Lyciboeus and silent Mardokia, make their way through the ancient customs of ξενία and into the walls of the Hippomedon palace. Beyond these expected guests, you also separately welcome Gerasimos, the handsome and athletic second son of Aristonax, and stunning Eriboea, handmaiden to Mardokia. Each of these guests are delivered to their rooms, provided with every amenity you can provide, and are seemingly gratified with your graciousness. Of the mad traveler – you learn that he has dined, bathed and has been clothed, and is now wandering the halls, apparently eager to meet as many of your οἶκος staff as he can.

>another update (for the next vote) will be out before 12pm
>>
The feast is set to begin.

You are wearing your finest attire, a treasured gown of dark blue – while not silk, it is very fine quality, and was created by the best tailors that your mother had access to in Phthia. Unexpectedly – you find that you aren’t nervous. You are filled with the calm certainty that you are about to embark on a dangerous course of action, but a necessary and vital one – no different than a risky but effective therapy for an ill patient. Argyros, Iudas and Pantaleon are not present – as commoners, even highly esteemed and valued ones, they will not be attending this symposium.

The success of your household, and the safety of your life, will rest on your performance alone.

Your οἶκος staff have done an excellent job – the fragrant aromas of expertly roasted beef, mutton, goat and swine mingle in the cool, twilight air of your courtyard. Above the torches illuminating your courtyard, you see the wandering stars above – Orion’s glimmering bow just rising into view in a darkening sky. You have taken the initiative to arrange the benches and tables to best support discourse amongst the guests. As is proper, you have arranged for the men to sit to your right, and the women to your left – it is considered appropriate for some segregation of the sexes to be maintained, both in physical proximity and in conversational partners, at the beginning of the meal. These barriers typically fall once the dinner itself is concluded, and the wine is served. To your immediate right, you have left an empty seat – where your brother would typically sit. As your honored guests enter the courtyard and take their places, your staff flit back and forth from the kitchen, bringing all manner of prepared dishes – platters of roasted meat, vegetables, grains and fruits. You had authorized the expenditure of your stores of olive oil, honey and other such expensive luxuries – to do otherwise would invite discontent.

Finally, it is time for you to make your welcome to your guests, as they are seated before you – they stare at you expectantly, their eyes darted to the empty seat to your right when they think are you not looking. You note that Melaneira, wife of Podageus, is actually eyeing the entrances to the courtyard – perhaps she expects Νίκων to make a dramatic entrance? Nonetheless, the moment to seize control is now.
>>
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>How will Deianira address her audience? She will reveal the truth of Νίκων’s absence (that he is answering Agamemon’s call and finding her a husband) of this introductory speech, but how might she otherwise tailor this oration? These dialogue options will modify the context advantages that each group of audience members will receive. Please note that Deianira will be rolling against significant difficulty (at base, Deianira = best of 2, guests = best of 4) in this initial oration, due to her decision to reveal Nikandros' absence. This vote will close at 9pm tomorrow and then we'll do the rolling at that point.

>Deianira will emphasize her traditional role as a noblewoman and reference the unusual circumstances of her status; she will make mention that her leadership is temporary and she has the full expectation of Nikandros’ return, her future husband in tow. She will additionally remind the guests of Nikandros' success in battles and his military contributions to the security of Thessaly. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the men in the audience (male audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).

>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).

>Deianira will obliquely reference her sorcerous powers and emphasize her recent divine ancestry; she will make the case that she falls outside of the typical societal expectations of a noblewoman given this unique set of traits. This is a decidedly risky approach, given that witches are typically feared and misunderstood in the Late Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. This approach will not change context bonuses, but may reveal dialogue options and plot hooks that would otherwise have to be uncovered through alternate methods. Male and female audience members will roll at Bo4.

>Something else?

---

>Final note – this dinner will be broken up into at least four stages (two conversations with the women, two with the men), with some surprises in store, and Deianira will have the opportunity to target the nobles who she failed to win over, if the players so choose. Alternately, she could speak with the people who she's already won over to gain information and make further inroads, etc.

>Please let me know if these options are unclear or if I can provide further clarity?
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will obliquely reference her sorcerous powers and emphasize her recent divine ancestry; she will make the case that she falls outside of the typical societal expectations of a noblewoman given this unique set of traits. This is a decidedly risky approach, given that witches are typically feared and misunderstood in the Late Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. This approach will not change context bonuses, but may reveal dialogue options and plot hooks that would otherwise have to be uncovered through alternate methods. Male and female audience members will roll at Bo4.
Poor Niko is going to come home to a ruin lmao
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).
My tipping point of caution and daring has been hit. Full on daring!
>>
>>5657975
>with some surprises in store,
That fucking bum better not barge in with a plucked chicken and say something about men of the future.

>Deianira will obliquely reference her sorcerous powers and emphasize her recent divine ancestry; she will make the case that she falls outside of the typical societal expectations of a noblewoman given this unique set of traits. This is a decidedly risky approach, given that witches are typically feared and misunderstood in the Late Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. This approach will not change context bonuses, but may reveal dialogue options and plot hooks that would otherwise have to be uncovered through alternate methods. Male and female audience members will roll at Bo4.
Balls out at this point. We're full steam sailing into the sea of shit at this point already. If they all react poorly then we can just burn the happy pinecone and make everyone nice and high to win them over. Hopefully.

I am screaming internally.
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).
Now or never
>>
>>5656220
WE ARE A FATE INCARNATE! full witch flex. Then deflect and introduce the other guest. And if it goes bad mind wipe everyone with amnesia.
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will obliquely reference her sorcerous powers and emphasize her recent divine ancestry; she will make the case that she falls outside of the typical societal expectations of a noblewoman given this unique set of traits. This is a decidedly risky approach, given that witches are typically feared and misunderstood in the Late Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. This approach will not change context bonuses, but may reveal dialogue options and plot hooks that would otherwise have to be uncovered through alternate methods. Male and female audience members will roll at Bo4.

i dislike the reveal, but since we are doing it better pick the higher risk option.
Send a prayer to Hecate, i expect someone to at least get angry and leave. I guess they will remember us and this party if nothing else lol.
>>
>>5657975
>>Deianira will obliquely reference her sorcerous powers and emphasize her recent divine ancestry; she will make the case that she falls outside of the typical societal expectations of a noblewoman given this unique set of traits. This is a decidedly risky approach, given that witches are typically feared and misunderstood in the Late Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. This approach will not change context bonuses, but may reveal dialogue options and plot hooks that would otherwise have to be uncovered through alternate methods. Male and female audience members will roll at Bo4.
BALLSY
>>
>>5657975
>>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).
>>
>>5658105

>hit ‘em with the Dionysian Frankencense

You could, but important note - the DF reduces inhibitions more than it provides good vibes. If half the dinner party is super pissed off and you apply the DF, you might start a civil war in Thessaly.

>hit ‘em with the Lethes’ Draft

We don’t have any prepared LD on hand. Anyways you’d need like 10+ doses for all of the dinner guests.
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).
This is our best chance..... I think
>>
>>5658258
>you might start a civil war in Thessaly
Now if only we had been able to get that one other fellow to come to this party. Actually, how many troops can everybody in our neighborhood field?
In the 1st thread there was mention how Achilles was heading off with 2,500 men, a 'sixth' of the northern army, so that would mean 15,000 men total. I may not be the most educated on this era, but isn't that a huge amount considering the population of the world at that time?
>>
>>5658286
This is myth mixed with history so far, so i am not sure there will be the same numbers. Up to Lesches (i don't mind having bigger numbers honestly or less).
Anyway, from 2 thread (i am not counting levies or allies they can call or mercs they can recruit remember that. I would expect Damachides to have a few war chariots and cavalry, say like 3 or 10. Or he might be working towards getting them. There is no mention of things like scouts, spies or other military units in the first general report of the noble houses. So it might be very wise to do a more in depth look to our neighbours) :

Aristonax, son of Euryalodon, and his wife, Ianthousa: Directly to the east, Aristonax is a man in his 50s
300 spearmen with poor-to-moderate training – he favors numbers over quality, generally.

Seisames, son of Prothis, and his wife, Egeria: Directly to your southeast, Seisames is young at age 25
Similar to our house

Lyciboeus, nephew of Sporadean King, and his wife, Mardokia: To the south
His troops would be better described as a thousand well-equipped enthusiastic amateurs than professional soldiers

Podageus, son of Hereres, and Melaneira: To the southwest
troops are relatively well-trained and equipped – he commands about 400 spears

Damachides, cousin of Guneus and his second wife, Charima: To the west
Damachides commands a large army of well-trained Thessalian spearmen – Iudas believes he may command close to 2,000 spears.
>>
>>5658286

I don’t remember all of the numbers off-hand (check my previous posts in the beginning of the thread, I think I did provide general troop estimates for most of the local oikoi) but my general recollection is that our corner of Thessaly has about 4,000 spearmen (or at least guys can hold a spear) divvied up between houses. Damachides has like 2k troops at his command and I think Lyciboeus has like 1k.

However, the local oikoi don’t represent all of Thessaly, only one corner of it, so there are additional oikoi outside of your immediate neighborhood.

I’m also factoring in that Peleus would need to keep a substantial number of his own troops and the troops of his sworn lords locally in Thessaly to fend off the barbaroi and also dissuade invasion from Agamemnon’s people. Homer’s characterization of Peleus is that he is a paranoid asshole so I would personally doubt that he would overcommit forces to Agamemnon’s little project.

Tl;dr - I agree with your estimate, Peleus probably has like 15k to 20k spearmen either directly or indirectly under his command. That being said, troop quality is highly variable and summoning them all to one location would leave Thessaly undefended, only some fraction of them could be committed to operations.
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will obliquely reference her sorcerous powers and emphasize her recent divine ancestry; she will make the case that she falls outside of the typical societal expectations of a noblewoman given this unique set of traits. This is a decidedly risky approach, given that witches are typically feared and misunderstood in the Late Bronze Age of Ancient Greece. This approach will not change context bonuses, but may reveal dialogue options and plot hooks that would otherwise have to be uncovered through alternate methods. Male and female audience members will roll at Bo4.
>>
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>>5658258
>you might start a civil war in Thessaly.
If we weren't so weak that might be an idea
>>
>>5657975
>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).
Would be fine if we do go full sorceress at the go though
>>
>>5657975
>>Deianira will emphasize her break from tradition – that noblewomen should be treated more fairly by society, that she should be treated as if she was a nobleman, that leadership of an oikos is her right by blood, and that she will confidently lead the house of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity. This approach may lead to a more favorable reaction by the somewhat downtrodden noblewomen (female audience members roll at Bo3, instead of Bo4).
>>
Well, looks like we're gonna be pissing off the men in particular with this vote.
>>
>>5658810
That's ok, our charisma stat will blow them away.

But most importantly.. did we wear the latest minoan fashion?
>>
>>5658845
I dunno man. They might get some serious boni because we're basically saying "I don't have to follow your rules because I am breaking your rules". Basically just a straight fuck you. I don't see why anyone would pick to try and get an in with the chicks anyway. It's not like they actually have any real power. Their husbands can still just tell them to shut the fuck up and ignore their advice at any point.
>>
Rolled 2 (1d2)

vote tally

I'm a witch, bitches

>>5658072
>>5658105
>>5658186
>>5658194
>>5658422
>>5658135 (I'm counting shapeshifting anon's vote since he was kind enough to link his prior post and his grammar is...distinctive)

GRRLPOWER

>>5658101
>>5658133
>>5658198
>>5658267
>>5658580
>>5658613

---

are we really deadlocked again?!? someone triple-check me. I'm rolling a d2 to determine which path Deianira takes assuming that I had accurately counted the votes.

I'm in the process of mocking up everyone's character sheets, but it's taking longer than I thought to create 10 sheets for our audience guests - we'll be rolling for Deianira's pitch versus the audience reactions tonight but the actual update will come out tomorrow night.

Also, you should all also know that my copy of the Iliad arrived by mail recently, and /lit/ plans to have a bookclub thread for this starting on 05/10...
>>
>>5658868

Alright, assuming that I didn't mess up the count:

>Deianira emphasizing a break from tradition is now locked in.

Female audience members will be rolling Bo3 to defend, modified by each women's particular stat sheet. Male audience members will be rolling Bo4 to defend, modified by each man's particular stat sheet.

I'll post a grid for each audience member's stat bonuses so you can all see that no QM fuckery is afoot when the rolls come in.

>>5658855

>why bother influencing the women, they are powerless

Hera, Aphrodite and Demeter would beg to differ, anon
>>
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>>5658868
Welp, looks like pissing off the people with the real power is come to pass. Hopefully this won't be an absolute nightmare.

I honestly thought it was 5-6 but I guess if you count the guy who very much needs to learn how to properly vote kek it is 6-6.

>Also, you should all also know that my copy of the Iliad arrived by mail recently, and /lit/ plans to have a bookclub thread for this starting on 05/10...
Right on brother.

>>5658878
It's not that women are powerless, it's that they are oft unheard. I think Odysseus and Priam are the only two people who regularly heed the advice of their women around this time. And I do mean regularly and not just occasionally. Also using only goddesses as example isn't really great, because despite Nira being closer than these other ladies, she is quite explicitly not a deity. A better example would be the Amazons, but that's on the other side of the bay as it were so none of these men would probably give a shit about that idea.
>>
>>5658884

Valid counterpoints, anon, I only meant to reference that sometimes the gods of Olympus have used women or wives to fuck over various heroes, etc, etc
>>
>>5658868
>10 sheets
>bo3
>bo4
Uh, how many rolls will that be altogether including Nora’s?
>>
>>5658895

A fucking lot of them, that's for sure. Figuring this shit out is basically equivalent to an update post...

Anyways, almost done. Will call for rolls in a few minutes.
>>
>>5658891
That's fair. But surely they wouldn't do any shenanigans right at the foot of the big rock, would they? :^)
>>
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Rolled 4, 3, 10, 1, 1, 13, 16, 7, 1, 2, 10, 10, 6, 13, 12, 17, 9, 9, 3, 18, 5, 13, 19, 19, 11 = 232 (25d20)

wew lads, I think I've got it. Friendly reminder that in Homer's TWQ system, offensive CHA rolls by the MC are defended by WILL rolls. Also, please note that a successful roll here won't instantaneously overturn centuries of misogyny in Ancient Greece, but instead create the possibility of dialogue on a "equal" setting. Likewise, failure here does not automatically equate to open war, but will negatively impact your standing and reduce or eliminate meaningful cooperation.

I'm rolling for 6 men, Bo4 in this order:

Aristonax (+0 bonus)

Gerasimos (son of Aristonax, -1 bonus)

Lyciboeus (+2 bonus)

Podageus (+1 bonus)

Seisames (+1 bonus)

Cnotheos (-1 bonus)

And for five women, Bo3 in this order:

Ianthousa (+0 bonus)

Egeria (+2 bonus)

Mardokia (+0 bonus)

Eriboea (Mardokia's handmaiden, -2 bonus)

Melaneira (+4 WILL bonus, extra +2 bonus = +6 total to due relevant trait)

--

I'm also rolling a separate and final d20 (with +3 bonus) for reasons :)


>At this point, I would like to call two brave anons forward to roll two dice+1d20+7. Please note that I will be applying the extra +2 Witch's Aspect bonus (for a total of +9) to the male audience rolls, but this extra bonus does not apply to the women.

>I'll post again with an outcomes table for ease of reference.
>>
Rolled 13, 12, 1, 8, 19, 13, 11, 16, 4, 2, 11, 19, 14, 17, 7 = 167 (15d20)

>>5658931

Hmm, look like 4chan caps you at 20 rolls. Here's another 15 to complete...
>>
Rolled 3 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

>>5658932
Yeah, can only roll so many at once.

>>5658931
>all those wasted 1's because they have so many dice to roll
Those bastards. I'll show them. Show them a poor roll that is.
>>
>Aristonax
>10
>Gerasimos
>16
>Lyciboeus
>10
>Podageus
>17
>Seisames
>18
>Cnotheos
>19
>Ianthousa
>12
>Egeria
>19
>Mardokia
>16
>Eriboea
>11
>Melaneira
>19
>Mystery
>7
Oh gods.
>>
Rolled 1 + 9 (1d20 + 9)

>>5658931
At least this is better than us having to roll a 2d20 against every one of these dice. Still hurts
>>
Wait, are you asking us for two rolls of 1d20+7 and two rolls of 1d20+9?
>>
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>>5658941
I knew we should have gone full cackling scary witch. At least then we wouldn't seem like a random uppity woman and instead like a schizo.

>a 2d20 against every one of these dice. Still hurts
I mean, we did?
>>
Wait, I did my bonus roll backwards!

I need another dice+1d20+3 from the players against my 7.
>>
>>5658960
Well I ain't gonna do it. I roll like shit.
>>
Rolled 12 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5658960
>>
>going for the risky play
>not committing to full on danger zone sorceress
All failures are deserved.
>>
>>5658935
>>5658941

>Deianira rolls a 3 and 1 on the most important night of her life so far.

Bad news, anons

>>5658948

Only two rolls of 1d20+7 were needed, but I'm basically applying a +2 bonus to the rolls for the male audience members only.

>>5658937

This accounting looks more or less accurate, but you forgot to apply relevant bonuses. Please see below for a final tally of outcomes.

---

Male Outcomes (Deianira rolled a 12)

Aristonax = 10 vs 12 - marginal victory

Gerasimos = 15 vs 12 - marginal failure

Lyciboeus = 12 vs 12 - marginal victory (tie goes to Deianira)

Podageus = 18 vs 12 - moderate failure

Seisames = 19 vs 12 - moderate failure

Cnotheos = 18 vs 12 - moderate failure (you bastard)

---

Female Outcomes: (Deianira rolled a 10)

Ianthousa = 13 vs 10 - marginal failure

Egeria = 21 vs 10 - significant failure

Mardokia = 16 vs 10 - moderate failure

Eriboea = 9 vs 10 - marginal victory

Melaneira = 25 vs 10 - significant failure

Mystery Roll = 15 vs 7 - moderate success (wew lads, don't get too depressed just yet...)
>>
>>5658976
I feel you brother. But it is what it is.
>>
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>>5658978
>(wew lads, don't get too depressed just yet...)
That's my secret, Lesches. I'm always depressed.
>>
>>5658978

In summary - Deianira's speech goes badly, but she does have some takers (Aristonax, Lyciboeus, Eriboea). The dice have also chosen some interesting narrative directions for this. Don't forget that Deianira will have at least another chance to press her case or ask questions for both male and female guests. Also, there's at least one silver lining in the works...

Update will be up tomorrow night.
>>
>>5658979
You rolled the 3 anon. No amount of sorcery can fix that.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5658997
I had to punish anons for going against my grand designs. I will now roll an 11 to prove both my sorcerous mastery and you wrong. Not really, it'll be a shit roll again.
>>
>>5658978
Can we get a reroll on the 1? Anon rolled the wrong modifiers and didn't vote prior to the roll.
>>
>>5659018
Can we not do this? People voted to make this play putting their full trust in Deianira's ability to bullshit and the dice gods, having a reroll feels cheap.
To be fair anons voted the slightly more cautious route instead of going funny witch, but still.
>>
>>5659042
I'm just coping allright. I need that little sliver of hope.
>>
>>5659045
I understand fully, anon I'm still inhaling copium about Homer coming back.
>>
If we had worn an open gown we would've gotten a better bonus with men. Just saying.
>>
>>5659042
>anons voted slightly more cautious route
>after deadlocking with the actual more cautious route in the vote prior
bruh
>>
>>5659051
Both votes were tied, with the roll-off deciding we're going balls to the wall first then following that a slightly more cautious approach.
It's honestly pretty surprising, since I think a few of the IDs that wanted to reveal things went for the more cautious route when deciding how to reveal ourselves, and some of the IDs (myself included) that wanted to be cautious in the first place voted to go all out with witchcraft danger zone.
>>
>>5659128
The way I see it, if we're going to do something silly, we should go ALL IN. We were already putting ourselves at a huge disadvantage, no reason not to put it further, all things considered. I was really hoping we'd delay the reveal for time until we could get alliances. Even if they'd be cross it would still probably be a bit better than outright distrust like we got now. Of course, we still have a chance to salvage this. But hope is the first cobble on the road of disappointment as some say.
>>
>>5659131
Agreed on pretty much everything I even had the same reasoning for going in the sorceress zone kek
Interestingly enough, we might have (arguably only marginal) better luck with the men than the women with this, if the results are anything to go by.
>>
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>>5659138
The gods have a sense of humor don't they
>>
Well, lest we forget, we *are* playing a Trojan War subsidiary. Our hot diplo rolls had to end sometime. Here's hoping hobo man will help us out.
>>
>>5659479
Damn Tragedy luck.
>>
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Clearing your throat and pushing your anxieties, you begin your remarks with a somewhat-customary plea to Demeter:

Rich-haired cerulean Queen, giver-of-gifts and bringer-of-seasons, crowned with flowing radiance akin to waves of golden wheat – we send our earnest devotions to you, Δαμάτηρ…

Your prayer to Demeter is smooth, competent and delivered well – the words roll off your tongue effortlessly. Your voice rises in earnest praise of the goddess – truly, it has been through her blessings that your οἶκος has scratched out an existence in the foothills of Mount Olympus. You complete your initial prayers, arms outraised, and pause for a moment, no doubt cutting an impressive figure given your height and with flickering torchlight playing off your golden hair. Once completed, you turn your attentions to the true business of tonight’s Summons. Before you, the seated figures of the local nobility watch you attentively – to the right, you see graying, sturdy Aristonax, with his close-cropped hair and stern visage, watching you with the glittering eyes of a predator, and to the distant left, you see petite, doe-eyed Mardokia sitting primly.

Your anxiety suddenly swells as you take in the audience as a whole - you have never seen so many nobles together at once! - and you stutter out a welcome to them.

“Lords, La-ladies of Thessaly – you honor me with your presence to-tonight. I, Deianira Hippomedion, welcome you to the palace of Hippomedon to di-dine and drink – so that our φιλία may grow as friends and compatriots.” Already, you have a sinking feeling – the easy grace of your tongue is fading in the pressure of the moment. You are suddenly walking through heavy mud, rather than lightly stepping across cobblestones. Horror suddenly erupts within your mind, as you realize that you cannot precisely remember the eloquent turns of phrase that you had memorized in order to dissect the basic injustice of womanhood and cast doubt upon wisdom of prideful conflict between noblemen with some humor – your mind is empty! You had even planned a cutting remark about how the wars of princes and kings might be solved if a woman is simply given leave to make her own decisions – a unsubtle reference to the current standoff between Agamemnon, Paris and Helen, but in your distress, you cannot remember it at all. You soldier on as best you can under the circumstances, hoping that your physical appearance might carry you where your tongue cannot.

>lots more coming
>>
It was more fun than I though to write about Deianira spilling her spaghetti...

“You may notice that my brother, Nikandros Hippomedon, is not present with us here tonight. In remembrance of Πιστις, daimon of honesty, and in welcome of the friendship to come, I offer you the truth – he has answered the call of Agamemnon and to make what Kleos he can for himself and his household. While we cannot know the length of his absence, he has placed me in his stead, to lead the οἶκος of Hippomedon to wealth and prosperity into the future. As Zeus once consumed Metis, titan Goddess of good counsel, I have invited you all here thusly so that we might profit mutually from collaboration, and beat back the barbaroi to the west and north…” Even as you make this last analogy, you suddenly realize that it sounds bizarre out loud – Zeus famously consumed Metis, it sounds like you are planning to eat your neighbors tonight!

You try to stabilize with a somewhat rote accounting of your hopes for the coming year, and you watch as the noblemen of the dinner open their eyes wide in disbelief, as your initial statement becomes understood – you catch Seisames and Cnotheos react identically in confusion, despite their disparate appearances. Lyciboeus, who had previously been looking quite bored during your invocation to Demeter, leans forward with sudden interest, his scarred forehead coming out of the shadows. Aristonax’s bushy eyebrows rise in mild surprise, and you catch him passing a questioning glance to his wife, Ianthousa, who frowns in response. You dare a look at the women’s table in between breaths, and you see with building dread that fearsome Melaneira has locked her eyes upon your face - even in the flickering torchlight, you can see veins pulsing across her forehead in visible rage, and her mouth is drawn tightly into a flat line. The rest of women look upon you in a strange mix of pity and horror, with the sole exception of Eriboea, beautiful handmaiden to Lyciboeus – she stares at you wearing a cat-like smile, seemingly unaware of the larger reaction. Over Eriboea's shoulder, you see the vagrant standing within the walls of your palace, but outside the courtyard - clearly, he has stopped to hear your remarks as well, despite lacking a formal invitation.

Unwilling to lose momentum, and at this point, simply hoping to conclude your remarks without further damage, you conclude somewhat lamely with the following:

“I call upon each of you to honor Δικη, goddess of Justice, as we build a fairer Thessaly together!”

The silence that falls inside the courtyard is heavy, awkward, torturous and lasts almost forever – to you, who have been blessed with beauty and a relatively quick wit, it is especially brutal.
>>
>>5659963
>despite lacking a formal invitation.
I thought he did wind up getting the big invite? Am I misremembering?
>>
You realize your mistake– while you are charming, personable, and delightful in individual conversations – these skills are not directly transferred to oratory. What is playful in light discussion is presumptuous in a speech – a small error in judgment between friends is a joke, but amongst strangers, it is a sign of possible imbecility. Realizing that none of the attendees will leap to your defense or answer your call verbally, you reach out desperately and at random to Lyciboeus, feigning genuine interest, asking –

“Lord Lyciboeus, if you please – I am told you are known in the court of Peleus for your steeds, what can you tell us of him and of Phthia? What have you heard of Peleus' son, dauntless Achilles - has he answered the call of Agamemnon?" As you ask, you give the signal to begin dining, and slowly, the guests remember that they are sitting before a sumptous feast of grains, vegetables, expertly roasted goat and mutton.

You seem to have chosen well, because Lyciboeus seems to relish the opportunity to launch into his dealings with the local King - like all wealthy men, he seems to be convinced of his superiority and enjoys regaling others with personal tales and stories. Chatter picks us amongst the other guests as he continues, peppering his stories with asides meant for various audiences members - the man is a natural at keeping a crowd's attention.

You keep a warm smile plastered over your face, even if you desperately plot your next move - there must be a way to salvage this feast!

---

>Who should Deianira speak with next in a 1v1 conversation? Deianira might choose to persuade someone who was not receptive to her welcome speech, attempt to gather information or uncover secrets, or alternately begin the process to build a true friendship with one of the nobility.

I'll provide some likely targets below:

>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?

>Aristonax, who currently chatting quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos?

>Eriboea, Lyciboeus' handmaiden, who of the women, seemed most receptive to your opening remarks?

>Melaneira, who even now, is throwing you glances of white-hot fury in your direction?

>Someone else? Write-ins are encouraged!
>>
>>5659974

Ah, shit - you're right, anon. Good catch.

>I'm replacing this statement: "Over Eriboea's shoulder, you see the vagrant standing within the walls of your palace, but outside the courtyard - clearly, he has stopped to hear your remarks as well, despite lacking a formal invitation."

>With this statement: "Over Cnoethos' shoulder, you see the vagrant seated in a clean, white cloak - in the shadowed light of the courtyard, his features are thankfully somewhat obscured. Despite having been fed and watered quite well previously in the day, he is setting into the feast before him with little hesitation."
>>
>>5659983
>Speak with Podageus, and of this debt he owes our house
I am really curious. And hopefully we can get him in a better mood despite the cold opening.

>>5659988
Righto. Bum boy is the hungry caterpillar.
>>
>>5659983
>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?
>>
>>5659983
>Speak with Podageus, and of this debt he owes our house
Oh god the spaghetti, it's slipping out of the pockets. If we go by the shared luck pool theory, this must be close to time Nikon was going full /tg/
>>
>>5659983
>Speak with Podageus, and of this debt he owes our house
>>
>>5659983
>Aristonax, who currently chatting quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos?
Love the autism lol. Very funnily written.
>>
>>5659983
>Eriboea, Lyciboeus' handmaiden, who of the women, seemed most receptive to your opening remarks?
The house of hippodemon truly produces the finest dorks of Thessaly !

jk aside, we should work towards getting some private jobs with the nobles here. Offer to make potions in exchange for a whole load of cash, we are in dire need of cash.
The situation for the feast is not entirely salvageable, first impressions are everything. So is better to concentrate on the ones that were already amiable toward our house, and let's try to be friends if not allies with them.
Lastly i imagine we can still use the knowledge found of the monsters camp. They should be all interested in destroying them. We could do the witch reveal, but now i prefer it to use it in private when we offer our witch services.
>>
>>5659983
>Speak with Podageus, and of this debt he owes our house

Seems a good choice as any with the added benefit that since melaneira is his wife perhaps he can smooth things over for us before we enter a confrontation with her.

And even if we fumble or worse seduce him what's she going to do hate us harder?
>>
>>5659983
>>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?
>>
~7 hours to go before vote cutoff at 8pm!

Lurkers, now’s your chance to have a say!
>>
>>5658135
>Speak with Podageus, and of this debt he owes our house
>>
>>5659983
>Speak with Podageus, and of this debt he owes our house
>>
>>5660564

Give me another post to prove that you are a real human, anon.

Also Homer, you beautiful man, I know you’re reading. Send me an email! Give us a sign of your presence!

Do you require a sacrifice of 100 white heifers before you will reveal yourself? Say the word and I’m on it, senpai…
>>
Pat-a-goose

>>5659992
>>5660062
>>5660144
>>5660241
>>5660581

Lyciboeus

>>5659994
>>5660461

Aristonax

>>5660179

Eriboea

>>5660239

>Podageus wins! Update will be out before 12pm EST
>>
While Lyciboeus enchants most of the nobility, you take the initiative to entreat Podageus – he of the broad shoulders and rolling laughter. You remember Iudas’ report well – he is wealthy, and said to be a gambler, a comedian and obsessed with the breeding of race-horses. You summon your knife-like will and this time, use it to carve the residual embarrassment of your mediocre address out of your thoughts. You can feel your face, previously hot with shame, return to normal. You’ve never seen yourself flushed, of course, but you imagine that your face was previously as red as carmine dye – your dignity only partially spared by the dim lighting of the courtyard torches. You must regain control of the evening – it is only a failure if you fail to take advantage!

Scanning the guests quickly, you find that Podageus, is staring at Lyciboeus with open loathing – he can barely sit still as Lyciboeus rattles on – Iudas’ report seems to have been quite accurate on all counts. You nevertheless decide to risk his anger and speak with him – perhaps he may welcome the distraction?

“Lord Podageus, if I may – I was intrigued by the response of your messenger, that the οἶκος of Podageus remembers the debt that is owed to the House of Hippomedon.” He stares at you first with irritation, but his temper visibly cools as he meets your gaze – you have seemingly caught him by surprise with your query and he stares at you somewhat blankly. You clear your thought and politely continue – “My dear brother Nikandros never spoke of you, Lord Podageus – I am certain that he would have told me of any chance encounter. Did you know my father, before he marched with King Adrastus against Thebes?”

His brown eyes, hard as polished oak, meet with yours. “If your father had not seen fit to educate you, Lady Deianira, of your οἶκος’ debts and profits, then why should l?” A small smirk appears on his face and he speaks no further, daring you to response. Internally, you hiss with displeasure – will you have to fight for every inch with these “countrymen”?

>How does Deianira respond?

>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)

>Meet his gaze, will against will, and force him to crumble? (WILL)

>Barter with Podageus, perhaps by offering one of your potions or cures? (Deianira currently has the Hippomedon’s Essence and two charges of Dionysian Frankencense)

>Gamble him for the story through an archery contest?

>Something else?
>>
>>5660828
>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
>>
>>5660828
>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
Hope we get an advantage due to being in our house and a guest
>>
>>5660828
>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
>>
>>5660828
>>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
Surely he would not be the type to besmirch his honor by leaving a debt unpaid. And surely he is not so cruel as to deny a daughter the story of her father's glories. Surely.
>>
>>5660828
>>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
>>
>>5660828
>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
>>
>>5660828
>>Attempt to persuade him, as daughter of Hippomedon, to tell his story? (CHA)
meh
>>
Rolled 16, 7, 3 + 1 = 27 (3d20 + 1)

>unanimous for diplomance attempt

Well, I don’t see the point of waiting for additional votes (we usually get about 10-12).

This will be a CHA vs WILL contest between Deianira and Podageus. Normally she would have a slight advantage given that she’s at home but she just delivered a mediocre speech and Podageus wasn’t buying it. FYI, if you spend oikos points to improve your palace and estates in the future, it will provide further mechanical bonuses to these social rolls when Deianira is at home (along with other benefits).

Give me two rolls of dice+1d20+9 to beat Podageus’ WILL! I’m providing Deianira’s full WITCH social bonus given that Melaneira is currently occupied with Lyciboeus and won’t immediately notice you flirting with her man.
>>
Rolled 9 + 9 (1d20 + 9)

>>5661155
Maybe the speech was bad because it was a part where Nikon was rolling well, so he used up the pool
>>
Rolled 11 + 9 (1d20 + 9)

>>5661155
>>
>>5661184
>luck pool
>Nikon successfully chats up a river nymph
>Nira barely passes medicine check
>Nikon gets yelled at by Peleus
>Nira diplomances a raging centaur
>Nikon loses his chariot
>Nira successfully dissuades the rapacious satyr
>Nikon fails will roll and gets indebted to Thetis
>Nira tracks the centaur camp down
>Nikon beats Achilles at petteia in front of a Royal court
>Nira spills her spaghetti in front of all her neighbors.
Two sides of a coin. All hilarious.
>>
>>5661187

>20 vs 17 - marginal success!

Not Deianira’s best performance but still, it gets the job done and now I get to do something fun!

>>5661208

It’s pretty hysterical how well this theory is holding up. We’re due for an impressive victory at the end of the month since Nikon got absolutely shredded by Diomedes.
>>
>>5661240
It's also funny because it's our first running joke.
Nikon had rocks, failing upwards, chrisposting and river hate, Nira can have the pool.
>>
>>5661253

I’m also sort of eagerly awaiting further social rolls between Deianira and mortal men - she seems much more prone to drop her spaghetti in front of regular dudes than when confronting rapey monsters…
>>
>>5661253
Thinking about it, the exposed breasts clothing should also count, since that anon posts it every vote His dedication is impressive and commendable
>>
>>5661259

To be frank I’m surprised that there’s a seemingly endless supply of these to post, lol
>>
>>5661268
That's true, there's so many. He must have a folder full of images primed and ready.
>inb4 he runs out and just start drawing new ones
>>
>>5661273
I fully expect that in the future somebody will post a commission picture of deianira in one of those dresses
>>
>>5661317

Honestly would be cool to have a commissioned drawing of Deianira saying farewell to Nikandros as he departs by chariot.
>>
>>5661259
I am honored anon

>>5661268
I was as surprised at first

>>5661317
That would be my dream :DD
>>
File: 20230319_180238.jpg (3.92 MB, 5664x4248)
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>>5661338
Well i can contribute a depiction of hippomedon being swallowed by the ground with his chariot
>>
>>5661403
Isn't the one that got swallowed by the ground Amphiraus, the prophet one? Dad stripped away from his gear by Ismenus and shot by theban archers
>>
>>5661403
>>5661404

Excellent foreshadowing for tonight’s update, anon.

>>5661404

Yes, my understanding is that Hippomedon went on an aristeia and murdered a river’s god’s son. Then he got dunked in a river and washed up on shore to get pincushioned by a million arrows.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (4.14 MB, 5664x4248)
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>>5661404
>>5661421
My bad i wasn't sure

I can't find a good pic for the departure.
But here's Deianira welcoming Nikos home


(Trigger warning)
>>
>>5661240
>I get to do something fun!
Very concerning.

>>5661258
>she seems much more prone to drop her spaghetti in front of regular dudes than when confronting rapey monsters…
>tfw because she is used to dealing with the borderline autistic brother she handles the socially inept and outliers with zero issue
>>
>>5661445
Perhaps writing "trigger warning" may seem more serious than i meant to be in jest, expecially on 4chan, but to my defense the wine i had imbibed when i made that post was quite good.
>>
>>5661618
Dionysus strikes again
>>
>>5661624
Did someone say Dionysus?
>>
Lord Podageus’ words hang in the air, clearly meant to dissuade you from further discourse. Of course, you have surmounted greater challenges than these – after all, only a few days ago, you soothed the raging heart of a Κένταυρος with your voice alone. Without hesitation, you adopt a pleading look, your forehead creased in mock concern.

“Ah, but Lord Podageus, surely you would not deny a faithful and loving daughter of a tale regarding her noble father? I was but a child when my father answered the call of Adrastus, his uncle and King of Argos – I would treasure well any memory you feel fit to share? A man of your wealth and generosity can surely spare a few brief moments of education to the daughter of his fallen compatriot?” You lay your charm on thick, here, keeping your lips parted expectantly, and watch as your honeyed words have the desired effect.

Podageus’ eyes, previously shining with the hard gleam of irritation, soften a bit with remembrance. His eyes dart to you and to the empty chair to your right, where your brother Νίκων should be residing. His mouth works a bit in hesitation, an internal argument playing out across his broad face, before finally, he seems to come to a decision. He shakes his head, his great mane of black hair flowing gently, and resignedly, he addresses you once more -

“Lady Deianira, I recount to you this tale in pity – a woman whose father’s spirit was cast into Hades’ domain through the merciless revenge of the gods, and whose brother seeks out fame and profit with no regard to her own safety. Listen well, and I will speak of the debt owed to your οἶκος..”

”I was eldest-born, of Hereres, but my father had two more sons also, Pheronactes and Pylenios. In the year before before Adrastus, King of Argos, summoned the Seven, I was amongst the crowds of Phthia, for the races...”

>HIPPOMEDON MEMORY UNLOCKED!

>more coming
>>
Rolled 4, 8 = 12 (2d20)

The thunder of hooves fills the air, and your heart hammers within your chest.

In your rage, you feel that Zeus himself pushes you and your chariot along the dusty path, only your superior skill keeping you safe. You whip the reins fiercely and your well-bred steeds charge forward, ever faster. The hills and plains flash by you, but you can scarcely pay a moment’s notice, concentrated as you on speed, ever more speed! The horses that pull your chariot are of inferior stock, but you are a masterful racer - you can extract every effort from the beasts with your expert guidance. You are no longer Podageus - you are Hyperion, swooping down upon Phaethon in rage and terror...

Your criminal brothers, Pheronactes and Pylenios, drive your stolen chariot recklessly over the fields and paths before you, weaving dangerously from left to right. You howl in despair that it has come to this, but you only narrowly avoided the poisoned blade in Phthia – but only they could have known your whereabouts, your habits in the racing quarter. When you confronted them with the conspiracy, they fled the city, speeding home to the palace of your father, Hereres, where they might seek safety amongst his robes, like children.

You will not abide it – your father, Hereres, has ever favored them, and will halt you from your recompense. They will never reach the halls of your father.
You watch as Pheronactes flails at the reins, but his technique is poor – his pacing sloppy. You are gaining! Pylenios, standing beside him, spins about, his face a mask of terror, and watch as he arms himself with bow and arrow. His first several shots are completely wide – firing backwards, he has no sense of the terrain – the chariot’s vibrations interfering with his aim. As you draw closer, you watch as he carefully measures out his shot, and lets fly an arrow aimed at your breast!

Before you have time to flinch, a massive arm bearing a shield sweeps before you and scatters the arrow to the side – you only barely manage to right the chariot’s crazy tilting, as Hippomedon settles on his heels besides you. You meet the eye of the bearded giant beside you, and he grimly shouts over the noise of the hoofbeats and whinnies, “An unpleasant business, murder between brothers! Let us be done with this as swiftly as we can!” He spits to the side in disgust.

“Bring me closer, Podageus! Let me bring them down!” Hippomedon bends low for a moment, and fumbles at his feet. He rises once more with a handful of bronze-tipped spears, and grinning blackly, you scream to your brothers, “You cannot outrun us! Turn about now and we shall spare you!”

In response, Pheronactes wails with grief and whips ever more frantically at your prized steeds. It will not be enough.

>give me two dice+d20+5, as Podageus is an expert chariot racer and is attempting to close the gap to his brothers.
>>
Rolled 20 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5661652
>>
>>5661655

Fuck, Podageus is unchained lads
>>
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Rolled 18 + 55 (1d20 + 55)

>>5661652
Can't beat that roll, still.
>>
>>5661657
You didn't see an extra 5 nuh uh
>>
>12 vs 25 – significant victory!

Your brother’s steeds are tiring – in their inexperience, they have pushed the horses too hard over the hills, for too little benefit. Even in your rage, you were careful to preserve your own horses' strength, letting up on the reins as you crested the hills and pushing them forwards again when the paths descended from the hilltops. Your hands grip the reins with intensity, and your legs thrum with the effort of remaining standing in the chariot, as it bounds over the rocky path. Already, you can taste the coppery tang of blood in your mouth, and your mane of black hairs flies out behind you given your great speed.

You steadily gain upon your brother’s chariot, and before Hippomedon has a chance to throw his spear, you cast a hand aside to his shoulder, yelling, “Wait! We will approach them by the side!” Hippomedon’s eyes are cold – he shares none of your volcanic anger, but his displeasure is clearly marked nonetheless. He does not speak, but nods, and adopts a crouching posture, couching his spear with a viselike grip and holding his shield steady before himself.

Your brothers, idiots as they are, do not grasp their danger until it is far too late. Pylenios, watching you approach, seems to believe that your approach serves him as well, and does not fire upon you with his bow – he clearly aims to strike at you or Hippomedon from the closest range possible. With the passing of only a few breaths, your chariot streams past your brother’s, and at the critical moment, Hippomedon thrusts forward with his spear into the wheel of the chariot. The crack of splintering wood reports loudly, and shards of the chariot wheel flash out in all directions, as the chariot itself violently rocks to its side. Pylenios is thrown off entirely, screaming in terror, managing to keep his bow in his grasp. Your head whips about as you track his position as he tumbles to the grassy earth, even as you fiercely draw back on the reins to arrest your progress.

As the wheels stutter and skid to a stop, you launch out of the chariot holding one of Hippomedon’s spears, unarmored – you hadn’t the time to properly outfit yourself at the beginning of this chase. Hippomedon does the same, although as is typical, bears his shield emblazoned with Typhon, the terrible giant, spawn of Gaia and Tartarus.

You and he glance at one another, hardly friends, but now partners in this mission of vengeance. In the distance, you see Pylenios stand falteringly, his bow in hand. Hippomedon charges off after him without a second thought, again holding his shield before himself. His footsteps are heavy and thunderous, but propel him forwards rapidly, a boulder come alive.

You, in turn, spin to face your youngest brother, Pheronactes – most alike to you in physique and build, he is armed only with a xiphos – a short sword. You prowl forwards and you see the terror in his eyes – he knows that he is overmatched…
>>
Rolled 17, 8 + 1 = 26 (2d20 + 1)

>>5661695

Okay, I think we'll need some rolling here, I'm basically interpreting the combat system that Homer developed as follows. I'm a noob trying to understand Homer's system, so bear with me:

>Podageus and his brother Pheronactes are squaring off in melee combat, so we'll need to roll for initiative. This is an AGI vs AGI battle.

I need three dice+1d20 for Podageus's initiative, Podageus basically has a significant reach advantage against his brother given that he has a spear. I'll be rolling for Pheronactes...

>Simultaneously, Hippomedon is charging Pylenios, with his shield raised. Pylenios gets a single ranged attack on Hippomedon before they close to melee range.

I need two dice+2d20+5 (for Pylenios' half-assed shot against Hippomedon), and then an additional dice+3d20+6 for Hippomedon's blocking.
>>
>>5661702

Shit, I meant "give me two rolls of dice+1d20+5 for Pylenios' archery attack" and then "give me three rolls of dice+1d20+6" for Hippomedon's blocking.

It's late, apologies all.
>>
Rolled 7 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5661702
>>
Rolled 18 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5661702
>>
I might be half remembering the pdf from the last thread, but wasn’t sword users fighting spear suffer from a -2 modifier to rolls?
>>
Rolled 15 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5661702
Today has been a busy day. Good thing papa cannot die here.
>>
Rolled 18 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5661702
>>
Rolled 7 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5661702
>>
Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5661702
> dice+1d20 for Podageus's initiative
>>
Alright, to summarize this hodge-podge...

>>5661755

You are completely correct, anon - sword users have a -2 to-hit and a -2 to damage rolls against spearmen per Homer's posts at thread #2 start. Noted!

>>5661712
>>5661720

Pheronactes initiative = 18 - 2 (sword penalty) = 16

>>5661956
missing
missing

Podageus initiative = [bold]I still need another two rolls of dice+1d20 rolls![/bold]

>>5661825
>>5661844

Pylenios' Archery Attack = 23

>>5661825
>>5661844
missing

Hippomedon's Shield Wall = [bold]I still need another roll of dice+1d20+6![/bold]

----

In retrospect, I should have probably called for these rolls independently. Thanks for your patience anons.
>>
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Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>5661969
>>
Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>5661969
>>
>>5662043
Podageus is really being driven by his rage
>>
Rolled 5 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5661969
Bit surprised you had us roll the enemy’s archery
>>
Wait, another anon rolled the third for hippo already. >>5661880
>>
Thanks for rolling gents, I’ll have an update later tonight. Looks like Podageus and ox-shouldered Hippomedon are in great position to wreck the young brothers.
>>
Rolled 19, 1, 15, 15 - 1 = 49 (4d20 - 1)

Pheronactes initiative = 18 - 2 (sword penalty) = 16

>>5661956
>>5661974
>>5662043

Podageus initiative = 20

Podageus wins initiative!

>>5661712
>>5661720

Pylenios' Archery Attack = 23

>>5661825
>>5661844
>>5661880

Hippomedon's Shield Wall = 24

Hippomedon marginally blocks arrow!

--

>Alright, now Podageus rolls to attack Pheronactes, this is another AGI vs AGI context. My first two rolls will be for Pheronactes dodging. I've deducted a -2 penalty to Pheronactes because he is spearless.

>Hippomedon blocks the arrow from Pylenios (who is fumbling around with his xiphos atm) and charges to him directly, so Hippomedon auto-wins initiative. My second two rolls will be for Pylenios dodging (his spearless penalty and dodge bonus cancel out, so we'll ignore the -1 penalty).

---

I'll need two dice+1d20 rolls to determine Podageus's attack success.

I will also need two dice+1d20+3 rolls to determine Hippomedon's attack success (he gets a +1 AGI bonus and a +2 spearmen ship bonus)
>>
Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5662384
>>
Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>5662384
I'm not one to usually roll but i woke up anyway
>>
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Rolled 18, 18 + 1 = 37 (2d20 + 1)

>>5662387
>>5662468

>18 vs 18 - Podageus wins!

Good work, lads. Podageus connects on his attack!

Now I need another two rolls of dice+1d20+2 to beat Pheronactes' very desperate blocking.
>>
Rolled 2 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5662491
>>
Rolled 19 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5662491
I just keep waking up tonight
>>
Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5662384
>two dice+1d20+3 rolls to determine Hippomedon's attack success
>>
Wonder when the wound and hit comes into play
>>
Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5662384
>>
>>5662549
>>5662555

>21 vs 19

Damn, the brothers are not holding out on each other here. Podageus wins!

Now I need a dice+1d5+2 to determine how much damage Podageus applies to Pheronactes.

>>5662618

Thanks for rolling but I still need two more dice+1d20+3 rolls for Hippo,edon's attack!
>>
>>5662730
Were >>5662618 and >>5662663 not the two rolls needed for Hippomedon’s attack?
>>
>>5662752

Eh, we do actually need one more roll of dice+1d20+3

>>5662618

this one counts (and I missed it previously, thank you anon)

>>5662663

This one does not (I have been throwing out rolls with incorrect modifiers)
>>
Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5662753
Go go hippo!
>>
>>5662757
>Three 8s in a row
Really is Nira and Nikon’s dad
>>
>>5662757
>>5662759

>11 vs 15 - Hippomedon attack failure

Thanks anon, looks like Hippomedon’s bull rush fails against the nimbler Pylenios.

Would you be willing to roll one dice+1d5+2 for Podageus attack damage?

This would conclude round 1 of combat and I’ll write an update from there (whew, thanks for everyone’s patience, I’m hoping to develop competency in Homer’s combat system)
>>
Rolled 3 + 2 (1d5 + 2)

>>5662764
Have you furloughed the wound rolls? I ask because armor and shield based on last thread’s equipment list seem to have an affect on wound rolls, +1 and +2 to them.
>>
>>5662769

No, I haven't forgotten about the armor bonus to wound rolls, but in this case, Podageus, Pheronactes and Pylenios are all totally unarmored given the nature of their flight from Phthia. Hippomedon has his family shield strapped on, but he isn't wearing his armor either (but his excellent shield does provide a good blocking bonus and a good wound-defense bonus).

Let me know if you interpreted Homer's system differently though, we didn't actually get too many combat encounters with Nikandros in full arms and armor against an equally-equipped opponent.

>Podageus deals 5 wounds to Pheronactes
>Pheronactes now has 8/13 wounds and has a -4 debuff to all future STR/AGI rolls, if I interpreted Homer's system correctly.
>>
>>5662779

Actually I think the first 10% of damage doesn’t effect combat performance per Homer’s description of the Capaneus paternal trait in thread 1, so Pheronactes only has a -3 debuff to his STR and AGI.
>>
>>5662779
I appreciate you trying to use Homer’s system, but I feel the need to point out something:
>13 health
>base health at 10 con is 8
>Nikon had 10 health at 14 con (+2)
What are they feeding these guys? Does this man have 17 con for +5?
>>
>>5662791

Goddamnit, you’re right. Apologies all for my rookie QM failings, I probably shouldn’t post first thing in the morning. Thanks for your crosschecking anon.

Pheronactes has a CON of 13, which translates to 9 wounds total, not 13.

So anyways, Pheronactes now has 4/9 wounds, which again translates to a -4 debuff to STR and AGI.
>>
>>5662813
You are trying to reverse engineer Homer's system, so a few mistakes along the way are to be expected.
>>
>>5662813
It's alright. Through some fingaling, here's Homer's pdf from last thread with some of the combat mechanics
>>
>>5662825
That didn't work. So here's https://archived.moe/qst/thread/5610431/, you can just access the mechanics pdf from there.
>>
>>5662828
Let me try
The addendum makes me think he was already tired since the beginning of the second thread
>>
>>5662828

Excellent, thanks.

It’s a shame we never got to see combat between hostile phalanxes though, I got the sense that Homer had a system for this that we never saw utilized.
>>
>>5662831
tired of some anons complaining.
Ok, enough gossiping behind his back.
>>
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Helios, sun of Hyperion, is driving across the highest point of the sky. The air is still and hot. Your mouth is dry, coated with dust of the roads of Thessaly, but you care for none of these things. Your eye are tightly focused on the blade of Pheronactes – a gift from your mutual father, Hereres, on his fourteenth birthday, and on his eyes – brown, and much like your own in appearance. You will soon see the life drain from them, and you will scream out in triumph as it happens
.
You have been carefully advancing, spear at the ready, stepping carefully – Pheronactes, perhaps lighter on his feet, has skittered this way and that, attempting to draw you out of your position. A futile effort, as you both well know. The seconds pass like hours, each of you preparing to do the necessary, unthinkable act of fratricide. Almost by chance, you wheel suddenly to the left, catching your brother between the side of the lamed chariot – just over his shoulder, you see Pylenios scream out in triumph as he looses an arrow at the neck of burly Hippomedon. You scarcely believe your eyes as Hippomedon’s shield flashes upward and by the narrowest of margins, glances the arrow wildly off the side.

Hippomedon, silent as the grave, with the thunder of a charging ox, continues his sprint without pause, his strides leaving huge plumes of dust in his wake!

With Pheronactes’ back to the chariot, now is your time to strike! You leap forward, and to your glee, your spear licks out even faster than Pheronactes, quick as a snake, can dodge, and your bronze-tipped spear sinks deeply in his side, even as he desperately falls backward. Your thrust pushes him against the car of his chariot, but he rebounds, wrenching himself apart from your spear-tip and stumbling to the side. He cries out in rage and fear, screaming – “You deserve nothing, Podageus! You will gamble us into poverty!”. Already, you see the spoils of your labor blooming through his dusty cloak – the black blood of a deep wound spilling freely.

>Podageus wounds Pheronactes for 5 damage!

You hear another triumphant shout from Pylenios and dare a glimpse over your right shoulder – Hippomedon has stumbled off the path, and Pylenios has already thrown aside his bow in favor of drawing his xiphos – clearly, your compatriot’s rush was avoided by your most agile brother. Even as you watch, the giant Hippomedon begins to turn about, as Pylenios springs into the air, sailing aloft, and holding his xiphos over his head in a two-handed grip!

>Hippomedon boffs his charge on Pylenios, triggering auto counterattack by Pylenios!

Turning your attentions back to Pheronactes, your mouth splits in an ugly grin – “You cannot outrun me now. You should have dared to murder me personally in Phthia, instead of hiring an incompetent Aithiopian.”

Pheronactes spits back – “I will kill you here and now!” – but you sense that even he does not believe it, his face growing pale with weakness.
>>
Rolled 18, 17, 14, 4 = 53 (4d20)

>>5662975

Per Homer's previous system, a melee round that ends in damage dealt, requires a new initiative round to be rolled. Normally, enemy combatants would have to roll for morale loss and so forth, but Pheronactes is deadset on killing Podageus and will not flee.

Pheronactes is now at 4/9 health, and is rolling with a -4 STAT penalty to STR and AGI. His new STR and AGI values are 8 and 8, which means he will be rolling for initiative with a -1 penalty. My first two d20s are for Pheronactes' initiative. I'll apply his -1 penalty manually.

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20's for Podageus' initiative!

Pylenios is now counterattacking Hippomedon due to Hippomedon's failed melee attack roll. He is attacking with a xiphos against spear-wielding Hippomedon, which means that he has a -2 sword penalty. His total attack bonus is -1. My second two d20s are for Pylenios' to-hit and I'll apply his penalty manually.

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20+1 for Hippomedon's dodge.
>>
Rolled 4 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5662983
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Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>5662983
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Rolled 12 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5662983
These damn rats.
>>
>>5662983
Lesches, I think that this line from Homer from the first thread bear some significance on how injury works.
>Here's how stat degradation works. You get a malus to your roll equal to the percentage under 90% health you're at- 60% in this case. That times ten is the malus you receive, equaling six in this case. No, it does not pay to fight on when you're badly wounded. Unless you're descended from Capaneus.
Seems its a straight up malus rather than a stat debuff
>>
>>5662990
Doing some quick maths:
8/9 = .88 = 90%
4/9 = .44 = 40%
-50% * 10 = -5 malus for Pheronactes, and if we include the sword penalty of -2, that's a -7 debuff.

All the more reason why Nira should never get into a fight
>>
Hot damn, this system is brutal.
>>
>>5663009
It is a system by which you either get out of dodge or someone suplexes you onto a bed of glowing hot railroad spikes. There is no in between.
>>
>>5663010
Or you can throw rocks from a distance, as Athos inteded.
>>
>>5663010
>There is no in between.
Considering that Student of Chiron gave +4 to basically every weapon, shielding, and dodging it puts into perspective how terrifyingly strong some characters are.
It seems even with just a bit of strength combined with weapon skills can shear off a huge chunk of health, even with a bad weapon roll.
And we didn't even get to see what magical weapons and armors could be capable of.
>>
>>5662990
>>5663008
>>5663009

Thanks for clarifying and calculating, friendly anon. In some ways, this wound debuff system is less complicated than moving up and down the STAT bonuses chart, honestly.

I won't reroll for Pheronactes' initiative, I'll just apply the -5 malus to his best roll of 18, leaving his +1 AGI bonus intact = 14. I feel that it doesn't make sense for me to apply the -2 sword penalty for initiative though. Intuitively, holding a sword vs a spear shouldn't change your reflex speed (although I could be persuaded).

>>5662984
>>5662989

Hippomedon's dodging = 13. Pylenios rolls a 14-2 = 12 and whiffs his insane xiphos leap attack (lol, moron).

>>5662985
missing

>I still need a dice+1d20 for Podageus' initiative!
>>
Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>5663026
>>
Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>5663026
>>
>>5663026
>I feel that it doesn't make sense for me to apply the -2 sword penalty for initiative though
Sounds reasonable, was just assuming due to this post >>5662384, but I think you might've been tired then. This brother is dying anyways.
>>
Thinking on it, if the guy manages to get a hit in would the malus be great enough that no damage is done? It sorta makes sense in that, you lost all this blood so you can't hit as hard.
>>
>>5663034

Ultimately I think Homer intended this to be a feature of the system. He did reference retreating as a viable option and I understand better why that might be recommended going through this combat as a QM.

If you get fucked up on the first turn, it would almost always be better to flee the field than risk fighting with the malus, unless you have Fresh Olympian Blood, of course.
>>
>>5663056
He might have had also a retreating system in mind for big combats where a lot of allies/mooks can jump in and shield/carry the wounded.

I mean the worst of the armies melee was always right after someone had to be retrieved almost like when these protagonists fight the rest is just on the sidelines or otherwise cut down like wheat.
>>
>>5663056
Or if you are a son of Chadaneus.
>>
Rolled 2, 16 - 6 = 12 (2d20 - 6)

>>5663026

Round 2 of Hippomedon/Pylenios combat has resolved as a Pylenios miss. Sort of a comedy of errors down there...

>>5662985
>>5663028

>14 vs 12

Podageus loses initiative to Pheronactes.

Pheronactes now rolls to attack! He's rolling at a negative -6 malus (+1 from baseline AGI bonus, -5 malus due to 4/9 health, -2 sword malus).

I'll need two rolls of dice+2d20+1 for Podageus' blocking technique! Once we resolve this, I'll be able write the update.
>>
>>5663172

>blocking

Correction, I meant dodging. My post is otherwise correct though, i believe
>>
Rolled 1 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5663172
>>
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Rolled 15 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5663172
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>>5663176
It seems the bad luck is infectious.
What is this a double fumble but podageus slips on his ass?
I feel hippomedon may have to come and save the day
>>
>>5663197

>currently writing, should be out momentarily

>>5663197

No crits in Total War Quest unless you are dealing with the divine, my friend. So Podageus' 15 handily beats Pheronactes' 10 for a successful dodge.

>>5663172
>>5663175

I actually did fuck up the rolls here - Podageus doesn't get a +1 bonus to dodging, but it doesn't change the outcome anyways. I swear I'm getting better at this guys.
>>
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Rolled 17, 15, 1, 9 = 42 (4d20)

You ignore Pheronactes’ toothless claim for the meaningless hot air that it is. You hardly need to take it seriously, as you watch his lifeblood drip through his fingers. He wobbles on his feet and searches for stable footing; his eyes burning, face blanching. His flowing black hair, identical to your own, spills forward and over his face – all semblance of control has been lost. A tiny part of your heart aches to see your younger brother this way – but you crush that piece of yourself without mercy. You would have treated him kindly, as the eldest brother, making sure to keep him well in the house of your father, along with youngest Pylenios…

They have damned themselves…

You dare another glance to the right and catch the sight of Pylenios stumbling into the brush and out of sight, along the dusty path. Clearly, his bounding strike on Hippomedon was no more successful than Hippomedon’s charge. You’re too far away to see their faces clearly, but Hippomedon strides confidently after him without hesitation, shield high and spear-point out. The crashing amongst the vegetation of the path tells you that your brother, Pylenios, is frantically extricating himself as best he can. You have no doubts that Hippomedon will commit himself well.

Turning back to Pheronactes, you brace your grip on your spear, knees slightly bent – like all men of Thessaly, you are trained in the basics of spear combat, even though you are hardly a soldier. His chest is heaving in exertion, and he is clearly steeling himself for his next strike. You simply wait for him to make the first move.

Pheronactes obliges – he strikes out quickly to the side, moving away from the car of the chariot and darting towards you, but the quickness of his legs fails him. He had attempted to move past your spear-point, driving towards you with the point of xiphos high, but he stumbles on the fifth step, giving you time to react. Still hale and hearty, you backpedal furiously, your sandaled feet gripping the path well, as you raise your spear-tip clear of him and keep him at a distance. He had never gotten close enough for his stabbing thrust, despite his best efforts.

>wew lads, we’re now in round 3 of combat! Now I need another set of to-hit rolls for Podageus and Hippomedon (I bet we'll finish these fuckers off this round). I'm rolling 4d20 for Phero/Pyl (Bo2 for each) and will be applying their bonuses manually. Pheronactes has a (+1 AGI bonus, -5 wound malus, -2 sword penalty = -6 malus total), and Pylenios is dodging without a bonus (+2 AGI bonus, -2 sword penalty).

>For clarity, I'm currently assuming that the -2 sword penalty applies to four combat roll-types: TO-HIT, DODGE, WOUND, and BLOCK. The sword penalty does NOT apply to initiative. We can further adjust this if anons find that this is counterintuitive.

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20 for Podageus’ to-hit attempt

>I need another two rolls of dice+1d20+3 for Hippomedon’s to-hit attempt
>>
Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5663231
>>
>>5663258
>Two 1s in a row
My dice is cursed. Thank the gods there's no crits and this is a flashback.
>>
Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5663231
Whelp best get it out of the way before i go to sleep
>>
>>5663291
...

Is there a worsening condition to rolls given he's bleeding out?

Who wins on parity?
>>
Rolled 6 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5663231
>>
>>5663292

Uh, I haven’t designed a “bleed out” mechanic in combat itself, but that’s a good thought.

From a larger narrative perspective - Pheronactes already has a horrible gut wound and without medical intervention, may not survive the wound, given that he does not have FOB like Nikandros or Deianira.
>>
Rolled 8 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5663231
>>
>>5663292
I believe ties go to whomever is player controlled.
>>
Since it seems Pheronactes is going to be cut down by Podageus, s there going to be the stigma of kinslaying for him? Or does that work a bit differently in homeric greece?
>>
>>5663593

No comment. I have some things planned for this.
>>
Rolled 11, 3, 12, 16 = 42 (4d20)

>>5663258
>>5663291

11 vs 11 - Podageus connects on his attack against wounded Pheronactes.

>>5663369
>>5663555

11 vs 9 - Hippomedon connects against a stumbling Pylenios.

Now I'm rolling for Pheronactes' blocking (at a gnarly -6 malus, since he has a +1 CON bonus on top of his -5 wound malus and -2 sword malus), and for Pylenios (+1 CON bonus).

>In other news, I've completed book 4 of the Iliad. It's funny to see how the Achaeans constantly require reminders from Agamemnon and the gods to stay on target. Achilles' boys basically start having a beach party once he quits the war over the Briseis incident. Also, true to Agamemnon's performance in thread 1 of TWQ, he appears to be wildly unsuccessful in managing his (theoretically) allied troops. I've also been keeping a keen eye out for the plot hooks that Homer must have been using for reference in TWQ, and I'm starting to put together the skeleton of a plan for TWQ's resumption, presuming that Homer does not return it's never too late, Homer!.

>>5662769

I missed this post previously about the wound rolls, but I'm not sure if we ever saw this rolling disambiguated in the Diomedes fight or when Nikon wrecked the bandits? It seems to me that once we have a successful STR attack roll that penetrates CON blocking roll, we roll another STR vs CON contest to determine wound severity? I'm not clear on how this roll relates to the weapon damage rolls that we had previously used (i.e. the 1d5 + STR + weaponskill roll) or what is referenced on Nikon's charsheet) and Homer's mechanics guide. I had previously assumed that the weapon damage roll was uncontested but now I'm not so sure.

Anyways, would appreciate any anons' take on the above.

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20+2 for Podageus to break through his Pheronactes' desperate blocking (Podageus has a +2 STR bonus but no special weaponskill bonus)

>I need another two rolls of dice+1d20+6 for Hippomedon to bust through Pylenios' blocking (Hippomedon has a +4 STR bonus and an additional +2 spearmanship bonus due to a trait).
>>
Actually I found this from the diomedes fight:

>So, to disambiguate-
>Diomedes: Initiative: 8 + 10 for agility
>You: Initiative: 1+1 for agility
>Diomedes: 20 + 10 agility + 2 spearmanship to hit
>You: 7 + 1 agility to dodge
>Diomedes: 14 + 6/2 strength + 2 spearmanship to wound
>You: 4 + 2 constitution + 2 armor + 1 shield to block
>Diomedes: 2 + 6/2 strength + 2 spearmanship for damage

>2 v 18 initiative
>8 v 32 to dodge v hit
>9 v 19 to block v wound
>7 damage dealt

From this combat log, I take it to mean that any armor, shield, and other defensive bonuses against wounding factor in during the BLOCK roll, and there’s no additional contested roll if a block attempt fails, we just move right on to roll for damage using weapon stats.
>>
Rolled 14 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5663739
>>
>>5663739

Oops and I forgot about the Pylenios sword malus, so he’s rolling at a -1 penalty.
>>
Rolled 13 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5663739
Let me see if I can explain my interpretation of the hit and wound rolls. I’m using the Diomedes fight as a cheat sheet.
Let’s assume we’re cool guy and have just won the initiative:
>cool guy
We roll a 2d20 for HIT modified by AGILITY, and for WOUND modified by STRENGTH
>enemy
They have to make a 2d20 roll for DODGE modified by AGILITY, and BLOCK modified by CON.
>example rolls
HIT: 13+3, WOUND: 12+6
DODGE: 1+4, BLOCK: 5+2
hit 16, wound 18
dodge 5, block 7
>Results
Cool guy has successfully hit and wounded the enemy. Thus, we move to the damage roll.

If either the DODGE or BLOCK rolls are higher, then no damage is done due to the hit not landing or not getting through the defense. Equipment like armor seems to come into play with BLOCK and sword with HIT.

We seem to have been rolling too many dice as the DODGE and BLOCK were supposed to be all bundled into one 2d20 alongside HIT and WOUND. Otherwise, we get a lot of dice.

In summary of rolls:
1d20 contested by 1d20 for initiative (Best of # depending on context, fighting on favorable or something to attack might warrant an extra dice)
2d20 for HIT and WOUND contested by 2d20 for DODGE and BLOCK
If hit and wound passes, then damage roll.

I hope I don't sound bonkers with this interpretation.
>>
Honestly, I’m of the opinion that if you feel the need to modify the system to your liking that’s fine.
>>
>>5663768


No this is actually very helpful, mechanicsanon, and would lead to more concise combat encounters generally. This fight has dragged on somewhat longer than I had intended as a result of my incomplete understanding!

I’m motivated to stay true to Homer’s system for the most part, so let’s adopt this for all future combat encounters.

To round out this encounter though, let’s proceed with the rolls that I had called for in my last post >>5663739.
>>
Rolled 1 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5663739
Hoping for good luck!
>>
>>5663799
My hubris.
>>
Rolled 12 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

Rolling to move things along
>>
Rolled 2, 5 = 7 (2d5)

Rolling for Podageus and Hippomedon damage

Podageus +2 damage
Hippomedon +6 damage
>>
>>5663927

Pheronactes takes -4 damage, he is now dead

Hippomedon deals 11 damage to Pylenios, he is very dead.

Update soon
>>
The end of the fight is an ugly one.

You drive towards your brother Pheronactes, spear high, and jab downwards with all the might you can gather. The spearpoint misses his lower abdomen and instead slices heavily through his inner thigh. Even though this was not your intent, you see immediately that you have severed the artery – huge quantities of blood blossom through his dusty robes, matting them to his leg. Pheronactes slumps to the ground, and weeps bitterly, refusing to meet your eye or utter any last words. In the end, his crying reminds you once more of how he was as a boy. Quick to anger, quick to despair, quick to befriend. Now, you see – he is also quick to die. His shuddering sobs quickly fade and a mist of darkness clouds his eyes.

You turn your head and see Hippomedon marching towards you, spearpoint bloody, but otherwise unharmed.

“And Pylenios?” you inquire of him? Hippomedon nods his head, and replies brusquely,

“I drove my spear through his neck. He died quickly.” His words are blunt, but in his tone and bearing, you sense that he is relieved to be finished with the matter. You expect to be angry, filled with despair, but instead, you feel empty. Your rage left you the same moment your brothers’ souls went to Hades’ domain, and now you think only of the next steps necessary.
Wasting no time, and working together, you swiftly clear the bodies of the road, untether your horses from your stolen chariot, and link them to the car of your own chariot. As for your brothers, you quickly bind them together, cloaks about their faces, and with Hippomedon’s assistance, hide them far from the path. You will need to return later to claim the bodies, but that will be addressed in time. You will not desecrate them, traitors though they are, and they will be buried properly. The chariot itself, you leave for now, but it can be salvaged with another wheel of the appropriate dimensions.

As you hide the bodies of your brothers – you see that Pylenios had strapped a purse to his thigh, and with his xiphos, you cut the leather strap. Inside, you find coins of an unknown make, with a kingly visage that you do not recognize. There are letters impressed along the bottom ridge of the coin itself, but you cannot read them. Hippomedon, too, simply grunts indifferently when you display these to him.

As you ride back to the palace of your father, Hereres, Hippomedon waits for you to make your offer. He has helped you secure your father’s holdings and therefore you owe him a debt. You offer him livestock, slaves, spearmen and other such things, but at each of these offerings, he declines. Finally, you ask him what he will require in payment.
>>
Rolled 9, 13 + 3 = 25 (2d20 + 3)

Hippomedon, giant of Thessaly, looks at you squarely, as you bounce within chariot, crammed together as you are. “With the gods of Olympus as my witness, I ask you to swear an oath to repay my work with a favor, yet to be determined, to myself or my household.” An ominous debt to take on, you think, but you can hardly refuse. You are now bound together by blood...

>HIPPOMEDON MEMORY END
>We are now back at Deianira's perspective

As Podageus ends his story, he almost whispers, "And you should know, Deianira Hippomedion, that your father did not live to collect upon this debt. The favor is still yours to collect at anytime." Finishing his tale, Podageus looks older than he had before, fatigued in a way that he was not previously. His eyes do not look upon you with greater respect for the telling - on the contrary, he seems to find you somewhat pitiable, if you trust your instincts.

Your mind whirls at the implications of Podageus' tale. One part of your mind delights in the tale of your father effortlessly slaying traitors and attempted kinslayers, but on the other hand, you are horrified to hear that Podageus murdered his younger siblings, even if you take him at his word that these events were in response to an attempted assassination. Finally, you are shocked that he would tell such a tale openly at your feast, but as you look about, you find that the other audience members seem to be bored by this telling. Perhaps this story is well-known to the other nobility - after all, your father has been dead for many years, and Podageus has presumedly shared this story before. Nonetheless, you wonder whether this is an accurate retelling of events - the reference to an incompetent Aithiopian, the coinpurse of Pylenios - these details breathe life into the tale, but are they truthful ones?

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20+3 for Deianira's intuition.
>>
Rolled 3 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5663955
>>
Rolled 10 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5663955
The truth will set you free. So cast off these shackles of uncertainty, dice.
>>
>>5663969
Damn. Dice suck eggs,
>>
>>5663959
>>5663969

>13 vs 16, marginal failure

The lines in Podageus’ face seem to deepen even as you watch, and thoughtlessly, his dark eyes seem to track without his knowledge towards Lyciboeus, still charming his neighbors, and you sense that Podageus’ eyes are glittering with barely concealed rage. Under the torchlight tonight, you have not met the comedian that Iudas prepared you to meet – some combination of your opening remarks and inquiries has blackened his mood.

You cannot quite make sense of the story, but there is clearly more to this tale than has been shared. Why share this story, of all things, upon your first meeting with him, unless he is truly moved by duty and responsibility to your father? He easily recounted the blows that he had struck against Pheronactes and the skewering of Pylenios by your father, but it had the feeling of rote recitation. What heat of anger might have once been present has since diminished – or else, was never present? You imagined that the confession of kinslaying, even if done in self-defense, might spark some emotional outburst, but Podageus may well have been reporting his past dues to King Peleus in Phthia. You file away his words in the corner of your mind for further investigation at another time, but wonder whether you will ever have the means to uncover the truth.

Looking around, you see that Lyciboeus has ceded the attentions of the audience and is now making light discussion with Seisames and Cnotheos. To your left, you see that the women are chatting amongst themselves, cautiously polite. While you could continue discussions with Podageus, perhaps it is time to choose a new conversational partner?


>Who should Deianira speak with next? This vote will close tomorrow at 9pm EST.

>Continue speaking with Podageus about current events.

>Melaneira, wife of Podageus, whose rage has cooled somewhat, and who is now chatting with Mardokia?

>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?

>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos?

>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?

>The vagrant, who has consumed a truly incredible quantity of food and who now seems context to listen to the nobles speak?

>Someone else?
>>
>>5664270
>The vagrant, who has consumed a truly incredible quantity of food and who now seems context to listen to the nobles speak?
>>
>>5664270
>The vagrant, who has consumed a truly incredible quantity of food and who now seems context to listen to the nobles speak?
>>
>>5664270
>>The vagrant, who has consumed a truly incredible quantity of food and who now seems context to listen to the nobles speak?
luv me vagrant
>>
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>>5664291
a second post btw so you can go and say I am real : )
>pic is me btw
>>
>>5664270
>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos?
Wonder which of these folks is the one who suffered the centaur's sheep stealing.
Bit curious about why the intuition roll was a contested one, but I guess it was Nira trying to read the guy, or was it thinking through the presented story? I was thinking of how Nikon tried to ascertain Palamedes' intent last thread.
How many more individuals will we get the chance to talk to?
>>
>>5664347
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Is this all just a dream in the Schizo Prophet Build's head?
>>
>>5664270
>>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
>>
>>5664270
>>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos?
>>
>>5664347

My intention was to provide for 4 conversational encounters, and Deianira has obviously completed one. I’m basically hoping to conclude this summons and move onto Phase 3 before next Monday.
>>
>>5664270
>>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?
>>
>>5664270
>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?
>>
Vagrant

>>5664284
>>5664289
>>5664291

Aristonax

>>5664347
>>5664433

Lyciboeus
>>5664524
>>5664751

Eriboea

>>5664381

—-

Vagrant wins!

how fun! Writing now, post should be out before midnight tonight
>>
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>This is taking a bit longer than normal, since I am stunned with the majesty of HORSEQUEST, happening right next door...Take a peek, if you haven't yet.

Well, this has been an unsettling turn of conversation. You had hoped that Podageus would bring some levity to your evening, as a famed comedian and lover of humor, and he instead unburdened himself of a terrible tale of kinslaying (however justified), involving your late father. You have sometimes wondered about the connection between comedy and suffering yourself – you consider yourself to have a small talent for it, and you have experienced significant loss in your own life. Now that you consider it, the most insufferable suitors who came calling upon the οἶκος in years past were the prideful ones, having barely suffered any inconvenience at all. Of all these, only one of these suitors had really made any lasting impression, a brooding young nobleman from the Ionian Sea with dark hair and light eyes. He made only the barest attempt at gathering your attentions, when you were 14, and laughed in delight when you were enraged by his lack of effort…Funny, you can't seem to recall his name...

You suddenly realize that you had been lost in reverie – uncharacteristic of you. The moment of Podageus’ revelation has passed and he has moved on to discussions with Aristonax, Gerasimos, and Seisames – they now seem to be estimating King Peleus’ likely actions as the call of Atreides makes its way around Hellas, with some debate regarding the total number of hoplites

You notice the vagrant once again – unlike the other guests, he seems to have failed to make headway in conversation. He is staring aimlessly at the other guests of the audience with an vacant gleam in his eye, his hair still obviously damp from a much-needed bath; you suspect that he might be lost in his own thoughts as you had been previously. Driven by ξενία, and an honest desire to welcome him appropriately, you reach out to him, calling –

“Vagrant, please – if I might ask, what is your name? How did you come by the estates of Hippomedon?” Contrary to your expectation that he might be daydreaming, like you had been previously, he immediately responds, lilting oddly in stilting sing-song, and swaying gently in his seat.

“Noble Lady, I am called Abercion! You have treated me so well, so well…As to how I found your palace, why, I was looking for it, of course!” His mad eyes roll in his sockets, and he shrugs at you, a wildly exaggerated motion. This last statement catches you by surprise, and you immediately ask for clarification, concern welling up in your throat – have you misjudged him? Could he be dangerous?
>>
“Noble Lady, you misunderstand me – I mean no harm, no harm. I listened to your welcoming address, but I heard the words that you did not say.” His words take on an unpleasant air, and he hisses through his teeth. “Mice and toads run amok, run amok everywhere.” He casts a wild gesture to your guests, and conspiratorially leans forwards, his voice suddenly slow and strong, his eyes vacant once more – “You are not like them and never will be. They are not your peers.” A weight seems to fold upon your shoulders then, and there is a bizarre trick of Selene’s light – to your eyes, Abercion’s head is suddenly wreathed in a dark mist, shot through with silver. It vanishes as fast as you notice it. The pressure fades once more, as Abercion meets your gaze again, and the vacant gleam is replaced with a meaningful expression.

“I have walked your halls, and seen your works, humble as they are.” You aren’t sure how to respond to this statement, and you recognize that this conversation has spiraled wildly out of your control. You suspect Abercion is a divinity, although for good or illworks wors works you cannot say – you resist the strong impulse to inquire whether he is Phoibos Apollo, or grey-eyed Athene. “And you have the good sense to remain silent when in doubt.” The light breeze within the courtyard is gone, you notice – the night air hanging heavily and motionless. Even the chatter of your other guests seems muted, your heart thudding loudly in your ears.

Acerbion continues, his voice carrying malice and ill-will, “Tell me this, Lady Deianira – if a tyrant is unjust, with a heart of stone, and uses his people as playthings and toys to crush, what is right? To lead a bloody rebellion of the common folk against the tyrant for justice? To stir up a war between the tyrant and his neighbor? To charm the black-hearted tyrant, bend him to your ear, and spare your kin for a time? Align yourself with him so that his strength becomes yours?” Abercion cocks his head and waits for your response. The acid taste of bile rises in your throat – your words here will matter long after this evening ends, and you are paralyzed in fear, even as the other guests chat amiably around you, in complete ignorance of your chat.

>Well, /qst/? How does Deianira respond to Acerbion? Deianira is smart enough to realize that further specifics will not be provided – Abercion is asking a more fundamental question about Deianira’s attitudes to power.

>Lead a bloody rebellion against the tyrant?

>Stir up a war?

>Charm the tyrant to spare yourself and your kin?

>Align with the tyrant?

>Reject the options provided to you, and supply Abercion with another? Write-ins welcome!.
>>
>>5664960
>>5664961

This is me, obviously.
>>
>>5664961
>Reject the options provided to you, and supply Abercion with another? Write-ins welcome!.
Get close to him, but the goal to assassinate him while setting up a worthy successor, to avoid a power struggle that would claim even more lives and suffering.
>>
>>5664977
+1, playing to Nira's strengths and her good humor, wanting to limit the suffering but not breaking the system in place. Restructuring from the inside, which should align with the speech she gave.

>a brooding young nobleman from the Ionian Sea with dark hair and light eyes
Who could it be?

>You are not like them and never will be. They are not your peers.
Also, the gods are scary, and we have willingly approached one. I can only pray the dice will not deliver a 1 upon us. But who is this?
>if a tyrant is unjust, with a heart of stone, and uses his people as playthings and toys to crush, what is right?
I think he is talking about Zeus and the Trojan War. Damn, I think this one might have motives to cause a twilight of the gods' situation. Or, at the very least, overthrow Zeus. I will take a shot in the dark and say this is Hera, in which case, oh shit. But the line about dark mist and shot with silver throws me off as that makes me think of Artemis or Nyx.
>>
>>5664977
+1 support
You could even mention how Zeus himself did similar with his father Kronos, and how the fates ever delight in the cyclical nature of history.
>>
>>5665015
>similar
I thought Zeus led an outright war to dispose his father and the titans rather than the sneaky nature of the write-in.
>>
>>5665018
I think he meant what Rhea and Gaia, raising Zeus in secret to be the sucessor to Cronus.
Although they didn't poison the tyrant and it's up to debate if Zeus is worthy given all the shit he gets up to.
>>
>>5664977
Supporting
>>
>>5664977
This is a good thought out answer that ties into the first stages of the titanomachy.
That this might be about Zeus is terrifying but i doubt Deianira would know of internal politics of the gods enough to connect the dots.

Tyrants above all feel the need to be loved and understood,
Desperate enough that they willingly become numb to the poisoned bites of the viper in their lap.
>>
>>5664977
sure support, what could go wrong ?
>>
>>5664977
I would probably add to have a rebellion ready and silently growing, just in case the assassination does not work.
Plan B essentially
And if the allies of the tyrant will not come to his aid or bicker with him for a reason or another, all the merrier.
>>
>>5664961
>Charm the tyrant to spare yourself and your kin?
>>
>>5665164
And be forced to wear mycenean fashion only for him?

I say nay, tiddy should be free
>>
Also, I've been re-reading threads 1 and 2 with a critical eye for any minor hints or mechanics that Homer had dropped over time (he actually left a fairly large number of breadcrumbs for me to collect), and I noticed that he does specifically reference a Deianira ability that I had missed:

"If your sister was here she could use his precious bodily fluids in a magic ritual to gain an intuitive sense of where he is, but she is not."

So I'll add this to her Spells sheet - fortunately, we haven't come across a reasonable situation where she might have used this power (with the exception of the Labostas encounter, but even then, physically approaching him was probably out of the question)
>>
>>5665123
That is a good idea, I support adding it.
>>
>>5664977
+1
>>
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>>5665193
>Also, I've been re-reading threads 1 and 2 with a critical eye for any minor hints or mechanics that Homer had dropped over time
This is like when Virgil combined the Iliad and Odyssey to create his Roman fanfiction epic, the Aeneid.

>"If your sister was here she could use his precious bodily fluids in a magic ritual to gain an intuitive sense of where he is, but she is not."
What did he mean by this
>>
>>5665229
>What did he mean by this
No deadbeat dads.
>>
>>5665229

I’ve inherited Homer’s disdain for Latin sources and for the purposes of this quest, will pretend the Aeneid doesn’t not exist. I’m basically trying hard to stick to the references that he has provided (Iliad, Odyssey, Hesiod, etc).

>>5665232

Imagine Deianira running a trashy daytime show - “Achilles, you are NOT the father!” - crowd goes wild!
>>
>>5665250
Would probably feature a lot of Zeus and hera with the benny hill theme running circles around the studio.
>>
>>5665544
>The Nira Hippomedon Show
>Opening is the muses dancing and singing
>Everyone is illiterate, even the host.
>Reveals are performed by Nira looking into a jar.
>Set is constantly being destroyed by godly freakouts.
>Longest streak of Zeus appearing was 30 episodes in a row.
>Biggest sponsor is Eris. Followed closely by Hera.
>Security guards trained by Nikon, experts at getting mortal participants out before the set gets smashed, high turnover rate.
>Infinite material to keep running as the gods keep on screwing around.
>Suprise Telegonus episode.
>Daemons as the audience members.
>50/50 chance with some gods that they'll immediately try eating their child after the reveal.
> Surprisingly, no deaths ever on set.
>>
>>5665793

KEK, excellent work anon
>>
>>5665793
Imagine oedipus finding out he's the father of his own brother like this.
>>
Rolled 13 (1d20)

I’m in the middle of writing the update, but I’ve realized that I’ll need another roll.

I need ONE roll of 1d20+3.
>>
>>5665925
Highest-rated episode material.
It all just comes together as Nira's name means husband destroyer. And still is somewhat of a trashy show. Everyone is likely illiterate, overly emotional, violent, concerned with honor, and all related to each other somehow.
>>
>>5665937

What kind of parents name their daughter “man wrecker” anyways?

Homer, my previous prayers and sacrifices to you have not been answered, but now I call you to account! What is the meaning of this? Haha
>>
>>5665934

Sorry to be clear, I want one of the players to roll a dice+d20+3.

Straight 50/50 shot here lads.
>>
Rolled 9 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5665934
Is time for me to ruin everything?
>>
>>5665943
13 vs 12. A failure, but it could have been worse.
>>
Too bad no bonus for the god being under Xenia right now, or maybe he would have had modifiers but don’t because of our treatment of him?
>>
Rolled 1 + 10 (1d20 + 10)

>>5665949

>you guys rolled a d100 earlier.
>then you guys rolled a 15 v 7, moderate success
>now a 12 vs 13 - extremely marginal failure.

Now I need one last roll of dice+1d20+4 from the players. Don’t worry about this one too much.
>>
>>5665961

No fucking way.

Hmm.
>>
>>5665961
>>5665962
Time for a divine crit-fail
I'll let another anon roll this one
>>
>>5665965
So the god spilled spaghetti and crit failed?
The fates have humor
>>
Rolled 12 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5665961
This will also be a nat 1 just watch
>>
>>5665966
>>5665971

>16 vs 10 - success! but also an opposing critfail.

I will need some time to interpret this…

Update will be out before midnight.
>>
A lifetime of training in etiquette, as well as lectures from your mother and Iudas about proper conduct, seems to flash through your mind. You churn through years of nights alone with bitter Spathion, crowded together in your witch’s hut, being instructed in the proper methods of herbal preparation, spell creation, divine propitiation. Yet you cannot recall even a single lecture or piece of advice about the correct method to answer a riddle from a possible divinity during a symposium. Worse, you cannot think of any particular tyrant, although you have heard Iudas wryly state that the words “tyrant” and “king” mean the same thing…

Hurry up, ‘Nira., say Νίκων’s voice exasperatedly, confront your challenge and move on! You’ve never been speechless in your life before this… With your brother’s confidence in your ears, the decision is made. Truly, the outcome of this discussion is outside of your power, no matter what you say. No doubt any attempt to guard your true thoughts or opinions would be instantly dissected, and any falsehood uttered would be unraveled just as quickly.

You clear your voice, and begin your response, your voice steely with control. “Honored Acerbion, you pose an interesting dilemma. And yet, there is only one course of action for such a difficult position.”
Acerbion’s eyebrows rise, his face betraying mild surprise at your disciplined demeanor, and says simply, “Go on, if you please, Noble Lady.” His hunched shoulders seem to draw forwards, and he adopts a caricatured posture of total focus, his head tightly slightly to one side.

“In my view, all tyrants crave the love and affectation of their subjects, at their core – some may rage against this secret and punish their people when they fail this expectation, others may wear it openly and find this love successfully…But it is the nature of the tyrant to look for wholeness in others, being deficient in their own selves. After all, if a tyrant is whole in this fashion, he would not be a tyrant, but a noble king.” The momentum in your voice grows, and you find yourself growing in confidence – your soprano tones laying upon one another, weaving a stronger melody. The novelty of this riddle seems to have uncovered a fundamental belief of yours, never articulated or previously known to yourself, and you relish in the discovery of it. These tyrants are weak men, in their hearts - and the simple truth of it emboldens you.

>more coming.
>>
“Of course, most tyrants cannot be healed of their malady, cannot be made whole. How can you heal an injury that was caused by no violence or trauma, or a malady of the personality that is inborn? No – once a tyrant has been properly diagnosed, the cure must be prepared. By drawing close to a tyrant, I would gain his trust and favor, all the while preparing the masterstroke.” Acerbion’s haggard face slackens and he becomes visibly wistful, dreamy – he is lost in a memory, only half-listening to your words. His haggard face manages to look even older, ancient like the weathered stony face of Olympus itself – but a dark gleam of satisfaction remains in his eyes.

“In secret, a worthy successor to the tyrant must be found and trained – a godlike man who embodies the wisdom of the highest Olympians, such as Zeus Ὑπατος (most high). Help the successor slay the tyrant at the critical moment, and protect him as he takes the throne of power. In this way, the bloodshed of the common people may be prevented, and Eris kept at bay. Was this not how almighty Zeus righteously dethroned devious-devising Kronos, his father?” At the mention of Zeus, you realize your error – perhaps the stories you know are not the ones told amongst the divinities. Abercion’s eyes flash with irritation, but then his face seems to soften once more, as you are regarded.

“As well said as one could expect, Noble Lady. And yet, what if your successor becomes a dictator in time? Here the cycle begins anew.” You make ready to answer Abercion, but he holds his hand up to forestall you. “I have heard well enough, Lady Deianira.” He rummages within his robes, and suddenly produces two objects. In his left hand, he holds a bundle of darkest silk. In his right hand, he holds a small translucent globe, filigreed with silver, and containing a cloud of dark vapors.
He carefully places these upon the table before you, and gestures to them.

“Take one, if you are so ready to kill a tyrant.”

Your hand floats out of its own accord, and before you can select an object, Abercion’s right hand flashes out faster than you can believe and grips your wrist, with fingers like ice, so cold. You lock eyes with him in terror, and watch as his jaw seems to unhinge, a murky blackness seemingly to wetly crawl up out of his throat and through his teeth and –

>more coming
>>
HOLD FIRM, GIRL!, your father’s voice thunders – and you do. You crush your dread, your terror and fold them back into the recesses of your mind. Heat blossoms within your chest, and you suddenly find that you are not afraid of darkness, after all. The awful tentacles brush your face, smearing it with foulness but your will is shining bronze, shining like -

“Noble Lady, is there something wrong?” Abercion lilts at you with concern, suddenly just a πλᾰ́νης once more. You realize that you are standing silently, mouth agape, and your actions have caught the attention of your guests – as one, they look at you, a mixture of concern, pity, and derision. You mentally reel in disorientation, hardly wanting to take your eyes off Abercion and fighting to keep your hands from wiping at your face, but you quickly stabilize -
“It is time to serve Seisames’ most excellent wine!” You clap your hands briskly and at once, the oenochoe and kylixes appear. A slight breach of etiquette, as the feast is not quite yet complete, but there will be few complaints once the wine is sampled, you think. The guests turn back to their respective meals, another one of your oddities to be evaluated and remarked upon.

You shift back to Abercion and –

He is gone.

The globe and silk packet remain, his wax tablet neatly placed beside it – the faintest glimmer of silver mist evaporates from his seat even as you watch. You cast wild glances to the four corners of your courtyard, and even slyly investigate the night sky through the courtyard opening, but see no sign of him. Your right wrist aches coldly, and pulling back the sleeve of your cloak, you are shocked to find that his grip has left a mark – your skin that had been beneath his fingertips and hands have become an inky black, darker even than the skin of an Aithopian. You have no doubt that this is a permanent reminder of Abercion's visitations.

>Abercion's Grip minor trait unlocked! Deianira has exhibited uncommon resilience to the mental tricks that divinities or mortal witches might apply. This minor trait comes with mechanical benefits.

>Black Sash equipment obtained!
>Globe of Vapors item obtained!

---

>wew, lads, I'm going to pause for the night here - I'm exhausted. Thanks for reading, all. Will have a new vote ready to go sometime tomorrow.
>>
>>5666018
Well this is interesting.
>>
>>5666018
Hurrah! The luck pool rip Nikon's brain was drunk deeply from so Nira won a contest of wills against a god and now we have divine bling. I'm real curious to see what those will do, especially since we were only supposed to choose 1. Definitely should keep the wax tablet as a souvenir.

>Acerbion’s haggard face slackens and he becomes visibly wistful, dreamy – he is lost in a memory, only half-listening to your words.
>At the mention of Zeus, you realize your error – perhaps the stories you know are not the ones told amongst the divinities. Abercion’s eyes flash with irritation
This god might have been old enough to take part in the Titanomachy, interestingly enough which took place in Thessaly.
>devious-devising
Luv me some alliteration.
>>
>>5666053
Nira's will is strongest when Nikon's skull is being caved in. Truly, the luck scales flail wildly. And the best part is, next time we might not need Nikon to be getting thrashed to pass a mind check against magical chicanery.

I am truly interested in what exactly we will be able to use these items for. We should brush up on our weaving, in case we need to use the silk in a transformative way.
>>
>>5666018
That was quite a turn of events.
>>
How big is the bundle of dark silk? Is it large enough to be worn as a cape or put on like a veil?
>>
>>5666198
Presumably larger than a small bundle but smaller than a large bundle.
>>
>>5666198
It has been quantified as 1(one) sash of black pigmentation.
But i'm a metric person so i won't know what that amounts to.
>>
>>5666198
Probably a veil, or something a bit bigger. Whatever it is, is likely useful.
Best not to show this objects to our guests.
>>
>>5666206
Next you’ll tell me that a tortoise can beat Achilles in a race if given a head start.
>>
>>5666018
Well, this was interesting.
This probably was one of the titans that was on the god's side of the titanomachy.
Now to see which one of them is of cold, dark and silver.
>>
>>5666281
Although it could just be a god instead of a titan
>>
>>5666265
Of course not, he is "Swift-footed" Achilles for a reason you know. I only say this to avoid being skewed by Achilles, please I have a family.
>>
>>5666505

I’ve been reverse-engineering the stat sheets for all of the major characters in TWQ as a “just in case” and trust me when I say that the only way that a turtle could beat Achilles in a race is if it was hurled by Nikon into the finish line…
>>
>>5666509
Someone could build a row of brothels besides the race track.
That should distract him long enough for the turtle to finish, unless Achilles is fast in bed too.
>>
>>5666509
I just assume Achilles' stats are like Cain's in VtM. It just says "you die" and "you can't kill him" in various flavors throughout. Even the strongest dudes across the known world would be inevitably struck down by the A man.

Which makes me wonder if Achilles could beat Ares in a fight. Diomedes could, but that was with Athena gassing him up. Achilles never really gets aid outside of the gear he is given from Hephaestus and the countermeasures placed upon him by his mother as far as I am aware. Damn Ares is such a clown.
>>
>>5666517

>fast in bed

Thankfully Homer did not feel the need to specify this…

>>5666525

Homer did actually provide some very helpful comparisons between us, Diomedes, and Achilles at the end of thread 1 when perfectbuildfag was ranting and raving. So we have adequate evidence to suggest not only that Achilles had an actual char sheet with traits, but that Homer was probably prepared to sun out combat with him if need be.

As to the fighting gods question, the text of the Iliad and other Homeric-era literature seems to make it clear that the gods can be wounded or killed by strong enough mortals. To me, this suggests that Homer had a vague idea of a “god stat line” as well.

Anyways to your point about the Ares/Diomedes fight - hard to interpret since Diomedes was being directly aided by an Olympian of comparable power, and even then, Ares fled the field once wounded, so hard to say whether Diomedes would have survived sustained combat.
>>
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You stare at the folded packet of darkest silk and the clouded globe, deep suspicion crawling up and down your limbs, but your better judgment prevails – these are clearly gifts given in the spirit of ξενία, and from a divinity, no less. They should be accepted and removed from sight before they are noticed, even if you have no idea what they might be used for. In a flash, you pluck them off the table and deposit them safely in a hidden pocket of your cloak for later investigation.

You’re not so naïve as to believe that Abercion is truly absent, as he could certainly be lurking invisibly nearby – and so you make an obvious show of praying to whatever divinity had half-scared you to death, face tilting towards the ground and arms outstretched. You make sure to speak your prayers aloud, and promise the sacrifice of a young heifer as soon as practical. Your guests are too busy sampling Seisames’ lightly watered wine to have noticed Abercion’s absence, which hardly surprises you. They had gone out of their way to ignore his presence to begin with, so you wouldn’t be surprised if his sudden absence does not spark any curiosity; although now, you wonder whether this was truly the apathy of arrogant nobility or whether Abercion had worked some sort of φύσις upon them.

You had almost forgotten his wax tablet – clearly mundane, but nonetheless of value. With an upraised hand, you summon one of your handmaidens and have her whisk Abercion’s wax tablet to your bedroom. Iudas may be able to translate whatever scribblings are present for you at some later point, but tonight is not the night for such evaluation.

>Abercion’s Wax Tablet obtained!

You can’t help but take another surreptitious glance at Abercion’s fingerprints upon your right wrist, as you drink deeply from your kylix of wine. You sense that the memory of his icy fingers on your flesh and the pulsing warmth within your breast will last a long time, if not forever.

This Summons has been an unpredictable and unpleasant experience, so far – you wonder if your mother had similarly struggled in such events, but you doubt it – she was always poised and prepared, despite her “bucolic” upbringing here in Thessaly.

You savor Seisames’ vintage and shake your head – time to move on. Presentation of gifts is a typical process when hosting guests, as your mother was sure to instruct you, and this seems as good a time as any.

>more coming
>>
To the men, you present each with a fine training δόρυ – a sturdy, high-quality and well-polished oaken spear, with blunted wooden spearhead, that can be used with relative safety. Your father and brother, soldiers that they were, was always shattering theirs in the training yard. As a gift for Thessalian noblemen, it is a good bet – it implies manliness, strength, and active physical training. Even better, a Thessalian nobleman must hide any personal displeasure or disinterest in such a gift, lest he open himself up to ridicule. Truthfully, a modest οἶκος like your own cannot afford give much more than this, although you doubt that any of your guests would be so crude as you speak this truth aloud.

To the women, not knowing them well, you instead gift them each a selection of your cosmetic oils and ointments to improve their appearance and bring lustre to their eyes and hair. These mundane items are trivial to produce for a witch of your training and background, but the women share knowing looks of approval amongst themselves. Even Melaneira nods her head in your direction in thanks – your gift accepted, despite her previous outrage.

It would be considered disrespectful to openly expect gifts from each of your guests, but no doubt they will present their own to you and your house at the right time - the traditional time for this is when the dinner is concluding, wine having been enjoyed in full. However, at this point, the dinner is halfway through – time for you to select another conversational partner. It has not left your mind that you have designs to reveal the location of the raiding Κενταυροι tonight, although some strategy for this is warranted. You could reasonably attempt to gather allies for this effort, or instead, take on the burden of this military expedition alone.

>Who shall Deianira speak with next? This vote will close at 9pm tomorrow night.

>Gather the attention of the guests and call upon them as a group to provide a small number of spearmen apiece for a possible Κενταυροι raid? Given Deianira’s earlier failure in addressing the audience, this would be risky at best.

>Melaneira, wife of Podageus, whose seems to have been mollified somewhat by your gift of ointment and oil?

>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?

>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos? He seemed receptive to your opening audience, perhaps he would be amenable to providing assistance for the raid?

>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?

>Cnotheos, who was struck by your charm and beauty during the last phase?

>Someone else?
>>
>>5666698
>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos? He seemed receptive to your opening audience, perhaps he would be amenable to providing assistance for the raid?
>>
>>5666698
>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos? He seemed receptive to your opening audience, perhaps he would be amenable to providing assistance for the raid?
>>
>>5666698
>Aristonax
>>
For the centaur problem i say we lament of their thievery upon our lands, if anybody has been wronged they too will want to pitch in and then we reveal that we discovered their camp.
The men will want to prove their manlyness and Deianira can tag along as a healer under escort of her own soldiers and watch from behind a shield wall.
Pantaleon can go in the melee proper and assassinate the one that knows of us.
>>
>>5666837
Seems somewhat of a sound idea, but I worry about showing any form of weakness, the lamenting of thievery, as that would reflect poorly on our ability to protect our lands and might cause some of these nobles to develop ideas of raiding our lands. So perhaps we can save it for the final social action if we can figure out who among these nobles has had centaurs attacking their lands.
Who knows, maybe figuring out what the orb of vapor does or openly wearing the dark sash will add some gravitas to our appeal. Think theatrics.
>>
>>5666698
>>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
>>
>>5666852
If we fear that it show weakness then we need to talk about this problem in another way, one that mitigates or fully cover said weakness.
First of all our forces are small, so that is already a weakness. This is a know fact.
But, we can underline the fact we are taking initiative for finding and destroying our foes. We very much know the monsters position, equipment and numbers. All of this information is incredibly useful for attacking them, and speaks of the skill of our scouts and even if Deinara is a woman, of her desire to defend her own land.
All good points.
>>
>>5666852

>Who knows, maybe figuring out what the orb of vapor does or openly wearing the dark sash will add some gravitas to our appeal. Think theatrics.

Not a bad idea for later, but Deianira isn’t ready to investigate these gifts while the dinner is actually ongoing.

>my review of threads 1 and 2 of TWQ is complete!

Seems clear that Nikandros and company were meant to continue sailing through the Cyclades, once we beat the pirates, maybe cruise by the southwestern coast of Anatolia, and then hit Ilion proper. Nikandros would have probably leveled up as we walk through the gates of Ilion. Probably at least two or three major encounters along the way there.

Ah, to dream of what may have been…
>>
>>5666698
>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
Probably our best bet.
>>
>>5666698
>Aristonax, who has continued to chat quietly with his well-made son, Gerasimos? He seemed receptive to your opening audience, perhaps he would be amenable to providing assistance for the raid?
>>
>>5666698
>>5667297
Changing my vote to:
>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a women?
>>
>>5667430

Anon, thanks for the vote but please post a second time or link back to a prior post for verification purposes!
>>
>>5667543
Nerd
>>
>>5667561

Gracias anon
>>
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Aristonax (and Gerasimos, he’s part of the deal)

>>5666706
>>5666708
>>5666730
>>5667430

>I’m interpreting this as a general call for military support for the raid to the guests? But as this is a good idea I’ll work it into the Aristonax convo for a context bonus.

>>5666837

Eriboea

>>5667001

Lyciboeus

>>5667505

—-

Aristonax and Gerasimos win!

Unfortunately, no update tonight fellas - I have some competing priorities. Next update will be out tomorrow at 9ish pm EST. Thanks for your patience!
>>
>>5667693
See you then! Can't wait see how Nira dealing with a normal hot guy will work out.
Random question, but could we possibly get a polecat as a pet? Hekate had one who used to be either the witch Gale, turned as punishment for her incontinence, or Galinthias, midwife of Alkmene, who was transformed by the enraged goddess Eileithyia but adopted by the sympathetic Hekate.
>>
>>5667779
Somehow I forgot the polecat image
>>
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>>5667781
I swear if this doesn't work a third try
>>
>>5667783
That is the weirdest frog I have ever seen in my life.
>>
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>>5667801
>>
>>5667803
kek
>>
>>5667803

Kek.

>>5667779

Get out of my notes, anon.
>>
>>5667779
>>5667783
Oh yeah i remember these being more common pets for romans than cats because they caught mices and rats more efficiently.
But they lamented a lot of their stink because when unfixed they really smell.
>>
Aristonax seems to know that you intend to speak with him – you’ve hardly turned to his direction and taken in his appearance and demeanor before he nods to acknowledge you, his light eyes set deeply in his stony face. You call out to him in polite greeting as you take your first impressions. You wouldn’t describe him as handsome, but he projects a sort of craggy dignity about himself – he looks every part of the older Thessalian nobleman that he is, gruff and foreboding in his affect. You have no doubt that he is physically capable and has retained the strength of his younger years – his movements are the direct and efficient actions of an athlete. His eyes seemed to scan slowly in all directions, and you suddenly recognize his cool evaluations – Νίκων would often have the same expression, as he spoke to you of defenses and ambushes, troop movements, and other such things. Aristonax is not just a spearman, you think, but a tactician – a man who delights in the merciless crushing of the enemy.

Gerasimos, by contrast, is a remarkable handsome youth of 15 or 16 – he has clearly inherited his father’s light eyes, but more clearly resembles his mother, Ianthousa, and to his clear benefit. Where Aristonax’s face is hewn roughly from stone, Gerasimos’ visage seems have to been carved by an expert sculptor. He is wiry and possesses the lanky quality of a young man who has not quite grown into his frame. In contrast to his father, his eyes linger on the women in the room – they rest on you for entirely too long and too directly for your liking. You know his type, after having several suitors strut around the οἶκος – young men eminently confident in their own abilities, and yet having achieved nothing.
“Lord Aristonax, if you please, tell me of your οἶκος and of your sons? How will the οἶκος of Aristonax respond to the call of the Atreides?” Aristonax is wise enough to maintain a neutral expression, but Gerasimos is full to the brim with youthful disappointment – his brows collide in a troubled expression. Gerasimos leaps out to speak before his father, saying.
>>
>>5668357
this is me obviously lol

---

“Bright-tressed Lady Deianira, you honor us with your attentions - my eldest brother, Eukeratos, is traveling to Mycenae as we speak, to pledge 50 spears to King Agamemnon.” The twist in Gerasimos’ mouth leaves it quite clear how he feels about this – clearly, he believes that he should be captaining his own vessel along with his brother.

Aristonax looks briefly and dispassionately at his son, and without warning, backhands him – Gerasimos topples off his bench and knocks his training spear to the cobblestones. You draw back in shock, but Aristonax ignores you. He grabs Gerasimos by the neck of his chiton and drags him back into his bench-seat. With a voice like gravel, he warns his son, “Speak when spoken to.” Gerasimos does his best to hide his fury and embarrassment, dabbing his bloody lip, but even in the torchlight, you can see his face turn an ugly purple.

Aristonax turns to you, face impressive, and continues as if nothing has occurred – “My eldest son Eukeratos will seek his own glory in King Agamemnon’s effort, as your brother Nikandros has done.” He regards you frankly, and continues, “I am not one for flowery words or shadings of the truth. I respect your forthrightness, tonight – announcing your brother’s absence. Most women would flinch at such an admission or hide the truth.” This statement is not delivered with warmth or affection – on the contrary, you sense that Aristonax’s compliment is delivered grudgingly.

“My youngest son, Thalpates, will remain at home, along with Gerasimos, until such time as they are ready to command a force.” At this, he glances at Gerasimos, and his lips twitch in disappointment. “I intend to guard the border of King Peleus’ realm from the barbaroi scum, as is my birthright.”

>Well, how does Deianira intend to continue this conversation?

>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?

>Ask about Damachides, his forces, and his general disposition? They may have collaborated previously

>Ask about the barbaroi hordes that he helps keep at bay?

>Something else?
>>
>>5668358
>>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?
Ey bruv you hate barbaroi? Well what if I told you a buncha horsefucking horsefucks were roaming about. We could slap some stuff together, kill some shit, take whatever loot the mule-brains have stolen. A great time all around. They won't even know what hit them and we even know exactly where they are. How convenient.

A fine way to get your sons some experience fighting something a bit more exotic than hollering hillmen.
>>
>>5668358
>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?

He has manpower and a son who wants to prove his worth and who thinks we're hot; if Gerasimos doesn't volunteer immediately I'll be shocked
>>
>>5668358
>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?
An unprepared military enemy probably will delight this stone-faced Aristonax. Might be best to leverage the knowledge of the centaurs'' location, numbers, camp defenses, and etc to show how easy of a target this could be. Perhaps we could also use Nira's skills as a healer for a conversation gambit to gather support. I'm just waiting for the time we can throw out some nonsense lingo disguised as medical advice.
>you can see his face turn an ugly purple
That boy will totally try killing his father if pushed a bit and Nira has already a damning judgement of him.
>>
If this goes well, maybe we can get Aristonax to back the general appeal that we might make for the final social action.
>>
>>5668417
>That boy will totally try killing his father if pushed a bit
And then when Eukeratos comes back, uh oh. But I can't help but wonder if Aristonax hit Gerasimos truly for speaking out of turn, or if he struck him for trying to flatter a chick. Specifically one he has not chosen for his son.
>>
>>5668467
I would guess it is more of the former than the latter, otherwise G-boy would not be so handsome. Aristo gives off disciplinarian vibes, perhaps Argyros might have some insight.
>>
>>5668358
>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?

Killing barbaroi is fine and dutyful but have you ever battled centaurs?
If you know of their ferocity in battle surely you would appreciate catching them by surprise.
>>
>>5668358
>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?
>>
>>5668358
>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?
>>
>>5668358
>Persuade Aristonax to contribute military forces for the centaur raid?
>>
Rolled 15, 18, 2 = 35 (3d20)

>Persuade Aristonax

>>5668364
>>5668384
>>5668417
>>5668486
>>5668500
>>5668555
>>5668675

>Unanimous for pitching a combined operation to Aristonax.

I'm calling for two rolls of dice+2d20+7. In this circumstance, Deianira is applying a light touch with respect to her witchy affect (so only a +2 bonus instead of the full +4 bonus) since she recognizes that Aristonax is probably a hardass and won't likely be influenced by batting her eyelashes.

>the first two rolls are against Aristonax's WILL, with a flat +0 bonus
>third roll is for Gerasimos' WILL at a -3 penalty (you'll see why)
>>
>>5668725

>Gerasimos rolling a literal -1

what a fucking moron, lol
>>
>>5668725

Also, god fucking damn it, I need two rolls of dice+1d20+7, NOT dice+2d20+7.

Apologies all.
>>
Rolled 17 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

>>5668725
>>
>>5668731
Oh thank god.
>>
Rolled 1 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

>>5668725
Nira a champ in 1-1 convo, not so for speeches tho
>>
>>5668731

Nice work, anon!

>>5668737

Deianira is slowly but surely building a rep for having a golden tongue, that's for sure.

--

>23 vs 18 - moderate success!
>-1 vs 24 - Gerasimos loses control of his bodily functions in excitement. I will enjoy writing this...

I'll have an update for 12-2pm EST today.
>>
>>5668740
>bodily functions
I’m filled with morbid curiosity
>>
>>5668740
Gerasimos sounds like it's going to be hilarious.
>>
>>5668740
Lmao, did we make him jizz
>>
This is the moment – the right time to bring your goal to the fore. You imagine that Νίκων must feel this same way when a filthy barbaroi leaves his guard open for the fatal strike, or when his opponent in a game of Petteia foolishly leaves a file of pieces exposed to attack. While you do not know Aristonax, not truly, you sense his type – hard on himself, hard on his family- ah, and you see that he has not taken even one drop of wine from his kylix. Yes, he fancies himself a disciplined soldier and nobleman, and you imagine that he looks down upon those those who do not value such self-sacrifice.

You do your best to present yourself as focused and calm, although there is a part of your mind still reeling from the awful experience with Abercion. Leaning forwards, you begin -

“Lord Aristonax, I wonder I might gain your assistance in a troubling matter,” you begin diplomatically. “With the assistance of my trackers, I have located a den of Κενταυροι. They have been preying on the rich lands of Lyciboeus, and probably for several weeks, before one of them had crossed over in my lands.” You wisely leave the implications here for Aristonax to puzzle through – Aristonax is no doubt familiar with the steady patrols that your brother had put in place, and he is also likely aware that Lyciboeus’ military efforts are haphazard at best, his patrols scarce and ill-disciplined. By leaving these things unsaid, you imply that you are keeping a close eye on your patrols, in keeping with your brother's efforts, and furthermore imply that Lyciboeus' incompetence has allowed for this problem in the first place. You hit the mark clearly, here – Aristonax snorts softly, shaking his head. He clearly has made the conclusions you had expected. Emboldened, you continue -

“They are drunkards and thieves, as is the nature of these savage spawn of Ixion, and number no more than 20; they are led by a large one, dark of hair and horsecoat, and he is of uncommon cruelty. They have hidden themselves shoddily in a small valley, just within Lyciboeus’ lands.” Gerasimos is riveted by this telling, and you notice that his kylix is empty – his eyes parked dully upon your cloaked form in lust or perhaps in ambition, you aren't sure. You suspect that this is not his first emptying of his cup – where Lyciboeus abstains, it seems that Gerasimos indulges. You tuck away this helpful fact for later employ.

“The beasts will no doubt move on in the near future to harass and destroy our men and livestock – they are a roving blight on the hills of Thessaly and an affront to the gods of Olympus, who granted us these lands by birthright…” You can’t resist waxing a bit a poetic here, although this is a risky play when addressing a grim soldier... But you’re pleased to see Aristonax’s rough-hewn face slowly shift into a frown. You have him caught!

>more coming
>>
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“Lady Deianira, if what you say is true, then we must act to rid ourselves of the beasts as soon as we may. You are too young to know this, but these Κενταυροι often send such raiding parties abroad in the search for rich lands to plunder – no doubt this group you speak of is meant to return to a greater host. We may find ourselves contending with a far larger number if they are left to their own devices. You will have 50 spears to the cause – in addition to your own troops, 100 spearmen should be quite enough to eradicate the beasts.” You do your best not to betray your joy – revealing your girlish excitement would spoil the moment. Instead, you nod dutifully at his words and discuss the arrangements. In a few days, you would coordinate your brother’s First Platoon, along with Argyros’ help, along with a phalanx of Aristonax’s Hillguard (as he calls them). You know little of armed tactics or of battle, but Aristonax assures you that 100 spearmen is well enough to handle the beasts, so long as your troops commit themselves well.

Deep in the discussions with Aristonax as you are, at first you do not hear Gerasimos’ mumblings – you half-way noticed that he had continued to drain his kylix while you negotiated with his father. You ignore his steadily-louder grumbling, along with Aristonax, and then -

“Father, I request command of the Hillguard for the raid!” Gerasimos nearly shouts. Aristonax and yourself turn to him in surprise – Gerasimos' eyes are narrowed in irritation; his shoulders slumped. The boy is now clearly drunk – and worse, he is clearly a fool as well. Aristonax stares steadily at his son, face blank, and he instead turns to you, saying “The matter is concluded, then. In four days time, we raid the beasts, and I will command the Hillguard.” Aristonax, perhaps out of fatherly love, is content to ignore his son's outburst.

But Gerasimos is visibly incensed, and rather than escaping with wounded pride, shouts, “I challenge you for command of the raid!” He stands abruptly, picks up his training δόρυ, and taking several steps back from the bench, rudely thrusting its blunted tip towards his father’s face. You cannot imagine a more idiotic decision on his part - you stifle a giggle at the outrageousness of the moment – the boy is challenging his father openly, before an audience of his peers. Aristonax has no choice but to respond.

Aristonax sighs deeply, looking in your direction, and you gesture placatingly with your slender hands – he is your son, do as you wish, your hands convey. He stands and without further ado, grabs his own training δόρυ; the set of his shoulders tells you that he is ready to make his son suffer for his antics. The guests, now sensing excitement, are busily shushing each other, and requesting fresh pours of wine into their kylixes. Lyciboeus appears positively delighted at the prospect of entertainment, you notice.

>more coming
>>
Rolled 20 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>We're going to sim out this duel, mostly to build my expertise with Homer's combat system.
>After the Podageus/brothers fight I'm feeling like I understand it a bit better.
>Players will roll for Aristonax and I'll be rolling for Gerasimos

For the purposes of this duel, Aristonax and Gerasimos are unarmored, and equipped with training spears with blunted heads. Instead of a 1d5 for damage, they do 1d2 + STR + Spearplay damage. Additionally, Aristonax is "going hard" (so half STR bonus) but Gerasimos is fighting with everything he's got (full STR bonus). Finally, Gerasimos is drunk, which provides penalties to AGI (and WILL, INT) and small temporary bonuses to STR and CON.

First, let's roll for initiative.

Players, I need a dice+1d20+1 for Aristonax's initiative.
>>
Rolled 20, 17 = 37 (2d20)

>>5668942

Shit, well, Gerasimos flies towards his dad like a bat out of hell.

>Gerasimos wins initiative.

>Gerasimos has a manual +1 AGI bonus (to-hit), and a manual +2 STR bonus to wound rolls

Players, I need two rolls of dice+1d20 for Aristonax's dodge (manual +1 bonus) and block (manual +3 bonus, +1 from CON, and Aristonax has the "Spearfighter" trait which provides a general +2 bonus to all spear combat rolls)
>>
Rolled 5, 7 = 12 (2d20)

>>5668946
Holy shit, G boy is going to kill his father in our house, or at least wound him. Glad we’re a healer
>>
Rolled 1 + 2 (1d2 + 2)

>>5668951

I think we might be witnessing a teenage aristeia here…

Okay, now I’m rolling for damage on Aristonax.
>>
Rolled 18 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5668953

Aristonax takes 3 wounds and a glancing blow to his head!

He is currently at 6/9 wounds.

Okay, I need another roll of dice+1d20+1 for Aristonax’s initiative
>>
>>5668956
Aristo’s at a -2 malus now!
>>
Rolled 5 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5668956
>>
Rolled 20, 2 = 22 (2d20)

>>5668962
>>5668964

>imagine getting btfo by your drunk teenage son at his first party

>19 vs 6

>Gerasimos wins initiative again! Rolling another set of d20s for his to-hit and attack! Manual +1 AGI and +2 STR bonus.

Players, I need another two rolls of dice+1d20 for Aristonax’s defense! He now has a manual -1 AGI bonus and +1 CON bonus due to his wound penalty.

>I feel like I’m not fucking this up like I did the Podageus fight, making progress anons…
>>
Wait, are you asking for a 1d20 for dodge and a 1d20 for defense. Aren’t those suppose to be bundled into one 2d20?
>>
Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5668974
>>
>>5668980

My apologies anon, you are correct - one roll of dice+2d20 please.

Phone posting will be the death of me.
>>
>>5668983

I’m throwing this roll out, but thanks for rolling
>>
Rolled 17, 13 = 30 (2d20)

>>5668974
>>
>>5669009

>21 vs 16 - Aristonax’s dodge fails

>4 vs 14 - Aristonax successfully blocks

Whew, maybe the tides are turning for Aristonax… because Gerasimos failed to deal damage, now Aristonax auto-wins initiative!

This was a quick two rounds of combat - I’ll write up a mini update tonight and call for additional rolls at that time.
>>
Man what the fuck did Sesame Seed put in that fucking wine? G-boy is going buck wild out here.
>>
Gerasimos is going so hard because he's in sight of a pretty woman, boners can make a man do anything.
>>
>>5669044
He put G-fuel which makes fighting family easier. Just look at how Podageus did.
>>
>>5669179
>I invented a time machine to go back and give primitives carbonated beverages and caffeine.
This is a force beyond morality.
>>
>>5669228
>Isekais himself to have a slice of life in the frontiers of bronze age Greece.
>Doesn't even fuck his wife, just make the best wine around.
He is too powerful
>>
test
>>
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>>5669232
>get isekai'd
>"You wanna be Agamemnon, high king and rich as fuck?"
>nah
>"How about Achilles, the greatest warrior of the age?"
>pass
>"Perhaps then Odysseus, the smoothest operator in all of Greece?"
>lame
>"The fuck do you want, little man?!"
>Can I have a vineyard? I want some grapes.
>>
>>5669228
>>5669232
>>5669255

o I am laffing. Will reference these memes in the future.

--

The atmosphere is tense with anticipation, in your father’s courtyard, and your head is whirling. In the space of only an hours, you have floundered in your opening address to your peers, withstood the scrutinizing attentions of a mysterious divinity (your right arm twinges, still icy with Abercion’s grip), and now, you have unintentionally prompted a duel between a father and son. Admittedly, you aren’t sure that you could be blamed for this last – it seems that relations between Gerasimos and Aristonax have been rocky well before your conversations with them. Nonetheless, you had given leave to Aristonax to handle his son’s moronic challenge for command in the way that he sees fit – and Aristonax has chosen to pit his strength against his son’s.

They stand apart from one another, about 10 paces distant, spears held rigidly. Gerasimos, now drunken with rage as well as wine, steps and jitters lightly on the cobblestones. Sober, you imagine that he might be prowling lightly, testing the ground, tasting the air for advantage, but drunk as he is, he instead manages a sort of unintentional fluidity, shuffling and sliding in an unpredictable manner. Aristonax, by contrast, stands as firm and motionless as a stone column; and yet, he projects an aura of violence.

There is no signal – at once, Gerasimos is flying across the cobblestones, darting and stuttering haphazardly to his father's left. Before you can blink, Gerasimos is raining thrusts at his father’s throat, his eyes, his ankles, his legs. You would not describe his style as artful, but every strike is fueled by outrage. Aristonax is caught by surprise by his son’s lightning advance – his calm demeanor dissolves immediately as he desperately bats aside Gerasimos’ blunted speartip time and time again, as he wheels to his back-left in retreat. The clatter of wood against wood, sandal upon stone fills the courtyard - even your staff have forgotten themselves and watch with great interest.

There is suddenly a great cry from your guests, and you realize that you had missed the contact – one of Gerasimos’ wild thrusts had clearly slipped through his father’s guard, flashing up at Aristonax’s temple, and split the skin of his scalp widely. The warring members of οἶκος Aristonax separate once again, to catch their breath and evaluate their opponent. Blood the color of Seisames’ wine flows freely from Aristonax's wound, drenching the left half of his face in blood – he dares to wipe this side of his face to clear his sight, and scrubs his hand against his dark brown robes, leaving an ugly smear.

>more coming
>>
Rolled 17, 4 = 21 (2d20)

>>5669283

Without a moment’s pause, Gerasimos leaps again at his father, his blunted speartip waving wildly. This time, his father is prepared – Aristonax suddenly advances on his son, and the strength and power of Gerasimos’ strikes are blunted, without the momentum needed to deliver them. Lacking space to maneuver his spear, Gerasimos turns to a series of poorly-aimed lateral strikes, and even attempts to throw a punch – Aristonax blocks several of these, but weathers the rest.

He catches Gerasimos’ training δόρυ in his guard, and placing his open palm on Gerasimos’ chest, pushes him stumbling back. You are shocked by the speed of Aristonax’s relentless advance, as he chases after Gerasimos, spear high and in striking position. Your heart is tumbling over itself in wild anxiety - this is hardly what you had planned for tonight's events!

>this combat system is pretty complicated when you're drunk yourself - STATs, traits, bonuses and debuffs to keep track of. Maybe I should make a spreadsheet...

>Gerasimos has a +1 AGI dodge bonus and a +0 bonus for CON. I'm rolling 2 d20s for this.
>Aristonax currently has - 1 AGI to-hit bonus and a +3 bonus for STR (normally +5, between his typical +3 STR, and +2 Spearfighter trait, but -2 for his wounds)
>I'll apply these bonuses manually. Please let me know if I'm fucking up (but I think I'm doing it right).

Players, I need one roll of dice+2d20 to determine Aristonax's attack success!
>>
Rolled 7, 5 = 12 (2d20)

>>5669294
Fight Club!
>>
I can't believe that the teenager keeps winning, lmao.
>>
Rolled 2, 19 = 21 (2d20)

>>5669297

>6 vs 18 - Aristonax fails to make contact
>8 vs 4 - doesn't matter since Aristonax missed

Gerasimos continues to overperform, truly a mad fusion between Dionysus, Ares and a squalling child...

>We'll move right into Gerasimos' counterattack!

>Gerasimos has a +1 AGI to-hit bonus and a +2 bonus for STR (given his drunkenness)
>Aristonax has a -1 AGI dodge bonus and a +1 bonus for CON

Players, I need another dice+2d20 for Aristonax's defensive turn.
>>
Rolled 15, 7 = 22 (2d20)

>>5669307
The kid can't be stopped. The future is now, old man. Is what I would have said if I wasn't about to double natty this bitch
>>
Rolled 5, 19 = 24 (2d20)

>>5669317

>so to summarize

>Round 2 ends in Aristonax failure, 6 vs 18 - Aristonax misses.
>Round 3 ends in Gerasimos failure, 3 vs 15 - Gerasimos misses.
>Round 4 start! Aristonax auto-wins initiative.
>This has sort of devolved into a sad display, tbqh.

I'll request one last round to combat rolls and then will write up an update for tomorrow.

>Gerasimos has a +1 AGI dodge bonus and a +0 bonus for CON. I'm rolling 2 d20s for this.
>Aristonax currently has - 1 AGI to-hit bonus and a +3 bonus for STR (normally +5, between his typical +3 STR, and +2 Spearfighter trait, but -2 for his wounds)
>I'll apply these bonuses manually.

Players, I need a dice+2d20 for Aristonax's counter-counter-attack!
>>
Rolled 14, 6 = 20 (2d20)

>>5669355
>>
>>5669357

>13 vs 6 - Aristonax makes contact!
>9 vs 19 - Aristonax fails to penetrate Gerasimos' guard!

After 4 rounds of combat, it's increasingly looking like Gerasimos got off a lucky hit on his dad to start and has vastly overperformed expectations, but now combat between them is getting sloppy and tiring and has turned into a mediocre slapfight... I suppose this is what combat looks like between "regular" mortals with really no gear and no special combat bonuses.

Anyways, update tomorrow! thanks for playing all!
>>
>>5669369
I believe in Gerasimos, he's gonna take this to the finish
>>
>>5669382
I'm just worried we're gonna need to call Pantyboy in here to chokeslam the little prick to stop him from killing his dad.
>>
Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>5669355
Never really got to see a fight between equals. We only had Nikon vs. Bandits and Nikon vs. Diomedes; both were pretty one-sided. Plus, these G-boy and Aristo both have training weapons, though Aristo's strength and spear skill probably would hurt even without him going full tilt.
I can't help but wonder if there would have been a battle exhaustion mechanic, as fighting can be very tiring if drawn out. Wasn't there mention about will checks having to be made or something along the lines during battles? Though, G-boy is hopped up on liquid courage.
Anyways, whoever gets hurt or throws in the towel by the end of this bout, in my opinion, will end up benefiting Nira, who can offer her services as a healer and thus get someone indebted to her. It will kind of suck if Aristo gets killed, considering. We just compromised with him, and he seems a capable tactician, which would help with the centaur raid, but maybe we can steal his soldiers/lands a bit if he falls. Probably taint our hall, though, with patricide if that comes to pass.
Imagine the Kleos loss right now, in front of all your peers, and being deadlocked by your teenage son.
On the centaur raid, would the idea of giving the Hippomedon's Essense to Pantyboy be good in case he has to engage the chieftain in a one-on-one dual? Real curious if the fog orb can be used to summon fog of some kind, as that might be quite the boon for a raid, though I don't know how much of a tactician Nira is. Never really understood the whole benefit of being able to do military write-ins with tactical genius. We were so close to learning. We were just on the eve of the first battle when Homer left.

Just rolling to see the G-fuel.
>>
>>5669566

>Battle exhaustion mechanic

Hmm, this is a great idea. I'd wonder if Homer had something planned for this. I could imagine a system in which the combatants can fight at full energy for (raw CON stat/2) rounds, and then once they've crossed through this barrier, they'd have to roll under their CON stat (with bonii and penalties) in the same way that Morale checks were supposed to be conducted.

>Patricide

Deianira wouldn't stand by and let this occur in a training bout (with training spears), as you rightly noted - she'll intervene if either Aristonax or Gerasimos goes to 0 wounds and offer medical services. Of course, it's possible that they stop short of this on their own, I'm planning on having Aristonax made a CHA check for an update in a bit.

>Troop vs Troop battle mechanics

While we never got to see pitched battle, I actually think we have enough information to create a system that would be in keeping with Homer's general ideas. We already know how mortal commoners stack up against nobleman from a STATS perspective, we have some clues about how troop armor and veterancy might affect battle performance (see Nikon's STAT sheet, Nikon's sparring session with Agamemnon's house guards), and if we create a battle exhaustion mechanic, we now have morale and fatigue modifiers for combat performance of troops.

I'm through Book 12 of the Iliad at this point, and most of the battle sequences end in a morale failure and retreat, especially if Hector is going HAM on your front lines, or whatever. Heroes have to generally intervene against Heroes.

>Naval Combat

I'm working on this, too. Probably the easiest thing to do would be to create a limited "stat sheet" for ships of various types and then utilize pre-existing battle mechanics. Agamemnon's black ships are obviously going to be faster (higher AGI, STR) and more durable (higher CON) than the pirate's merchant ships. Then, you'd apply bonuses to ship maneuvers based on the crew complement. So Pollux's expertise in sailing might provide an additional die roll or other bonii to a potential ramming attack, etc.

---

Haha, I swear I'm thinking about all this...just in case
>>
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>>5669673
>most of the battle sequences end in a morale failure
This is very much true for nearly all ancient battles. Unlike Total War and most RTS games where there is a simple rock, paper and scissors mechanics, combat is almost always decided by morale and loyalty. A small group of disciplined men always defeats a large rabble.
>>
>>5669701
Tactics, not numbers. As they say.
>>
>>5669566
>Never really understood the whole benefit of being able to do military write-ins with tactical genius
You are more flexible and can better use the different elements of the battlefield to your advantage. Without tactical genius things are probably more rigid, they thought you the ABC of war and you just do that and stick to it.


>>5669369
I am surprised by this results of Gerasimos being drunk is not exactly ideal for combat. Aristonax certainly didn't have his sons skip training with him
>>
>Round 3 – Aristonax misses

To your surprise, Aristonax fails to capitalize on his advance – he clearly hesitates much too long before driving his blunted speartip towards his son’s throat, giving Gerasimos plenty of time to dance out of its path. You surmise that some element of paternal love weighs heavily on his wrists, delaying his strike, despite his face remaining empty of emotion. Gerasimos shows no sign of understanding this – his face is still contorted with rage, and amazingly, despite his inebriation, his feet continually find sure footing amongst the cobblestones. They trade several blows, leaping back and forth before the benches of the feast, but to no avail. Aristonax has clearly adapted to his son’s unexpected agility and speed and is trading away nothing in his footwork – while heavier on his feet, he does well in predicting his son’s skittering assaults.

>Round 4 – Gerasimos misses

Gerasimos’ counterattack fails as well – prowling to the side, he unleashes a volley of lateral strikes against Aristonax’s chest and left leg, but by this time, Aristonax is now familiar with his son’s wild strikes, and quickly sidesteps these. Obvious signs of fatigue are now setting in – their chests heaving, their spearpoints wavering in position. The blood from Aristonax's split scalp has dried quickly, a black mask of flaking blood, streaked with sweat. This match has been a wordless one, father and son each preferring to resolve the matter through physical strength rather than wordplay. This stalemate is a shocking result, and clearly not only to yourself. Lyciboeus and Podageus – typically at odds with one another, now look upon the dueling members of the house Aristonax in thoughtful contemplation. Perhaps they have overlooked Gerasimos in the past themselves. Ianthousa’s round face, framed by red curls, seems to be alternating between shame at her son’s conduct, fear at Aristonax’s wound, and perhaps the glimmers of pride, as Gerasimos has done unbelievably well for himself in the duel despite his poor judgment in demanding it.

You turn your attentions back to the spar, and Aristonax has taken many steps back, creating a large amount of space between himself and Gerasimos. He inhales deeply, clearly ready to speak to his son. Gerasimos, in turn, seems to be taking a moment to recover, himself, covered in sweat. You sense that his volcanic rage is beginning to cool after several minutes of hard combat - Aristonax may find purchase for his argument here.

>roll me a dice+1d20 for Aristonax’s attempt to talk his son down.
>>
Rolled 18 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5669872

Oops, and I forgot Gerasimos' defensive roll.
>>
>>5669874

KEK.

Holy fuck, Gerasimos is unhinged.
>>
Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>5669872
Gerasimos is such a legend; if he had been sent in his brother's stead he would have gotten plastered and dragged Helen back in a night
>>
Rolled 11, 12 = 23 (2d20)

>>5669874
>>5669879

>15 vs 16 - Aristonax suffers minor failure (Gerasimos currently has a -2 Will bonus, not a +2 bonus per my previous post, but it doesn't matter anyways)
>Gerasimos is all but screaming "YOU AREN'T MY DAD"
>Round 5 combat begins!

--

Aristonax's rumbling voice rings out at his son, his hands gripping his training δόρυ tightly -

"Gerasimos, enough! You have committed yourself well tonight, and have even drawn first blood - never before have you fought so well! But now it is time to lay down your δόρυ - further blows should not be struck between us tonight, and in the palace of our host. A man must first learn to lead before he can do so - why not accompany me on this raid and see how I place the spearmen, how lines of battle may be drawn?" This appeal is eminently a reasonable one, and even you, as unlearned as you are in the ways of warfare, would find this a reasonable compromise.

Gerasimos, wobbling slightly, does not respond immediately - to your eye, he is obviously torn between warring factions of his mind. To your surprise, his face splits into an ugly grin, and he spits onto your cobblestones, and says simply -

"No, I WILL command the Hillguard - no more delays, no more frustrations! I will TAKE this from you, if you will not give it!" Gerasimos' beautiful face is contorted in a bizarre rictus now - for the first time, you seriously consider whether he may be insane or suffering from a curse of the gods. No sane man would behave in the way that he has, or else, some uncountable number of slights and insults have been piled onto his shoulders through decades of abuse at Aristonax's hands, and now, of all nights, his vengeance is spewing forth. Lyciboeus is guffawing in delight, he can hardly believe his good fortune, and Ianthousa is now clearly mortified - this duel has gone beyond an acceptable length and has become an embarrassing display of discord. The nobility will be recounting this tale behind the backs of Aristonax for decades to come.

Aristonax is openly furious now, any pretense of a sparring match now forgotten, and charges forwards against his son, his spearpoint low...

>Gerasimos has a +1 AGI dodge bonus and a +0 bonus for CON. I'm rolling 2 d20s for this.
>Aristonax currently has - 1 AGI to-hit bonus and a +3 bonus for STR (normally +5, between his typical +3 STR, and +2 Spearfighter trait, but -2 for his wounds)

>I need two rolls of dice+1d20 for Aristonax's attack!
>>
Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5669887
Sometimes reasonable sons must do unreasonable things
>>
Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>5669887
Smack.
>>
Rolled 2, 1 = 3 (2d20)

>>5669887
>>
>>5669907
>>5669914

>16 vs 12 - Aristonax connects!
>16 vs 12 - Aristonax successfully breaks Gerasimos' guard!

Now I need a dice+1d2+3 to determine how much pain is inflicted on lil G. I'll be accepting these rolls, see comment below.

>>5669922

Anon, my sincere apologies - I know I keep requesting different rolls from the players. For some reason I have a mental block, I always revert to "one anon = one roll" due to years of /qst/ exposure, instead of Homer's system where one anon would roll 2d20.
>>
Rolled 2 + 3 (1d2 + 3)

>>5669928
Oh boy, this will hurt
>>
Malus of -5 for G-boy! I think he can’t even do damage now.
>>
>I Just now noticed that some of the characters have thematic names
Neato
>>
>>5669958

>Gerasimos takes 5 wounds and a couple ribs are cracked! He is now at 3/8 health (or 37.5% health).

>>5669958

I’ll triple-check the wound malus later on but I think you’re right (-1 malus for each 10% lost, but the 1st 10% doesn’t count).

Let’s roll a morale-check to see if Gerasimos has the will to fight after taking a brutal shot to the rib cage from his dickhead dad. I’ll need one roll of dice+1d20+2 for this. If I understand Homer’s roll under system, he needs to roll under his WILL stat of 8 to succeed and stay in the fight.

Update later tonight, maybe 9pm.
>>
Rolled 17 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5669996
I BELIEVE IN YOU GERASIMOS
>>
>>5670027

Alas, it seems that getting your ribs cracked is the great antidote to drunkenness…
>>
I wonder, based on this combat showing, if the higher up you go on the hero list, the shorter the battles between equals will be, as, with one wound hit, folks like Diomedes, Achilles, or even Nikon can one-shot people. One slip up and you're dead kind of situation.
>>
>>5670060
That is how most of the fights went. Either they got instantly killed or they were injured and fucked off to recover after they were struck one solid time.
>>
>>5670060
>>5670063

I’m guessing that you’re right anon - even though I’m constantly fucking up the rolls and mechanics I did purposefully make this fight Bo1 to see how that changes the feel - Homer’s system of hit vs dodge, wound vs block also sort of protects weaker characters, so you end up getting a sort of inconclusive slap-fight.

Diomedes vs Aeneas would probably be over very quickly, if not resolving in a retreat.
>>
>>5670072
You know, I like the way the rolls have gone for this little battle, it makes a nice story. I especially like Aristonax's appeal to his son. Shame his son is so upset.
>>
>>5670115
whoops idk why my name is Sage. This quest is awesome btw you've done a great job so far Lesches. Don't get too beat up by the little stumbles with mechanics
>>
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There is no hesitation this time – you see the warrior’s gleam of Aristonax’s eyes as he steps forward. You’ve seen the same look in your brother’s eyes, charging Pantaleon in a sparring match – it is the look of a man who means to crush all doubts of his authority on the field. His advance is not terribly quick, but fast enough for a nobleman in his mid-fifties – Aristonax flashes across the cobblestones, spear couched in his guard, and he makes no effort to deceive in his intentions. When at the correct range, his spear licks out at Gerasimos’ chest, and his son is simply too slow in the wrists to avert contact. An ugly sound escapes Gerasimos’ throat – a strangled yelp of agony combined with the grinding of his ribs, audible even to you, as they break apart from the speartip’s penetrating strike. Worse still, Gerasimos tumbles backwards on the hard cobblestones, only narrowly preventing himself from dashing his brains out across your father’s courtyard.

>Gerasimos takes 5 wounds! He is now at 3/8 health.

Aristonax is unmerciful in victory – he stands over his son, blunted spearpoint inches away from Gerasimos’ throat. A single punch forwards, and Gerasimos would die a gasping death as the soft tissues of his neck are crushed together. Both men breathe heavily as they evaluate this turn of events, motionless. This “sparring match” has been a bizarre episode and not at all what you had anticipated. You had expected a clear duel between respectful participants – instead, you witnessed an angry, sloppy thing. In a darker corner of your mind, you wonder – this is the true face of Ares, then…no glory, only emptiness and blood…, but you stamp out the thought before it can contaminate your good nature.

>19 vs 10 – Gerasimos fails his morale check and surrenders.

Nonetheless, you are relieved to see that Gerasimos silently cast aside his training δόρυ, the wooden spear rolling away. His meaning is clear – he has had enough. Aristonax, showing his first sign of fatherly affect, extends a hand and pulls his son carefully to his feet. However, Gerasimos makes to turn and perhaps leave the courtyard, and ascend to his room for rest – but Aristonax collars him by the neck with his great paw and drags him back to his seat. Gerasimos is meant to sit for the remainder of the feast with a handful of broken ribs – and in this case, you find yourself agreeing with Aristonax’s harsh discipline.

They stagger back to their benches to the light applause of your guests, and you congratulate the men on their performance. Raising your slender arms, you clap your hands and your staff appear with water and wet cloths – in a matter of moments, the men have been gingerly cleaned. You demand to treat their wounds once the dinner is concluded, and they gracious accept your ministrations – now that they are guest-friends of your house, these gifts of service are taken without reservation…

>more coming
>>
>>5670115
>>5670118

Thanks for the kind words, anon. Just trying to pay homage to TWQ and give back to /qst/!

At this point, your guests are well-fed, and range from tipsy to drunk, judging by giggling you hear from the women's table. The evening's events wash over you - you have heard the recounting of a tale of kinslaying involving your father from Podageus, been tested by a divinity of truly unsettling qualities and gifted with two objects of almost-certain magical properties, secured the military assistance of a neighboring house to address the spawn of Ixion in your bordering lands (and sparked ugly combat between a father and son). All this, and the night is not yet over! You stifle a laugh at the absurdity of it - you have lived for years in this palace and it feels like more has happened in the past two hours than in the two decades prior...

You can't help but put a hand to your temple, fingers penetrating your elaborate weave of golden hair to massage your scalp - to even keep pace with these events has been tiring in the extreme, let alone to take the initiative for another discussion. And yet - you have time for perhaps one more conversation before bright-tressed Selene reaches the apex of her flight, and your guests seek out the soft imprisonment of slumber.

>Who shall Deianira speak with next? This will be the final conversation of the Summons! This vote will close at 9pm tomorrow night.

>Gather the attention of the guests and call upon them as a group to provide an additional number of spearmen apiece for the Aristonax/Hippomedion Κενταυροι raid? Given Deianira’s earlier failure in addressing the audience, this would be risky at best.

>Melaneira, wife of Podageus, whose seems to have been mollified somewhat by your gift of ointment and oil?

>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?

>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a woman?

>Cnotheos, who was struck by your charm and beauty during the last phase, but seemed put off by your opening remarks?

>Ianthousa, who was horrified by the duel between her lord Aristonax, and her son Gerasimos?

>Someone else?
>>
>>5670140
>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a woman?
>>
>>5670140
I'm torn. I hadn't planned on chatting with the god in disguise in this whole thing and was hoping we could talk to Lyciboeus and either Egeria or Seisames. Try and get all the houses covered. But the divine cares not for our plans.

Now it's a hard choice between trying to figure out if we can schmooze Sesame and Egg or try to learn what we can about this whole kerfluffle between Lice and Aristonax from the horse-boy himself.

On the one hand, Seisames, Cnotheos and Egeria are all being shitters right now. On the other, Lyciboeus and Aristonax are pissed at each other so entreating both of them might come off as insincere to both. Or conniving. Making friends with the wine family could be huge if they actually do want and need help with conceiving a child. But that is a very risky thing to broach. It can backfire pretty hard.
>>
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>>5670140
>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a woman?
>>
>>5670140
>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
Instead of lyciboeus himself or the wife for our witchy services i think the handmaiden could be easier to chat and help put the worm to their ear.
Also we already have a leg in and a light friendly chat is perhaps best when everybody is drunk.

>>5670157
I also don't want to be seen as duplicitous by aristonax, perhaps we will talk to lyciboeus at the next event, maybe one he hosts himself?
>>
>>5670140
>>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
>>
>>5670140
>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
What are the chances the beautiful servant attracts the attention of Lyciboeus? I might be misremembering stuff, but wasn't fidelity something the Homeric lords didn't adhere to strictly as they slept with their slaves and servants, more oft than not, those being one and the same? Considering that the centaur camp is on Lyciboeus' land, I can't help but think maybe giving him the chief's body might earn some goodwill or perhaps be seen as an insult that he can't keep his land safe.

>>5670157
>It can backfire pretty hard
We'll get him the juice somehow.

>>5670115
>it makes a nice story
I like that about the contested rolls and the system set up here. No matter if one is a mighty god, some noble hillbilly teenager, or Agamemnon, all have a chance in the right circumstances to mog someone or be a complete jobber.
>>
>>5670342
>lyciboeus arranges a party
>invites only us and aristonax
Could the man be a menace?

>>5670362
Monogamy was definitely a concept back then, but it was more a voluntary thing than a mandatory one. Hera likes it, Zeus isn't a fan, Aphrodite doesn't give a shit so long as there is "love" involved. So it depends on who you regularly invoke and personal taste.

I mean Odysseus who has probably the single coolest fucking wife amongst mortals still fucked around on his journey. It is what it is.
>>
>>5670369
>fucked around on his journey
You talking about Circe and Calypso?
>>
>>5670140
>Ianthousa, who was horrified by the duel between her lord Aristonax, and her son Gerasimos?
>>
>>5670157

My writing might not have been clear, so things that Deianira knows IC:

>Podageus clearly loathes Lyciboeus, but she doesn’t know why. Last thread, Cnotheos guessed that it was some sort of gambling dispute, but he wasn’t clear on it either.

>Lyciboeus, from what you have seen, just doesn’t seem to care about Podageus’s anger.

>Lyciboeus was basically KEKing openly during the Aristonax/Gerasimos duel, but generally without showing malice or vindictiveness. Deianira’s take so far (without having spoken to him) is that he’s as happy-go-lucky as a wealthy, self-absorbed nobleman can be.
>>
>>5670457
I now realize I said Aristonax instead of Podageus. Whoops. The brainrot is spreading.
>>
>>5670140
>Lyciboeus, who seems chatty and was at the least minimally receptive to your general plea for equal consideration as a woman?
>>
>>5670140
>Eriboea, handmaiden of Lyciboeus, who seemed receptive to your opening remarks?
>>
One hour warning all! Lurkers, this is your chance to make your mark (if you double-post, at least).
>>
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Lyciboeus

>>5670143
>>5670163
>>5670742

Eriboea

>>5670342
>>5670350
>>5670362
>>5670752

Ianthousa

>>5670449

An anon grapples with his vote but does not come to a clear conclusion...

>>5670157

---

Looks like Eriboea wins narrowly!

I'll have an update out before 12pm EST tonight...
>>
With the guests amiably chatting amongst themselves, well-lubricated with the excellent wine that Seisames had provided, you search out Eriboea alongside the women’s table. She is delighted when you make eye contact – girlish excitement radiates from her broad grin and dimpled cheeks.

Upon direct examination, she is a beauty, and young at 16 – hers is an oval face with high cheekbones, with rich hair the coloration of thick honey, and luminous green eyes. You might mistake her for a noblewoman, except for her stature – while tall for a commoner woman, she must be well short of six feet. You introduce yourself warmly, and she does the same in turn. However, after a few conversational turns about her travel to your οἶκος, the truth becomes apparent. Her words are sometimes malformed, and she occasionally replaces one phrase for another, possibly out of ignorance – you get the sense that she is almost completely bereft of education.

Beyond this, the girl is simply slow in her reasoning. You have previously taken your own wits for granted; you realize. No amount of Iudas’ patient instruction, or your mother’s own strict lecturing on expected conduct, would transform Eriboea into a noblewoman. This is a girl who knows so little as to preclude curiosity in the wider world – prattle about the weather, the winds, the livestock, and the meaningless comings and goings of the Lyciboeus estate are endlessly fascinating to her. You have a moment of flaring pity for Eriboea – the world is unkind to naïve people such as this.

Nonetheless, you gently apply your charms to Eriboea – who visits with Lyciboeus? How does he pasture his herds? What is the current state of his spearmen, and the mood of his household? These probing questions and more are interspersed carefully within the framework of your broader discussion, although you wonder if such caution is necessary – Eriboea stares at you with the open wonder of a child and would leap at the chance to please you. Still, better to exercise caution, you think.

Despite her lack of reasoning ability, Eriboea does seem to have a clear memory and an eye for faces – she does not struggle to recount her doings on an afternoon seven phases ago, during Πάνημος (February, or thereabouts), and can easily recount her breakfast from the same day. You watch as Eriboea slurps from her kylix, cheeks flushed with wine, and how her left hand remains on her belly; how her eyes come to rest upon Lyciboeus when she is laughing at your jokes…

Ah. A dangerous thing, this, your mother intones in your mind. Tread carefully! she hisses!
>>
>Deianira has successfully intuited that Eriboea is pregnant with Lyciboeus’ child - no roll necessary here given Deianira's huge CHA +7 bonus and Eriboea’s INT penalties (which are significant, poor kid). Given Eriboea’s appearance, she is perhaps only three moons into the pregnancy.

>What did Deianira ask of Eriboea during their conversation? This vote will close tomorrow at 9pm EST.

>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?

>Lyciboeus is said to be the nephew of a Sporadean king, of which kingly family does he spring, and how did he come to Thessaly?

>How are his relations with King Peleus? Does he ever travel to Phthia?

>How is Lyciboeus’ relationship with his wife, Mardokia? Do they argue, have they fought?

>Something else?
>>
>>5670985
>>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?
If we know why they fight we can maybe leverage that in whatever way.

Now I'm curious about what Seisames and Egeria were so keen on coming here for, as was alluded to in the rolls way back when. Though that's the meta talking. I hope neither of them sneak into our room later to talk about it, that's how you get shanked. Or are they leaving after the dinner is concluded? I would imagine that traveling during the night is rather unwise.
>>
>>5670985
>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?
She's bound to have picked up something from pillowtalk and being seen as not that bright. Perhaps she can put in a good word for us with Lyciboeus. Wonder if we might see her as a patient later on.
>>
>>5670985
>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?
>>
>>5670985
>>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?
>>
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>>5670985
>>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?
>>
So when Nira gets her first level up, I will take a wild guess and assume the Centaur raid might be when it is achieved; what should we put the points into? I'm a fan of dumping the two points we'll get straight into CHA because that thing has been saving our buts and is our strongest stat. So that would bring it up to 19 providing a bonus of +8, which, combined with the +2 from being a cool witch, ends up with +10 or even +12, depending on circumstances. That cap of 23 and having a +16 bonus beckons.

It's a bit depressing of a thought to consider that to ensure that Nira doesn't get her οἶκος raided, she has to somewhat constantly flirt. These folks staying at our place might mean they're in the guest-friendship territory, which Homer discussed in the last thread concerning the Atreidae, though the guests there stayed a couple of weeks, so perhaps our case isn't similar enough to invoke that. I'm worried about Damachides due to him not attending, his described personality, his sizable well-trained troops, and the fact he was mentioned to be impious, which I find amusing, considering he lives on the foothills of Mount Olympus.

I do wonder if the centaur camp will have any valuables that we can either use for building up our οἶκος or to sacrifice to a god.
>>
>>5671140

>to make sure Nira doesn't get her οἶκος raided, she has to somewhat constantly flirt.

Alas, this seems to be the general state of affairs for most women of the Late Bronze Age.

Although you should note that Nira is definitely not powerless, given her witchy powers. In part, her (mostly) successful diplomancing has preventing her from needing to bring out her sorcerous “big guns”.

At least in my head canon, this is something of a good thing. The other nobleman have heard some vague rumors of Nira’s abilities, but without any obvious proof of witchery, they’re currently of the general opinion that this may be just some tall tales. Being underestimated this way has its advantages - being “outed” as a famous witch can have unpleasant ramifications (see Circe, Medea, etc).
>>
>>5671140
At least Nira doesn't have 108 betamales trying to woo her all at once that she can't kick out of her house.
>>
>The nature of Podageus’ anger against Lyciboeus?

>>5670990
>>5670996
>>5671015
>>5671102
>>5671111

---

You pose the question innocently, of course.

“Eriboea of the white arms, please, you must tell me – what has sparked the fury between Lyciboeus and Podageus? I have heard it said that there had been a dispute between them over a gamble, or other some other game of chance.”

Eriboea stares at you blankly, her red lips stained with wine and parted slightly. You resist the urge to snap your fingers at her when the moment goes on too long; but Eriboea’s eyes find you once more, after several very long moments. She takes a deep breath, before speaking slowly -

“Lady Deianira, I know of no such gamble, either made well or poorly. But in the past, it is true that Podageus and Melaneira came often to the house of Lyciboeus for companionship; even traveling to Phthia together to the court of Peleus, lord of men. But as it is now, they do not come as they once did.” Eriboea’s forehead wrinkles slightly, and she continues, “One night, last summer, Podageus came calling, and he acted strangely. He did not tell his jokes, nor speak to Lyciboeus with winged words. Instead, he watched Lyciboeus intently, saying little as he ate and drank. I watched him curiously myself – his eyes were always following the hands of Lyciboeus, or else examining the heavy scar that cuts across Lyciboeus’ forehead. Lyciboeus noticed the change - asking him whether Melaneira was well, or if he should give her a gift to lighten her moods.” Eriboea pauses here, staring at you with doe-like eyes. She seems to think that you will respond to her remarks, and you get the faintest sense of caution from her, the tiniest glimmer of resistance – but you apply pressure. Your back straightens, and your gold-flecked eyes bore down upon her, and she crumbles. In a whisper, she goes on to say,

“I was sent to bed early, as is the custom of the οἶκος; but late that night, I did hear a heated argument between them – between Podageus and Lyciboeus. I could not hear well what was said, except for this – Podageus shouting loudly, “It is too fresh, Lyciboeus! Too fresh!”. And some minutes later, I heard the clatter of Podageus rousing Melaneira – strangely, they left in the middle of the night, under the light of bright-tressed Selene.”

>more coming
>>
>>5671617

"The next morning, Lyciboeus was unlike himself - he seemed worried, jittery. He is kind to me, but that morning, he shooed me away viciously when I attempted to comfort him. But as rosy-fingered Eos joined her father in his chariot and took flight across the sky - his mood improved. By that evening it was as if nothing had occurred." Eriboea shrugs - clearly, she feels that the context of these events are unknowable to her, and therefore of no concern.

You, on the other hand, feel quite differently. There is something here, you think. The story of Podageus and your father killing Pheronactes and Pylenios, and now this tale of companions breaking apart. What evil prompted Podageus share such an unpleasant tale with you, and a tale that your guests have heard before? What caused their friction and the breaking of their bond?

You wish that Νίκων was here - there was never a puzzle that he could not untangle... You take a moment and offer up another prayer to the divinities of Mount Olympus for his safety...

---

The rest of the evening goes quickly - as expected, your guests provide the expected gifts of various types before they are scattered to their dormitories for rest. Most of these are well-made items of functional use, but to your surprise, Seisames and Egeria gift you a silver hair-brush, clearly quite valuable. You detect a faint air of sadness between them, as they pass this to you - but you respect their privacy and do not inquire further.

You haven't forgotten your promise to Aristonax and Gerasimos - the poor lad has been frozen in place, afraid to breathe for fear of sending lancing pain through his sides. By the time you lay him in his dormitory, he is openly weeping with the pain of his transportation to the second floor. It is quite late - but the darkness of night has been your domain, these past few years...

>will call for rolls tomorrow

>for now - PHASE TWO COMPLETE
>>
So for Deianira’s Physician rolls, I’ll need three rolls of Dice+2d20+6.

First roll for Aristonax, DC = 7, 11, 15.
Second for Gerasimos at DC = 10, 14, 18.
>>
Rolled 14, 14 + 6 = 34 (2d20 + 6)

>>5671841
>>
Rolled 18, 4 + 6 = 28 (2d20 + 6)

>>5671841
Super Witch Time
>>
Rolled 4, 10 + 6 = 20 (2d20 + 6)

>>5671841
>>
I wonder if G-boy will suffer the reverse Florence Nightingale effect and fall in love with the hot lady tending hid wounds.
>>
Also, this is something of a natural break in the quest before Phase 3 begins.

A general heads-up to the players: this weekend I am attending a bachelor party and therefore no updates between Saturday and Monday.

It has now been six weeks since Homer’s last post, but I have not given into despair. I sense his presence! Feel free to drop in at any time, Homer.

In terms of Deianira’s Sidestory, I basically hope to complete another 3 phases, and that would essentially bring us to parity with Nikon’s timeline. Hopefully by that time Homer will have made his intentions known, or perhaps Zeus of the counsels will send me an eagle to direct me further…
>>
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>>5671924
Hello, I am here to direct you to continue Deianira's quest and to upgrade it from sidestory to main plot.
>>
>>5671945

Kek, a noble attempt, anon.
>>
>>5671924
Feel the same, i trust in homer and you
>>
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Rolled 18 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5671866
>>5671912
>>5671913

Both excellent successes!

>Aristonax will barely have a scar at all
>Gerasimos will recover, but he has to take a spin on the injury table:

>1-5: not possible
>6-10: poorly healed ribs, -2 permanent malus to CON.
>11-15: good enough, only -1 to CON
>15+: full recovery, no CON penalty. Hopefully he learned something from being a moron?

I need a dice+3d10 to determine how long Gerasimos is hanging out the oikos.

I made that eagle comment earlier and I saw TWO fucking eagles on the drive home, bros, what the fuck does it mean? I didn’t take the Augur trait at my own chargen…
>>
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Rolled 3, 4, 5 = 12 (3d10)

>>5672092
>>
>>5672092
Meme magic has always been the real power of this world.
>>
>>5672092
Zeus might be watching you, let's hope he's not in a mood
>>
As Gerasimos settles into his bed, you clap your hands and summon the necessary materials. It is tempting to overtreat, when confronting with a suffering patient, but a light touch is generally superior. Gerasimos, still quite drunk from the evening’s libations, needs no additional painkiller or root of mandrake – already, the cutting edge of the pain has been dulled, and he will not hesitate to sleep tonight. His skin is unbroken, but already, some truly impressive bruising is smeared along his left torso – an impressive local imbalancing of the humors. You take advantage of his inebriated condition to wrap his chest tightly, binding his ribs together. He will not be able to breath deeply, but if the wrap is maintained, his ribs will find one another over time and mend. In the meanwhile, you intend to keep him well-fed and watered, along with a steady supply of a philter of celery, marshmallow, and oregano; these herbs to promote bone and wound healing. The concoction tastes terrible, of course, but Gerasimos will have weeks to find enjoyment in the flavor.

Once the boy has been settled, you turn to his father. You have one of your staff collect one of your οἶκος’s tracking dogs, and in the meanwhile, collect a needle and threat. Once the hound has finished its cleaning of the wound with its gentle tongue – you wash the wound carefully with a warm solution of honey and water. Quickly, you sew the ends of Aristonax’s split scalp back together, and then bandage his head quite firmly. Aristonax, to his credit, takes your ministrations without flinching, and calmly thanks you for your assistance. You catch a glimpse of real appreciation in his eyes, but soon after, there is an unpleasant energy about him – a sense of restrained violence. You are pleased to leave him behind, as you retreat to your own dormitory room. While not typical of you, you find yourself barring the door with the heavy ashen rod that you keep in the corner of your bedroom.

Setting into bed, sleep comes quickly – and you do not dream.
>>
Only a few days later, you find yourself crouching in the brush, with a dusky sky overhead. You hear the cries of eagles soaring overhead, hoping to make one last meal before Nyx shrouds the sky. The forces from your οἶκος had marched out in force earlier this morning, but have settled into camp, only a relatively short 20 minutes march from the Κενταυροι camp. Pantaleon had quickly scouted ahead to find that they are still present there, with even higher piles of refuse and more dead countrymen scattered about their small valley. Even better, they have not wisdom enough to post a guard.

Assembled with Argyros, and Pantaleon, you take a quick self-accounting. You are wearing your ranging gear, leather skirt and all, and with you, you carry the knife of your father, your hunting bow, and the glowing philter of Hippomedon’s Essence. Argyros is in full kit – bearing the arms and armor he once did on his campaign against Thebes. Pantaleon, true to form, wears his Epirot tunic – apparently, armor is beneath him.

Argyros, and Pantaleon have spent the last few days drilling the First Platoon, training them for combat against the Κενταυροι. With their rustic spears and shields, they are hardly capable of withstanding a charge from one of the beasts, so instead, Argyros explains that he had run them through many drills of dodging, and combined tactics. When you had asked about this yesterday, Argyros had begun a small soliloquy about the benefits of “squad tactics” to you, but after seeing your quizzical look, he explained further –
“You see, Lady – the beasts will have size and reach advantage and will be faster on their hooves. But the First Platoon, they have numbers, agility, have been trained to throw javelins, and most importantly, they know discipline.” Argyros puffed with pride, at this last, and continued – “Your brother was instructed well by your father Hippomedon, and in turn, Nikandros insisted on the same.”

“Wolves fighting a lion, then?” you had tentatively offered to Argyros, and he beamed at you widely, a lopsided grin. Pantaleon, who had looked uncharacteristically anxious, grunted in response to this. He had seemed less confident, but then again, you recall that he had seen Labostas as closely as you did, only several weeks ago…

>more coming
>>
At your camp, Aristonax arrives just before nightfall, meeting you with 50 of his spearmen as he had promised. As a group, his men look to be hardly and hale, but Argyros does not find them to be as impressive as you do. You hear him muttering something about “soft haunches, soft grips…” as he peers at them. You get the sense that Argyros find their discipline lacking as well – unlike your own spearmen, they sprawl haphazardly about the camp in loose groups of 2 or 3, their tents randomly placed. Your own spearmen, you notice, are tightly clustered, their tents in neat rows.

No fires will burn tonight, unfortunately – the smoke and light would be a beacon to the savages in the valley. Under the light of Selene, Aristonax, Argyros, Pantaleon and yourself meet to discuss battle strategy…

>I’m tuckered out, but the war council will take place tomorrow! I'll need some time to prepare maps and such.

>stay tuned, anons
>>
Didn't know dogs were used to clean wounds.
I hope we don't lose to many of the first platoon, those are still needed by Nikon. Eh, they're tier 3 so should be somewhat fine and got Doc Nira on hand.
>Your brother was instructed well by your father Hippomedon
Didn't Hippomedon die while Nikon was still in the womb?
>>
>>5672240
Not that long ago people were prescribed a nice jug of goat piss to drink, bathe in, or rinse with in order to cure what ails them. I'm pretty sure in the most bumfuck regions of the world they still do. I wouldn't be surprised at -any- sort of animal based treatment in the times of yore.

And thankfully "casualty" doesn't technically mean death. A lot of the time someone being injured enough to compromise combat effectiveness is considered a casualty. Then again, these are centaurs, so savage lancers. Deep wounds are oft fatal and a charging spear goes very deep indeed.
>>
>>5672240

>Didn't Hippomedon die while Nikon was still in the womb?

UH

I had previously assumed that Nikon was very young when Hippomedon left, like 2-3, and then was 11-12 when Diomedes successfully prosecuted the war against Thebes, but I think you might be right. Homer did include statements like “father you had never met” in thread 1. My apologies, all.

I’ll amend Argyros’ statement to something more like “Nikon takes after his father in attitude as well as frame; he also expected his troops to be well-trained.”
>>
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Aristonax, being the only nobleman present, takes charge of the council, as twilight settles across the hills. Nodding at Pantaleon, he orders him gruffly, “Man of Epirot, sketch out what you have seen!”

Pantaleon, producing a twig from somewhere within his tunic, sketches out a rough map of the surrounding area. To your southeast, the valley is nestled deeply between two large, steep hills, and the Κενταυροι have made their camp just below the head of the valley. From this depressed position, they are not easily spotted from the surrounding hillsides – a person would have to climb one of the flanking hills, a perilous and stony ascent, or approach the head of the valley directly to get a clear look. Either way, they would risk detection by the Κενταυροι, incompetent guards that they are.

Pantaleon goes on to add - “The whistling winds of Boreus must be rushing down the sides of Mount Olympus and into the valley itself – these are scattering the smoke from their campfires.” Pantaleon leaves the rest unsaid – the beasts are either very lucky or have displayed uncommon cunning in this camp placement; it’s quite the secure nook.

Argyros, looking weary, shakes his head. “But how to dislodge them?”

“Why bother?” Aristonax retorts. “We have the advantages of height, numbers and surprise. At dawn, we gather our men in ranks two deep, and have them charge down the valley. We’ll take them quickly.” Aristonax delivers these statements with finality – clearly, he is not expecting that a debate will take place here. Argyros and yourself trade glances – Argyros looking a bit frustrated, and you suspect you look as nervous as you feel. You can’t help but sense that Aristonax’s charge is risky – the First Platoon has battled seemingly endless number of barbaroi true – but as far as you know, never the foul spawn of Ixion. Realizing that you have been holding your breath out of nervousness, you exhale - battle was always Νίκων’s realm. How unfair that he is not here to advise you properly. Still, you are not empty-headed yourself, and might bring some acumen to the discussion, despite your gender.

>here's a sort of shitty map to lay things out - please note that we are about a 20 minute march from the enemy camp.
>red star = centaur camp
>green star = Deianira's forces
>blue star = Aristonax's forces
>>
>>5673006
Is it time to bring throwing down rocks into a camp into the side-quest?
Because just charging into the pass would funnel our troops, so it would play into their strength instead of ours. And there's nothing stopping them from simply retreating while harassing us in the way, since centaurs are faster then humans.
>>
>>5673009
We could also try to block one of the entrances of the passes and set it on fire or something. That could give them an incentive to move without risking the climb and alerting the guards.

Although, maybe deliberately alerting the sentries could be a way to set up an ambush.
>>
There’s a moment of silence while you each study Pantaleon’s map, lost in consideration. Pantaleon moves slightly to the side and begins a second drawing. He speaks as he talks –

“There are very large boulders, here and here, to the northwest – perhaps only a stadia from the valley’s descent. Men could hide there, I think, but if discovered, they might be caught against them. Beyond these boulders to the north, there is a rocky field – a scattered force of men could hide behind these, but they would not be able to group together well. On the other hand, the savages may not be able to charge well, having to dodge and weave through stones.”

“Directly before the valley, the earth is flat and hard – good footing, although that would help the beasts as much as us. The bottom of the valley itself seemed muddy to me, although I did not approach to test it directly; hard to say how our spearmen might do in such conditions. Here, three stadia to the east of the valley mouth – there is a field of long grasses. A handful of trackers could hide within them easily, but one hundred spearmen could not –fifty spearmen would find it challenging. Finally, the hills themselves are steep to climb, but not difficult to scale. At the top, there are many stones and boulders for throwing, but I would worry about the noise of one hundred men ascending at once – no doubt they would be heard well before they could reach the top. Disastrous if they are caught by the savages from behind.”

Aristonax listens to this information intently – but you see that he has not changed his decision. “Valuable information, man of Epirot – but still, in warfare, the most direct approach is best – we will charge down into the valley at daybreak and kill the beasts before they can shake off Hypnos’ embrace.” Argyros looks resigned to this course of action – he does not have the relationship with Aristonax required for him to speak openly. Pantaleon is not so foolish as to offer up tactical advice.

>I didn't mock up another map for these various landscape features but I could do that if it would be helpful? This vote might go for longer depending on the discussion.

>vote post coming.
>>
This is the time for you to make your recommendation, if you have one, although Aristonax has not asked for it…

>Advocate for Aristonax’s charge with all 100 spearmen? Risky, but possibly very effective if the savages are slow to respond.

>Advocate an ambush within the rocky field – 50 spearmen amongst the stones themselves, and another 50 pressed against the largest
boulders. In this fashion, you would attempt draw the beasts into the rocky field, and then attack from behind with your hidden reserve. However, your forces would not be able to apply their full numerical advantage.

>Advocate for your forces to ascend the hills flanking the valley, and bombard the Κενταυροι with stones and boulders? A successful ambush would depend on the stealthiness of your troops, but could be quite devastating if successful.

>Advocate for an ambush within the grassy field? Only half your forces might be able to hide effectively in this fashion, and the rest of them would need to arranged out in the open close by. The grassy field is probably too far away for your troops to coordinate together.

>Something else? Write-ins welcome!
>>
I'm a fan of hurling boulders down at the centaurs; stealth is the big issue. Wonder if Nira had any time to figure out what the gifts given to her by the god do and if they're applicable here.
The idea of digging holes to possibly trip up the savages occurs to me. Soldiers are great at digging holes.
>>
>>5673020
>>Advocate for your forces to ascend the hills flanking the valley, and bombard the Κενταυροι with stones and boulders? A successful ambush would depend on the stealthiness of your troops, but could be quite devastating if successful.
I would suggest not sending the entire force but a select number just to use the boulders as an opening to the battle proper. With the bulk of our forces charging in after the stones have stopped falling at least.

Impress upon Aristonax that against men his tactics are surely tried, true, and proper, we are fighting creatures closer to beasts than men. While barbaroi are savage, brutish, dishonorable and ignorant to a man they still fight as men do. But centaur are even more stupid, strange, and finicky still. Much as how one hunts a hare differently than they hunt a deer, perhaps our strategy should be altered slightly to account for their undoubtedly animalistic stratagems.

Basically, don't tell him he is being bullish or wrong, but rather that his quarry is just fucking weird and doesn't play by the rules. For whatever strategy wins the vote. We can use our implied nature as both a witch and semi-divine to lean into us knowing more about the behavior of the centaurs than he likely could.
>>
>>5673020
>Advocate for your forces to ascend the hills flanking the valley, and bombard the Κενταυροι with stones and boulders? A successful ambush would depend on the stealthiness of your troops, but could be quite devastating if successful.
>>
>>5673020
>Advocate for your forces to ascend the hills flanking the valley, and bombard the Κενταυροι with stones and boulders? A successful ambush would depend on the stealthiness of your troops, but could be quite devastating if successful.
>Write in
Spearmen should know the plan, and they should learn of were to strike a centaur for kill it and how the geography of the place will be. They should exercise together and be given good meals for a day or two, if possible their hate and courage should be build up further than normal for ensure they do not break upon seeing the centaurs (Deianira could make a speech about this ?).
For approach the place small groups of 10 men should arrive at the destination, one by one every 5-10 minutes. So we avoid the rumor of 100 men coming all together.
Once there men must work silently, fires should also be prepared for make the points of the spears rovent and of course throw said fires to the centaurs below alongside the boulders.

Our girl should cover her hair for avoid being recognized, a few servants should also come for assist her in healing wounded spearmen (holding them down, preparing a clean ground for set up a tent, passing tools ecc..), and others servants with shovels for digging some covered holes around the spearmen. This is useful for avoid that any unseen centaur (say one on "patrol") goes for Deianira too if the men just decide to attack the centaur countercharge, and also for give us a defensive position if the men decide to just wait for the centaur to charge them.
>>
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>>5673020
>>Advocate for your forces to ascend the hills flanking the valley, and bombard the Κενταυροι with stones and boulders? A successful ambush would depend on the stealthiness of your troops, but could be quite devastating if successful.
>>
>>5673034
Soldiers digging holes is a thing that came later with the roman legionaries acting as field engineers.
Before them menial jobs were for servants and slaves, besides i doubt hoplites carried picks and shovels in their kits.
There is an argument to be made of how much the centaurs count as cavalry but given their half horse lower body it's safe to say they would be reticent to charge into a rocky field unless maddened enough, marshy terrain could actually favour them instead as they have bigger bodies to traverse the bog waters.
Keep in mind that they have no reason to give battle to us and if they flee then it's a draw.
I feel aristonax idea is good enough, maybe even better if we can pincer them somewhat with a number of soldiers hiding in the grass?
>Advocate for Aristonax’s charge with all 100 spearmen? Risky, but possibly very effective if the savages are slow to respond.

(If Nikon were here he would have left a wagon of cheap strong wine the day before to get them stupid drunk then attacked at dawn by disguising his men as bushes but alas he's not here.)
>>
Some good write-ins here, but a few comments:

1) as one anon noted, our troops are not equipped with shovels and so forth for any sustained digging activity. However, it would definitely be possible for your men to rearrange some of the smaller stones in the rocky field or on top of the hill (although rearranging stones on the hilltop would necessitate another difficult “stealth” roll from your troops, given that this could be loud).

2) Fire is always available as an environment hazard, or to produce a decoy campfire, although obviously the stony hilltop is not very flammable itself. The grassy field is obviously much more flammable.

3) Deianira and Aristonax could certainly break up their forces into a different arrangement, they’re not locked into using them in fifty man blocks. That being said, scattering your men widely across the valley in very small groups is probably a bad idea, given that you’re essentially fighting against monstrous cavalry.

3) Nikon not being present does limit your tactical options here somewhat (so Nira cannot invent a totally new strategy here), but she could certainly combine elements of some of the options listed above. She has an INT of 15 and is definitely smart, even by modern standards.
>>
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Rolled 6, 7, 15 = 28 (3d20)

rocktossin'

>>5673054
>>5673083
>>5673179
>>5673213

The charge

>>5673265

---

Okay, ascending to the hilltop wins! I'll need two rolls of dice+d20+7 from the players. Flirting in a war council would not go over well with Aristonax, so Deianira is using the power of her wagging tongue alone. Aristonax isn't used to taking orders from women (so would normally be a 4d20 opposing roll), but Deianira is contributing the intelligence, half the men, and did pretty well with him during the Summons itself, so he will only roll 3d20 at his WILL bonus (which is zero). Please note that Deianira will be able to surmount the "misogyny" penalty over time, so don't be disheartened by the rolls...
>>
Rolled 7 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

>>5673718
>>
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>>5673718
>>
Rolled 10 + 7 (1d20 + 7)

>>5673724
Fuck I forgot the roll
>>
Rolled 15, 14 + 3 = 32 (2d20 + 3)

>>5673721
>>5673726

>17 vs 15 - marginal success

Nice job, anons!

--

Now I need three rolls of dice+1d20+3 for your troops positioning/stealth rolls. I'm giving a +3 bonus because Pantaleon will help guide the squads up the hillside.
>>
>>5673726
We did it, yeah!
>>
Rolled 3 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5673728
Ok, now this the important one.
>>
>>5673728

Please note that I'm an idiot and my rolls have a -3 penalty, so the players need to beat a 12.
>>
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Rolled 13 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5673728
>>
Rolled 15 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>5673728
>>
>>5673730
>>5673739
>>5673757

>18 vs 12 - moderate success

Looks like our boys are fairly stealthy - life in the Thessalian hills has made them nimble as goats! It also helps that they’re not wearing real armor, of course…
>>
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You clear your throat expectantly. There is an awkward pause as Aristonax double-takes in your direction, and the lines in Argyros’ weary face deepen. The evening is falling around your shoulders swiftly now, the golden strands of your hair glimmering faintly in the fading light. Bearded Pantaleon stares at you flatly – surprisingly, you’re beginning to become a bit fond of him, and his surliness. Aristonax scowls in dismay once he realizes that you intend to offer a commentary on his plan of battle – you sense that he only barely restrains his urge to bark at you.

“Lord Aristonax, equal to Zeus himself in counsel – you have rightly noted that we have the element of surprise. Should we not compound the advantage? By placing our men along the hilltop, we can shower the beasts with heavy stones. Let us honor Athos the Gigantes in our warfare! The beasts will then need to advance out of the valley and up the hill itself, where we will have the heights. Lusty creatures that they are, they will not hesitate to spit themselves upon our spears.”

Aristonax’s air of frustration evaporates a bit as he considers further, and he surprises you by nodding quickly in assent.

“Very well, Lady Deianira. Let us put your counsel to the test.”

“And one more thought – the men should advance up the hillside in groups of five or ten, guided by Pantaleon. Under the light of Selene, the handholds will be clear enough. With luck, they will not dislodge the stones.” Aristonax nods again, clearly reconsidering his opinion of you. Delight swells in your chest, but you do your best to keep your face expressionless, a mask of solemnity.

The spearmen are not pleased to learn of the plan – they, too, prefer the simplicity of the downhill charge, and letting the gods determine who lives and who falls. Needless to say, you are a bit disappointed by this reaction (Νίκων, you’re sure, would have offered you a compliment), but ultimately, they’ll see the wisdom of your strategy when it wins them the day...

>more coming
>>
Once night falls truly, your forces set off – you emphasize that stealth is critical to the success of this venture, and so the men are wordless as they prowl to the western-most hillside.

You can’t help but feel anxious as you watch the men climb the hillside, guided by Pantaleon, but your fears are unfounded. Commoners they are, but even so, they are Thessalians – hardy, nimble. You can’t help but note that your own spearmen work together by reflex, hauling one another silently up the hillside. Aristonax’s men seem to despise this assistance – they each climb the hillside as a team of one. Even you, with your limited expertise in the area, find this to be a flawed mindset. Your brother would never tolerate such needless pride amongst his own forces.

You are second to last to ascend, Argryos huffing and puffing below you. He shows his advanced age here – struggling a bit to keep up with your pace. He graciously accepts your aid at a point half-way up the climb, where you help swing him over a deep crevice. You do so without thinking, but Argyros is clearly shocked at your easy strength – you sometimes forget that you are the better of commoner men in this regard as well, although you could hardly compare to the godlike strength of your brother, when he was roused into a fury.

Your counsel draws out over several hours, men scaling the hillside with only a minimum of noise, and displacing a few small boulders in the process. The savages in the valley below either fail to hear these infrequent mistakes or simply ignore them. With the night halfway through, you and your men settle into the rocky hilltop as comfortably as you can, stars burning overhead. You catch what sleep you can – the hours seem to flash by instantly, as you startle awake with rosy-fingered Eos stretching her arms across the sky. Your back aches furiously – sleeping on stones is ill-advised even for one of divine heritage like yourself.

Looking about, you see Argyros, Aristonax and Pantaleon moving swiftly, rousing your troops. Already, the men are sorting themselves into spearmen, stone-throwers, and stone haulers. A heap of boulders is growing swiftly, even with the men working as silently as possible. You nervously check your bow's tension, the arrows within your quiver. In the distance, you can see Pantaleon lying prone, peering over down into the valley below. Catching your eye as he turns about, he grins broadly in approval.

There is a rush of energy and warmth, spreading through your limbs - you imagine that this must be the thrill and terror of battle creeping upon you. You can't help yourself - you laugh loudly, morning breeze whipping your loosened braids. Aristonax scowls at you for breaking the silence, but says nothing. You tie back your hair into a lopsided arrangement - it will hold, so long as you aren't thrust into melee combat. Helios rises, and Aristonax raising his fist in the air, the stone-throwers assembling by the hillside...
>>
>I'll call for rolls during this weekend, thanks for reading all!
>>
>>5673784
>Let us honor Athos the Gigantes
We did, the memes are no longer dreams
>>
>>5673798
You know, characters are often described as "godlike" but I had never considered that Nikon's sheer physical strength really is apt of such a descriptor. He's only edged out in strength by a handful or two of people.

>>5673804
Rockchads CAN'T STOP WINNING
>>
>>5673798
The players of Trojan War Quest: Centaur Sidestory, are going be real mad when their QM goes rocks fall and everyone dies.
>>5673815
>He's only edged out in strength by a handful or two of people
I think that's also true for Nira regarding CHA with those bonuses due to being a witch.
It also bears consideration that with commanding troops Nikon would had both his INT+Tactical Genius+Argyos for a sum of like +12
>>
>>5673798
Excellent we are were we need to be and Aristonax listened to us.
And yes i fully agree Nikon would be damn proud, this centaurs are going see how it feels to be on the opposite end in a moment.
Some of them will be splatted but they are enough for a decent amount of ingredients to be taken. And the rest of the corpses can be burned for honor the gods.
The bones of their victims can also be taken and be given a resting place.
Perhaps an head or two of centaurs could be left on top of hills at the border for give a message.

>>5673804
Yes.
We will need to build a few shrines when we have an excess of cash. Or small temples if we are fortunate.
>>
>>5673804
>like metis was devoured by zeus
>honor Athos the gigantes
...
>Strong armed Aristonax why do all in Thessalia call Deianira the weird? Is it because she's a witch? Or a woman that leads her household?
>no it's because she says weird shit at the most awkward of times

I find it adorable that Deianira talks throught obscure quotes to give herself more airs and carry the point across.
But to smooth things over a bit with aristonax it may be better to sweeten the pill of having listened to the advice of a woman by saying we learned things thanks to nikon.
>>
>>5674011

Kek, glad you picked up on that, anon. Deianira would have picked a more appropriate aside (instead of picking a relatively obscure myth) to reinforce her point if she had rolled higher, but otherwise she did a serviceable job appealing to Aristonax’s ego and offered a reasonably logical alternate to Aristonax’s charge as well.

I’m still working out how exactly to roll for a pitched battle sequence, and realistically I might not be able to call for rolls until Monday night. However, the Thessalians will enjoy some good bonuses against the Centaurs and it’s definitely possible that Deianira’s first battle is a crushing victory (and perhaps a small Kleos boost!)
>>
>>5674011
Even with all her charisma, Nira still puts her foot in her mouth like Nikon, it runs in the family.
>inb4 dad had the autism drawback instead of just being stoic
>>
If nikon were here he would have disguised his men as sheep (just like odysseus would do to his to escape the cyclop) so they could stab the centaurs between the legs for maximum morale damage.
>>
>>5674017
Good good
>>
Since we're at a battle soon, perhaps we'll see the alternate aristeia Lesches might have cooked up.
>>
>>5675629

It’s not out of the realm of possibility, anon.
>>
Rolled 1, 20 + 3 = 24 (2d20 + 3)

So I appreciate that the thread is on page 10, but we can probably get at least the first set of battle rolls completed before we fall off the board.

>in general, the players wisely decided to set up a "rocks fall" ambush with natural weaponry, and then to sit on top of a hill (which will also substantially mitigate the centaur's natural charge/cavalry advantages).

>we're skipping the initiative rolls (since this is an ambush and the troops passed their stealth checks)

>we're skipping "to-hit" rolls given that this is a ranged attack in Homer's system.

>I'll be rolling two 2d20+3 as the "average" Κένταυρος's blocking/resistance efforts.

>I need two rolls (yes I really mean two!) of dice+4d20. The first set of rolls is for the Aristonax troop boulder attack, and the second set of 4d20 is for the Deianira boulder attack. I'll be applying a +2 manual bonus to the Deianira troops given that they are rank 2, and Aristonax/Κένταυρος troops are rank 1.

>Each set of troops will be rolling three very large boulders in this first wave (d8 damage die + 6 effective strength bonus given that gravity is at work and you guys are about 60 feet above the beasts). Each degree of success will inflict boulder damage on a centaur, etc etc.
>>
Rolled 7, 15, 9, 6 = 37 (4d20)

>>5676142
>a 1 and a 20
So they failed to block the rocks, but soldiered on?
>>
Rolled 11, 9, 16, 6 = 42 (4d20)

>>5676142
Damn dice are swingy right now. Whew. Come on rocks don't fail us now.
>>
Rolled 5, 6, 1, 9 = 21 (4d20)

>>5676142
>>
>>5676162
Thank you for rolling before me!
>>
>>5676142

>15 vs 1 - excellent success (3) for Aristonax’s attack
>23 vs 18 - failure for Deianira’s attack

>so basically, Aristonax’s three boulders smashes through the first group of centaurs, but Deianira’s rocks don’t do shit.

Now I need three rolls of dice+1d8+6 to determine total wounds delivered to the centaurs.
>>
Rolled 5 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676179
Rolling
>>
Rolled 1 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676179
I guess the first set scattered them enough for the second to miss. Jumpy bastards.
>>
Rolled 1 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676179
>>
>>5676183
>>5676186
>>5676193

>25 total wounds delivered to the beasts!

>two centaurs smashed to pieces, and one centaur is grazed

>16/18 centaurs remain!

—-

I’ll have an update out tomorrow night! I basically plan to make a new thread pretty quickly once this one is dead, as an FYI
>>
I wonder how many more boulder rollings we get to do before the centaurs reach us.
>>
>>5676179
>Deianira: and this technique was taught to me by my brother!
>Argyros: impressive form lady Deianira but when you said throwing rocks i didn't think you would mean skipping stones.
>meanwhile Aristonax just rolled downhill a comically large boulder and flattened 2(two) centaurs traumatizing one more.


>>5676207
I think this was it for the "first wave" as they probably will try cycle charging by smashing into our line, retreat then charge again.
Actually i think javelins (as was mentioned the soldiers have) might have been more effective than simple rocks.
>>
>>5676290
No doubt to get so much force behind that rock Aristonax used his already stone-hard skull to bash it down the terrain.
>>
Rolled 10, 9 + 1 = 20 (2d20 + 1)

>>5676207
>>5676290
>>5676329

>we’re going to roll again for the biggest boulders as they pass through wave A of the centaurs and into wave B. We’ll do this for Wave C centaurs as well but they’ll have a significant context bonus.

Now we’re going to roll to-hit for the big boulders (instead of an auto-success like last time), so I need TWO rolls of dice+2d20. First roll is for Aristonax’s Hillguard and second roll for the First Platoon (with manual +2 bonus). It seems fair to give the second group of centaurs a chance to dodge here.

>>5676207

Between yourself, Aristonax and Argyros you guys have come up with a decent plan. Roll big boulders first, and then as the centaurs advance up the hill, you guys will have a free boulder attack with smaller stones (d5 + 2 gravity bonus) as the centaurs charge into melee range.

>>5676290

>javelins

I have to check my notes to see how many your troops might plausibly have but at any rate, Aristonax and Argyros would advise using these at very close range against centaurs who are stuck into melee combat; for now, you guys are wisely using Gaia’s ammo and keeping our own in reserve.
>>
Rolled 1, 18 = 19 (2d20)

>>5676384
Panty boy better be putting his back into these boulder rolls.
>>
How tall of boulders are we rolling anyways?
>>
>>5676387
>>5676391

>how big are these boulders?

You have multiple teams of 6-7 dudes pushing these off the hilltop, so they’re approximately 300kg apiece. I’m mentally picturing them as being fairly round boulders about 1.75 meters in height and diameter. Pantaleon is shooting between the teams to assist them when they need a boost. I’m sort of making these up given that I don’t have experience in geology, lol. Basically, they’re big enough to obliterate a commoner man when traveling at 60-80 kph and crush the sturdier rib cages of a centaur’s horse torso.
>>
>>5676384
Javelins in melee?
And risk friendly fire?

I think if you don't want to use them to blunt the charge then best use them when the centaurs disengage to worsen their casualties.

In the iliad the role of javelins and spears seem interchangeable since they seem to serve both roles so it's kind of weird.
Maybe the distinction came about much later?
So possibly the troops only have the one spear and must choose carefully when to toss it to avoid being disarmed when the cavalry hits.
>>
>>5676398

Legitimate complaint about the javelins, but after re-reading Homer’s comments about the First Platoon, I’m making the QM fiat decision that our hundred spearmen have only one spear and no javelins. In the future, you’d have the opportunity to kit out your troops differently.

So to your point, our troops could cast spears at the incoming centaurs but this would leave them without arms, so for the purposes of this skirmish, all ranged weapon attacks will be rocks only.

General comment: without Nikandros, suboptimal battle strategies will typically be the norm. In this case, you guys did well by selecting an advantageous site of battle and then persuading Aristonax to follow your lead. If Nikon was present, he would have also arranged your spearmen into tiers to take advantage of the height differential, etc. for now, your guys are more or less bunched up at the top of the hill.

Also, don’t forget to roll anon, we still need another dice+2d20+2 for Deianira’s boulders!
>>
Rolled 10, 17 = 27 (2d20)

>>5676425
It's early and I can barely read, I'm rolling into the dark
>>
If you don’t mind me asking, Lesches, but why does Nikon not being in command make the troops tier 2 instead of 3? I thought the tiers dealt more with level of training/experience which seems separate from the tactical genius being absent.
>>
>>5676432

I’m using this statement for reference:

“• 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.)”

I could be interpreting this incorrectly, but I basically take it to mean that the First Platoon are at a “base” troop level of 1 and then there are tier bonuses of +1 for when Argyros and/or Nikon is in command. So I’m applying the Argyros tier bonus here, but not the Nikon one.

Also, when actual melee combat begins, I’m planning to provide the extra die and +3 roll bonus to the First Platoon that the Argyros retainer bonus provides, since Deianira is not really acting as a commander in this skirmish. It seemed weird to apply the retainer bonus directly to the boulder attack, but maybe Homer would have done this differently? Hard to say.

I freely admit that I could be interpreting this all incorrectly, since I’ve previously demonstrated my mechanics incompetence in the past, lol
>>
>>5676441
Did some sleuthing and found this from the first thread.
> Nikandros's men are veterans of the low-level border conflicts in the north, and have had the personal attention of both a genius commander and a decorated, experienced veteran of the Second Argo-Theban War. They are as well trained as any mortal force can hope to be- only better equipment and more experience can improve them now.
I’m a bit curious if Nira’s hijinks will cause either the experience or equipment level to improve.
>>
>>5676463

It’s probably within the realm of possibility that Deianira would find a way to kit them out with better equipment before they are summoned to Aulis by Nikandros, but obviously that would take some significant investment of resources.

Deianira is aware that Nikon intends to go to war with these troops, so she would likely avoid taking out the First Platoon into the barbarian wilderness for an extended campaign, although there’s nothing stopping her from raising a Second Platoon for this purpose.
>>
>>5676396
A typical rock density is about 2.2-2.6g/cc, so a boulder 1.75m across would weigh somewhere around six or seven tonnes. A 300kg rock would be about 2ft across, but a hunk of stone the size of a football travelling at 40-50mph would certainly cave in someone's chest.
>>
>>5676508

Duly noted, rock anon. Seems best to strike a middle ground here. Will factor this data into the update post tonight.
>>
Rolled 20, 19 + 3 = 42 (2d20 + 3)

>>5676387
>>5676427

Okay both of the rocks strike Wave B of the centaurs, so I’m rolling for Wave B boulder blocking.

I need two rolls of dice+2d20. The first set of rolls is for the Aristonax troop boulder attack, and the second set is for the Deianira boulder attack. I'll be applying a +2 manual bonus to the Deianira troops given that they are rank 2.
>>
>>5676555

Jesus, how surprising.
>>
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Rolled 12, 18 = 30 (2d20)

>>5676555
>>
>>5676555
This gets the +whatever bonus of being rocks, right? Not just the damage but the impact to determine whether or not it does damage?
>>
Rolled 20, 4 = 24 (2d20)

>>5676555
>>5676649
whoops, must've capitalized the d.
>>
Rolled 16, 12 = 28 (2d20)

>>5676463
We can make cash with finding people to sell our services. Better equipment should be possible

>>5676555
>>
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The hooved ones are quite good at blocking boulders, though I have no idea how one blocks a boulder.
>>
>>5676649

Fuck, I realize that I had forgotten to include the manual +6 STR bonus for Deianira’s boulder attack in this post:

>>5676179

So actually Deianira’s boulder attack was a marginal success, not an outright failure.

>23 vs 24

Instead of:

>23 vs 18.

So I need one more roll of dice+1d8+6 to correct the Wave A boulder damage calculations and then we can resolve Wave B.
>>
Rolled 5 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676667
>>
>>5676670

Gracias anon. Will post revised Wave A outcomes when I get home from work.
>>
>>5676667
Saving face one poorly delivered question at a time.

>>5676670
nice
>>
>>5676653
>nikon finally calls his men to war
>they come all all decked out in full bronze plate with new spears and shields freshly painted
>each one has three javelins and a spare spear
>and new sandals
Wouldn't that be a pleasant surprise for him.
>>
>>5676656
Probably by not being in the way of it
>>
>>5676670
>Deianira searches the ground for little flat stones
>Aristonax laughs while he huffs and puffs rolling a massive boulder down the hill, he flattens two centaurs.
>The skipping stones turn out to be lethal, deianira scythes down the first wave like wheat.

Truly honoring Athos the giant this day.

>>5676682
Don't forget the sack of extra stones in the kit.
>>
>>5676732
To be fair, a rock is a rock. Let anyone who has taken a sling stone to the face tell you how lethal a little rock can be. Let alone a palm or even fist sized one.

>the hippomedon siblings inadvertently set the groundwork for the invention of the shotput sport by forcibly training their men to just huck rocks at people
Olympian indeed.
>>
REVISED WAVE A DAMAGE POST

Aristonax Boulders:

>>5676183
>>5676186
>>5676193

25 wounds delivered to the beasts!

Deianira Boulders:

>>5676670

11 wounds delivered to the beasts!

>36 total damage delivered so far!

Two centaurs smashed to pieces, one centaur is grazed, and a further two centaurs are take 6 and 5 wounds, respectively.

16/18 centaurs remain living at Wave A/Boulder resolution.

---

Wave B Rolls so far:

To-Hit:

18 vs 11 - Aristonax Boulders connect
19 vs 10 - Deianira Boulders connect

Wound vs Block:

>>5676612

23 vs 24 - Aristonax Boulders score one success

>>5676650

22 vs 28 - Deianira Boulders score two successes

---

Okay, now I need three rolls of dice+1d8+6 from the players to determine damage to Wave B Centaurs.
>>
Rolled 7 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676776
Wave B(roken upon the rocks)
>>
Rolled 4 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676776
The rocks roll.
>>
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Rolled 4 + 6 (1d8 + 6)

>>5676776
>>
Rolled 14, 18 + 11 = 43 (2d20 + 11)

>>5676778
>>5676781
>>5676788

>13 + 10 + 10
>33 total wounds delivered to Wave B centaurs!

One Wave B centaur crushed outright, another is basically so wounded it cannot move, one is heavily damaged, and another two take some light-to-medium damage.

>14/18 combat-capable centaurs remain; three are dead, one is so wounded it cannot move.

Okay, final boulder rolls here lads. The Κενταυροι of Wave C now have a significant dodge bonus given that they've had about 10-15 seconds to hear the screams of their crunching comrades, etc etc.

I need two rolls of dice+2d20 (first set for Aristonax and second set for Deianira's troops, with manual +2 bonus) for the to-hit.
>>
Rolled 1, 16 = 17 (2d20)

>>5676853
>>
Rolled 6, 13 = 19 (2d20)

>>5676853
>>
>>5676864
>>5676880
Yeah, bout as expected. Though taking out roughly a quarter of their effective fighting force before the battle even begins is great.
>>
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>>5676864
>>5676880

>16 vs 24 - Aristonax boulders miss!
>15 vs 28 - Deianira boulders miss!

---

Wew lads, great first start to the ambush. Given how close we are to the end of the catalog, I'm calling the thread here.

Thread 2 of Deianira's Sidestory should be up over the next day or two - thanks all to your continued interest!
>>
>>5676890
Well run Lesches.
>>
>>5676890
We have honored Athos well by missing
>>
>>5676898
Congrats, Lesches, on reaching the milestone of a second thread's end! Couldn't have asked for a better quest adopter in Homer's absence. Hope you've had fun being QM so far.

So, if I'm not mistaken, we have 3 heroic fighters (Pantyboy, Aristo, and Nira). Is Iudas not here? Even one more fighter might help. Too bad G-boy had to rest due to his wounds.

Which part has been your favorite to write, and what has most surprised you as QM?
>>5676898
I kneel before your mountain of images, Anon. I can't believe you haven't run out yet.
>>
>>5676920
>I kneel before your mountain of images, Anon. I can't believe you haven't run out yet.
I mean it -is- an excuse to draw bare tits. Even if there is a shocking number of them from particular artists.
>>
>>5676890
Even if they aren't dead being wounded is great for us. Have the troops mock the beasts before they run up the hill, add insult to injury.
The third thread will have a nice start for us, great has always Lesches

>>5676920
Technically 4 are here with Argyros, since he is a veteran.
Gerasimos is kind of impatience, but he does seems to have some skill. If he wasn't so hot headed he could have participate here.
A shame. There is always next time
I expect no small amount of simping from him when is fully healed.
I imagine Iudas isn't here on the battlefield because is best to always keep someone you trust to lead at home, even in our very brief absence.

>>5676682
Indeed, and one that he would greatly appreciate. Perhaps with some concoctions too on a sack.

>>5676474
We might need Argyros and the first platoon men to train the recruits of the second platoon we will need to raise. If Argyros is also going away with Nikandros, we will also need to find a new head of the troops (i imagine there is someone Nikandros or Argyros had already in mind, since Argyros is getting older).
Our levy is not exactly great for defense or offense, more for add numbers to a battle if we badly need them.
>>
>>5676898
>>5676920

Thanks for the kind words, anons.

>>5676920

I’ve found it more fun than I imagined to write the failures rather than the successes. As a player, you sort of enjoy steamrolling, but as a QM, it’s fun to watch your players confront a challenge. I also really enjoyed writing Abercion, both in his crazy hobo phase and then later when he lets down his guise a bit.

In terms of surprises, I’ve been happy to see that the players have mostly been quite strategic in their play - Deianira has mostly done pretty well on her first month of the job, and gotten out of several very sticky situations (Tropanus, Labostas). Both of these encounters could have led to Deianira’s death, but you guys played your strengths and the gods supported you with excellent rolls.

>>5677006

This anon has the right of it. The heroic fighters present are Aristonax, Deianira and Pantaleon, although Deianira wouldn’t last long in melee. Argyros is present but he has a commoner stat line, although he does have his old gear from the Theban war, so he’d hold up slightly better than otherwise.

Finally, I definitely appreciate why a QM might abandon a quest - it’s just a big time commitment. I have every expectation to complete Phase 6 of DQ and bring us up to parity with Nikon’s timeline (my autism demands it), but I can see how Homer might have burned out. Hope you’re resting up and will consider coming back though, Homer.

I can only hope that his continued silence means that he’s still wrestling about if/how to return, but who knows?

>in other news
>I have finished book 18 of the Iliad
>Achilles ready to go HAM on the Trojans and my body is ready
>>
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>>5676920
Well it is is an excuse to draw tits but the dresses are genuinely captivating. All I want now is for someone to commission Deianira in it.
>>
>>5677039
we can only wait and see.
Nice
>>
>we’re suddenly back on page 9 due to the mods cleaning up
>awkward silence

Are you guys aware that Achilles’ horse randomly starts talking to prophesy his death in book 19 of the Iliad and he tells his horse to fuck off, he already knows? Ridiculous.
>>
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>>5677443
Straight from the horse's mouth, but his horses are immortal. Wait, does that mean Achilles was related to his own horses? But, if I'm not mistaken, Achilles is blinded by his RAGE at his lifetime companion's death by that point in the story.
>>
>>5677472
Have you ever been so angry your horses started telling you to chill out?
>>
>>5677443
What quests are you playing?
>>
>>5677626

Retaliation, Star Wars Interregnum, HORSEQUEST. Looks like Flailer Quest might have been abandoned but I was playing that one too.

Anyways I should have an update tonight for about 9pm EST, we should probably make use of this thread’s second wind.
>>
The cool morning breeze, the breath of Aura, stirs your cloak and shifts your golden hair. An impish curiosity builds in your mind, as you watch the spearmen rise from their positions and approach the boulders – you’ve honestly never seen the application of such stones against an enemy. Previously placed with care last night under the careful supervision of Aristonax and Panteleon, they are massive stones, approximately rounded, and you presume that they are quite heavy – even your brother would not be easily able to move one such as them. The spearmen brace one another, stacked against each stone, and wait for the signal. You take the moment to skirt past the boulders to the edge of the hilltop, and creeping along the rocky earth, find a vantage point to observe the winding valley below. You can make out the shadowed shapes of the Κενταυροι as they lounge about camp – the embers from last night’s fire still smoldering.

The need for silence now gone – Aristonax, with fist upraised, roars out with a brazen shout of shocking loudness:

“BOULDERS, LOOSE!”

You startle, despite the fact that you had been watching him, and watch as the boulders are tipped slowly over the hilltop, the men heaving and pawing at the raw stone. You note Pantaleon scurrying between two groups of struggling men, lending his godlike strength to the momentum of the boulders.

The stones make an incredible racket as they bounce off the hillside, and to your delight, they continue to pick up momentum as they spill onto the soft earth of the valley, scoring huge gashes into the grassy topsoil. Yellow-robed Eos is stealing into the valley itself, making it easy to catch glimpses of your prey - the Κενταυροι are carelessly bunched together in small groups, their figures made small by the distance, but even so, your keen eyesight picks out the confused motions of the savages as they rise out of their slumber, heads tilting towards the heavens above.

They are unprepared.

You watch as a pair of boulders tear into a group of three beasts, and two are pulverized and flattened before they even turn to see their death approaching – even from your height, you can hear the wet and gruesome sounds of shattering bone and shredding muscle. A third Κένταυρος, their companion, is brushed aside, sprawling in an ungainly fashion into the dirt. The stones bounce and whirl even faster down the hillside, sometimes flashing into the air unexpectedly as one edge of the stone or another snags upon the earth.

>more coming
>>
Another savage has his head and upper torso smashed by one such leaping stone – two more beasts are caught with glancing blows, thrown into the soft underbrush, while a fourth takes a stone directly into its’ bay-colored horse's frame. The awful keening cry it emits as it falls to the ground is not manlike in the slightest – a piercing shriek that rings in your ears for far too long. You lose track of the now-bloody stones, caked with earth and gore, as they speed ever faster, plumes of dust and gravel spilling into the air behind them.

In the shadowed distance below, you hear a guttural shout of warning, and the clatter of hooves, and the bellowing cries of volcanic outrage rising to your ears. You cannot see them, but you hear enough to know that their chieftain must have roused at least a part of their band, and moved them out of harm’s way.

Blinking, you realize that your spearmen have not been idle as the boulders tumbled – they have quickly taken their places along the hillside, bracing again the rocky earth, hide shields and spears at the ready. Aristonax and Argyros fly amongst their troops, repositioning the men as needed and exhorting their manly virtues – while these winged words are not meant for you, you nonetheless heed them yourself, and find a rocky outcropping to stand upon, drawing your bow at the ready. You have an excellent view of the hillside before you – and you suddenly realize that you are quite exposed, between your height and obviously feminine appearance. You settle into a crouch, and pulling against your robes, pull a loose fold of cloth over your head – you anxiously hope that you are less eye-catching.

From the valley below, you hear the bellows of pain fading, and the roars of the man-killing savages rising – thundering hooves crash out of the valley like water from a bursting dam, and without too much delay, you see a group of four Κενταυροι gallop into view at the base of the hillside. They spot your troops instantly, spears pointed in your general direction, and begin charging up the hillside with incredible speed, their powerful haunches flinging them closer, hooves scrabbling against the craggy terrain. To your surprise, Aristonax and Argryros trade shouts, ordering the troops to brace! You had been expecting them to loose the medium-sized stones that had been piled behind the front lines. But as the beasts approach, you see that they have already been bloodied to various degrees - perhaps they'd prefer to save this ammunition until a later point?

“SPEARS HIGH!” Argyros shouts, and catching a glimpse of him, you find that he is standing straighter, eyes burning with intensity behind his bronze helm. You watch as he sweeps into position amongst your spearmen, his movements fluid with the youth of a much younger man. Aristonax is silent, spear motionlessly at the ready, a statue. Pantaleon paces with animalistic dexterity, darting to and fro.

>more coming
>>
Rolled 8 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

You barely have another moment to react before the howling savages are upon the front lines, their own spears slashing wildly at your high-hearted Thessalians…

>we’re going to roll for initiative in pitched combat! I’m sort of making this up given that we never saw this occur in TWQ.

>I’m rolling dice+1d20-2 for the centaurs (averaged battle damage creating an AGI malus) as they crash into your lines.

>I need ONE roll of dice+1d20+2 for combined initiative for Aristonax’s troops and Deianira’s troops.
>>
Rolled 3 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5678064
I wonder if terrain plays a part in any of this process. Obviously centaurs don't need to worry about unfavorable terrain, because they're supernaturally swift and surefooted. But I wonder what tactical options you can gain by being uphill of ye olde footmen.
>>
>>5678064
(to add a malus to a roll you have to put +-x, so dice+1d20+-2)
>>
I wonder when Argyros command bonus comes into play or if Aristonax has one as well.
>>
>>5678083
>When he is independently commanding your troops, they receive a +3 bonus in combat and another die.
>another die
Is it dice or die?
>>
>>5678074

>terrain bonus

Yes, you guys will get some good context bonus for this once combat begins. It feels weird to apply this context bonus or Argyros’ command bonuses to the initiative challenge, but these will apply to actual combat.

>>5678082

Noted anon, thanks for reminder.

>>5678083
>>5678086

Argyros’s command bonus (and extra die) does apply here but I’m averaging this bonus across all the troops given that Aristonax has “formal” command. Also, I don’t want to bog down combat by rolling for everything twice.

Aristonax thinks he’s hot shit but he’s a mediocre commander and has never been in an actual war, only commanded raids against poorly-equipped barbaroi - he does not have any command buffs. You’ll notice that his big tactical plan was to just charge down the valley and try to murder them asap.

Anyways, I’ll call for combat rolls over the course of the day
>>
>>5678233
>"my plan of attack is to attack, young Nikandros let us go"
>"Okay listen old man we're gonna send a quarter of our forces around the right side to draw aggro, another quarter up in those trees over there to hit them from the side and panic them, then we're going to take the remaining half and crush them in a full envelopment. The rises in terrain are high enough here to crawl under and remain unseen and the sun is shining in their eyes from this direction so they won't be keen to look out this way to begin with. Also your men are missing sandals you negligent coot. Now pick up that tree branch, I'm going to use it as a huge javelin."
>aristonax takes massive kleos damage and suffers a heart attack

I'm guessing Damachides is what Aristonax would be if his hype was real. With each passing day I grow more glad he decided he was too good to visit the destitute house of a great dead man.

If Nikon was still here and Nira was properly motivated to be decisive like she has been forced to be by his departure they would be an absolute menace to the local region. Nira could browbeat the locals socially and turn to Nikon if they got uppity. Meanwhile Nikon would be mogging everyone in direct conflict. The only thing stopping them from almost immediately becoming the de-facto local power is how hard father's death hit the house. Two godlike people in one house shoring up each other's weaknesses is some serious shit.

Gods help whoever is still fucking with Nira when Nikon finally comes home. Probably some barbarian king. Them Thracians better stay in their lane. Actually speaking of gods, what are the odds Nike decides to help Nira out for Nikon being such a good little dude with his minor little devotions? I wouldn't know how to feel about that.
>>
>>5678254

I’ve been trying to reverse-engineering/recreating Homer’s deity
favor system. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that eventually Nike would pop over the check on Nira out of curiosity but I am imagining that Nikon would really have to max out his Nike rep before she might feel inclined to actually intercede on Nira’s behalf. Nikon’s big Achilles reveal would have definitely garnered some interest in Olympus but he’s still pretty far away from earning the “Favored by Nike” trait, at least in my mind. From Nike’s perspective, she’s not yet convinced that Nikon is the real deal and not just some redneck.
>>
Rolled 8, 10 = 18 (2d20)

>>5678064
>>5678074

>6 vs 5
>centaurs win initiative

>an embarrassing showing between stumbling centaurs and surprised spearmen, lol

Alright, let's do round 1 of combat rolls and hopefully I don't fuck it up per usual.

I'm rolling dice+2d20 for the centaur's attack on the spearmen. The first roll is to-hit with a +1 total bonus (typical +3 AGI, but minus -2 due to wound malus), and the second wound roll is at a +0 bonus (typical +2 STR bonus but with -2 wound malus).

From the players, I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20-1 (I'm giving an extra die each for Argyros veterancy bonus and also terrain advantage). For the modifiers, I'm calculating a total to-hit and blocking bonus of -1 (-3 AGI and CON baseline, plus halved bonuses from the +3 Argyros veterancy bonus, plus general +2 First Platoon troop quality bonus).
>>
Rolled 11, 12 + 1 = 24 (2d20 + 1)

>>5678322
Come on you spearmen!
>>
Rolled 12, 3 - 1 = 14 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678322
>>
Rolled 1, 19, 18 - 1 = 37 (3d20 - 1)

>>5678322
>>
Rolled 3, 17 - 1 = 19 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678339
Sorry, wrong dice
>>
Rolled 15, 13 + 1 = 29 (2d20 + 1)

>>5678326
>>5678328
>>5678340

>in the interest of moving things along, I’ll accept the first roll as one of the 3 even though the modifier was incorrect, since we beat the DC anyways

>9 vs 11 - centaurs wave spears around but hit nothing.
>no need to resolve wound vs block

Now it’s time for spearmen counterattack. Centaurs failed to connect, so the spearmen auto-win initiative and we move right into round 2.

Now I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20-1 against my dice+2d20+1 (AGI = CON for these centaurs). Same bonii/malii as before.
>>
Rolled 19, 7 - 1 = 25 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678383
>>
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Rolled 18, 13 - 1 = 30 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678383
>>
Rolled 9, 5 - 1 = 13 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678383
>>
>>5678384
>>5678388
>>5678391

Alright, looks like the spearmen connect but fail to wound.

Don’t fret, anons! After this initial clash, now it is time for a HERO ROUND. In proper Homeric fashion, heroes on the battlefield must also square off in the dreadful grind of the war god, even as their compatriots battle around them.

In this case, the four centaurs on your lines are currently without a HERO and are thus vulnerable to a heroic attack! This means that Deianira, Aristonax and Pantaleon are free to engage them directly. Argyros is a non-heroic combatant and counts as a regular spearmen.

Give me an additional THREE rolls of dice+2d20 to see if Aristonax, Pantaleon or Deianira can punch through!

Aristonax: +0 to-hit, +4 to wound (he has 8/9 wounds from his Gerasimos fight from about four days ago; his mediocre spear fighting trait is active)
Pantaleon: +2 to-hit, +2 to wound
Deianira: to-hit is an auto-success, +1 to wound with her bow.

>I’ve proofread this post multiple times and I’m pretty sure I’m not fucking it up
>>
Rolled 7, 3 = 10 (2d20)

>>5678413
step aside, plebs
>>
Rolled 9, 17 = 26 (2d20)

>>5678413
If only Gerasimos was healthy, drunk, and here as a hero unit. He'd rip these centaurs a new asshole.
>>
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Rolled 4, 19 = 23 (2d20)

>>5678413
>>
>>5678433

Aristonax - 7 vs 16 - miss!
Pantaleon - 11 vs 16 - miss!
Deianira - auto success; 20 vs 14 - success!

Looks like Artemis smiles upon Deianira this day - she snipes one of the cloven-hooves bastards!

Now I need a dice+1d4+1 for damage!
>>
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Rolled 3 + 1 (1d4 + 1)

>>5678440
>>
>>5678256
There is also the tribute thing going on, like how it was implied Odysseus promised something to Athena in order to not lose to Castor in their archery contest. Or was it Pollux? But it seems like just doing things can get repayment from the gods. Of course that does mean being on their radar to begin with. And probably proper entreating in actually asking for aid and not just devoting things to them free of charge so to speak.

>>5678413
Does the centaur chieftain count as a heroic combatant? We should keep an eye out for him.

>>5678429
>drunk gerasimos (nira's flirting activated mode) top of the verse
>>
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>>5678442

>Battling centaurs are collectively now at 28/44 wounds = -3 wound malus (i'm pretty sure)

---

The charge is an ungainly one, as four of the beasts tumble uphill toward pockets of your spearmen.

You had assumed that the assortment of spearmen along the ridge of the hill itself was left to chance, but now you see that Argyros had interspersed your men within the lines of Aristonax’s Hillguard – the superior training of your men helping to guide the amateurish Hillguard and steeling their morale.

Additionally, the previous actions of Argyros before the battle proper are now clear to you – he had sprinted from place to place, adjusting the men, and now you see how he cleverly placed them on outcroppings or before depressions in the ascending hill – the charge of the Κενταυροι is somewhat stymied by these barriers, and with your spears pointed at their human torsos, they are forced to arrest their momentum before contact, rearing up on their hindquarters and flailing at your men with hooves and spearpoints. Now close enough to see, their faces are a mixture of rage and confusion - you suspect that this is a novel predicament for them, and this confusion furthers slows their probing attacks.

Even so, the Thessalians before you are slower to find their courage, stumbling backwards from the roaring fury of Ixion’s spawn. You can’t take each set of duels with your eyes simultaneously, but you see cautious jabs being traded fruitlessly on both sides – the beasts unwilling to advance and risk being flanked, your own men unwilling to leap forward before the lines and risk being gored through the middle, or having their head split open through a sharply-delivered kick from a foreleg. Truly foul language is being bandied about, both in the deep voices of your Thessalians and in the growling rumble of broken Hellenika from the beasts; but that’s the extent of the damage. The charge, as it was, has dissolved with a whimper.

Aristonax and Pantaleon stalk forwards to the front of the battle, but similarly, they are wise enough not to advance too far beyond the lines of battle. Aristonax contexts himself with long thrusts of his spear at the nearest of the savages, safely placed within the line, but these are easily dodged by his prey. Pantaleon in turn is uncharacteristically subtle in his advance, making only half-hearted assaults and then quickly stepping back to safety – between his prior actions with Labostas and his conduct so far, you wonder whether he might be secretly fearful of these beasts.

Standing tall, you determine that it’s time to take action yourself – you draw your bow, nock your arrow, and empty of doubts, aim at center of mass at the nearest beast; a creature with black hair on his human head, but a light gray horse coat. The arrow streaks towards it and you’re delighted to watch it sprout in its well-muscled gut. It cries out, dark black blood spilling across its abdomen.

>more coming
>>
>>5678447

>do the centaurs have a hero?

he's raring to meet you, anon

---

“Well shot, Lady Deianira!” Aristonax calls. “I did not know you to be an archer!” You feel a fierce grim blossom over your features, but it dissolves almost as soon as it arrives. You hear the thundering of many hooves shaking the air of the hilltop, and the incredibly loud shouting of a single Κένταυρος above the din; you suspect that your forces are about to meet with the remainder of the raiding party.

"They are coming!" you scream as loudly as you can, sounding only a little panicked, you think, and you see Argyros in the distance, raising his fist and signaling to the unoccupied spearmen that the time of stone-throwing is here once more. Pantaleon jogs back from the line, stretching his shoulders in anticipation, and standing before one of the medium-sized stones that your forces had collected in the night. Argyros and Aristonax clearly mean to use the stones against the new enemies as they advance up the hill, rather than risk crushing your own men. You turn to the front, and watch another round of blows being traded between the bloodied Κένταυροi and your own forces.

>one more round of combat with Wave A centaurs before the rest of the party arrives!
>Centaurs auto-win initiative due to the failure of the spearmen to connect on prior melee
>hopefully you guys can put them down in time...

I'm rolling dice+2d20 for the centaur's attack on the spearmen. The first roll is to-hit with a +0 total bonus (typical +3 AGI, but minus -3 due to wound malus), and the second wound roll is at a -1 bonus (typical +2 STR bonus but with -3 wound malus).

From the players, I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20-1.
>>
Rolled 13, 19 = 32 (2d20)

>>5678457

Derp, forgot my roll
>>
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Rolled 6, 13 - 1 = 18 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678457
>>
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Rolled 19, 13 - 1 = 31 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678457
>spoiler
>mfw
>>
>>5678458
>>5678463
I just noticed the mirrored roll. Neat.
>>
Rolled 8, 8 - 1 = 15 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678457
>>
Rolled 5, 4 = 9 (2d20)

>>5678459
>>5678463
>>5678510

>centaurs boff their attack 13 vs 18
>end of their turn

Okay, spearmen counterattack time!

Now I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20-1 against my dice+2d20
>>
Rolled 16, 4 - 1 = 19 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678548
>>
Rolled 19, 3 - 1 = 21 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678548
>>
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>>5678549
>>5678560
>>
Rolled 1, 16 - 1 = 16 (2d20 - 1)

>>5678548
>>
>>5678549
>>5678560
>>5678565

>18 vs 5 - the spearmen connect!
>15 vs 4 - the spearmen wound!

Nice work anons!

Now I need TWO rolls of dice+2d4 to determine total wounds delivered to the centaurs. You’ll notice that average-quality spears deal 1d4 damage as opposed to Nikon’s royal-quality spear, which iirc deals 1d5 at base. Also, I’ll be deducting 1 damage from each die given that this is the overall troop modifier.
>>
Rolled 2, 1 = 3 (2d4)

>>5678587
>>
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Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d4)

>>5678587
>>
>>5678591
>>5678592

>4 total damage delivered (I'm not cruel enough to erase your successful wound rolls)

>Centaurs have 24/44 wounds = -4 total wound malus.

I'm going to handwave the HERO COMBAT rolls given that the centaurs are now rolling a measly 4 (to dodge), and a 3 (to block). Extremely likely that our heroes all hit, and all wound given their respective bonuses.

So let's see how much damage that Aristonax, Pantaleon and Deianira put out:

I need a dice+1d5+4 for Aristonax.
I need a dice+1d4+2 for Pantaleon.
I need a dice+1d4+1 for Deianira.
>>
Rolled 1 + 4 (1d5 + 4)

>>5678637
>>
Rolled 3 + 2 (1d4 + 2)

>>5678637
jobbers all round
>>
Rolled 1 + 1 (1d4 + 1)

>>5678637
EZ snipe
>>
Rolled 15, 20 + 3 = 38 (2d20 + 3)

>>5678639
>>5678643
>>5678651

>Aristonax continues to build his amazing legend of mediocrity, what a moron.

>Pantaleon gets a centaur kill!
>Deianira gets a centaur kill!

>The remaining centaurs fail their morale check, and flee back down the hill to their comrades!

Okay, one last set of rolls and I'll be prepared to write a big battle update tomorrow.

I need TWO rolls of dice+3d20. First set of rolls is for the Aristonax medium-boulder attack, second is for Deianira's medium-boulder attack. Deianira's troops get a +2 manual bonus. These boulders are smaller (d5 damage die) and will get a smaller gravity bonus (+2).
>>
Rolled 20, 8, 19 = 47 (3d20)

>>5678666
>>
Rolled 2, 17, 12 = 31 (3d20)

>>5678666
>>
>>5678677
>>5678678

>Centaurs roll a 23 on boulder defense - can't be helped anons

In summary - you guys did fairly well on the initial boulder rolls, ground out a victory against the first wave (without a scratch!), but are completely robbed by the gods while executing phase 2 of your boulder plan. What can men do when the will of Zeus is against them?

It is entirely possible that Deianira dies today.
>>
>>5678701
Is that worst timeline for Nikon? Or second worst?
>>
>>5678701
>What can men do when the will of Zeus is against them?
Fight.
>>
>>5678701
It is somewhat surprising that Nira has ended up in more life-and-death situations than Nikon despite it being only a couple weeks.
>>5678726
Worst timeline, it's like Odysseus coming home and finding that his son is dead and his wife has been enslaved. Except in Nikon's case, his sister is dead, and his mentally unwell mother is no longer cared for. Instant aristeia moment.
>>
>>5678777
I suppose sex slave to Zeus is second worst scenario then. Or barbaroi.
>>
>>5678726

Probably worst, I think Nikandros would rather die himself than let Nira kick the bucket.

>>5678777

Truthfully this has more to do with Nira rolling badly on her encounter rolls and then purposely seeking out danger afterwards in the form of this raid, but yes, it is an amusing outcome.
>>
>>5678945
I've read the first thread of interregnum and i don't doubt your willingness to deal out a bad end.
Damn dark stuff.

Probably should have figured out if any of those godly gifts could be useful for this situation before going to play at warlords.
>>
>>5679234

>no worries anon, I didn't give you guys a chance to investigate them for a reason. Deianira will need more than 4 days to puzzle them out.

---

The savages are flagging, sloppy. You see it in the way that their spears linger in the air after a thrust, where before they were quickly retracted – the speartips wander and slide through the air, tracing looping slashes, rather than the tightly-efficient strikes Νίκων would deliver in the training yard. You’re close enough to see their horse flanks laboring hard with exertion as your spearmen keep up the pressure - a jab here, a thrust there, keeping them dancing on their hooves. You almost laugh when you consider that these beasts are out of conditioning – a diet of wine and debauchery instead of the clean meals of vegetables, lean meat, and grains of a training warrior. However poor their lifestyle, the bellowing of their leader in the distance seems to reach their ears all the same, fanning the embers of their battle spirit and causing them to dart forwards.

Argyros, veteran that he is, acts presciently, screaming out, - “Men, one pace back!” The spearmen obey fluidly, synchronously, and the centaurs’ strikes are stripped of their killing power; easily avoided and dodged.

“Men, advance and thrust!”

Suddenly coordinated, Thessalian spears flash out and score the hides of the beasts. None of the thrusts are truly deadly, delivered by commoner men armed with spears of average-quality, but you’re nonetheless pleased to see bloody slashes appear on each savage. Amazingly, you scan the lines and find that your own troops are still unbloodied - you can’t spot even a single wound amongst the Thessalians. The strong encounter grinds on, but it’s clear to you, even lacking battle experience, that the beasts have failed to break your lines - this poorly-planned charge had meant to shatter your resolve, but it’s had the opposite effect! As you make this conclusion, you watch as Aristonax, sensing the moment, prowls forward against his nearest opponent – the same gray-bodied Κένταυρος whom you had struck with an arrow only a scarce few seconds ago. Throwing his weight behind the point, he stumbles awkwardly as he strikes - the killing blow is off-target, penetrating the muscular forequarters instead of the beast’s heart, but the strike is grievously delivered, nonetheless. You take the moment to nock a second arrow and finish what you had started, taking aim at the wounded creature - but you partially botch your own shot as well, the arrow sinking deep into the beast’s muscular human shoulder instead of its throat. Whether from blood loss or sheer pain, the beast seems to lose consciousness, and is promptly set upon by your troops; baying hounds on a scrap of meat.
>>
You hear Pantaleon roaring in triumph and your head whips about to catch him extracting his spear from the lung of another Κένταυροs; it keens in despair, crying in guttural Hellenika – [bold]“I am slain, Father Imbros!”[/bold] – before it too, is punctured countless times. The remaining two Κένταυρος don’t seem to communicate – but their will breaks simultaneously, each one turning tail and galloping down the hillside. The full-throated roars of a hundred men ring out in prideful victory – and you are delighted to add your own voice to their number. Even this minor victory is intoxicating – your heart thumps powerfully in your breast. This is the feeling, you think, what Νίκων is hunting out there....

You watch as Argyros suddenly leaps through the line, and wheels, facing your troops directly with arms outraised –

“HOLD! HOLD YOUR SPEARS!” Only now, you notice that many of your troops had raised their arms and spears in a casting posture – Argyros wisely intervening before they threw their only weapons down the hillside! The man has proven his wisdom many times already today. You spare a glance at the sky and are stunned to see that Helios has only just begun his ride – you have lived a lifetime in minutes!

Aristonax, finally deigning to offer his own commands, calls forth the boulder-tossers, and quickly, Pantaleon and the others are placing themselves appropriately. With trepidation, you can now clearly see the savages milling about at the foot of the hill, several stadia distant. You had hoped that they might charge upon your spearpoints piecemeal, but clearly, their leader is of a different sort - the black-haired monster is quickly arranging them in a battle line of their own. You cannot make out his words, but his gesticulations tell you that he is used to command, and the quick responses from his compatriots tell you that he is trusted among them.

“THESSALIANS! DRAW TOGETHER!”

Argyros, still standing before the troops, makes a narrowing gesture with his hands, and the spearmen tighten their formation- where previously they had been a pace or two distant to one another, now they place themselves abreast, shields high, and angling themselves into a loose point towards the Κενταυροι. There is no signal from the beasts – cantering and whirling amongst themselves, they scream exhortations to whatever gods of Olympus they favor, until the excitement is too much to bear – they stream up the hillside, leaping from ridge to ridge, flying over huge stretches of earth as they ascend.

The medium-sized stones of your troops are tumbling, end over end - and you watch in horror as the beasts simply shoulder them aside, suffering scrapes and bruises, but no true wounds. The beasts’ speed, weight and size, along with clear visibility of the stones, allows them to catch the rocks at favorable angles.

Without a moment to spare, they crash up along your own troops!
>>
Rolled 20 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>12 Centaurs are charging your line!

>5 are already dead, 1 is incapacitated in the valley and cannot fight.

>Their overall wound malus is -1, so their AGI bonus is currently +2.

I need a player to roll for initiative with a dice+1d20+2

I made a typo in my first battle initiative roll and then misread this late - the centaurs actually rolled a 10 for initiative, not a 6 - but either way, wouldn't have changed outcomes.
>>
>>5679447

Here's to hoping for a nat 20? Pray to Tyche, fellas...
>>
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Rolled 13 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5679447
Fucking rip. Rape centaurs can't be that bad surely
>>
Rolled 9 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5679447
The die is cast
>>
Rolled 17, 14 = 31 (2d20)

>>5679447
>>5679456

>22 vs 15 - centaurs win initiative

I'm rolling dice+2d20 for the centaur's attack on the spearmen. The first roll is to-hit with a +2 total bonus (typical +3 AGI, but minus -1 due to wound malus), and the second wound roll is at a +1 bonus (typical +2 STR bonus but with -1 wound malus).

From the players, I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20-1.
>>
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Rolled 5, 5 - 1 = 9 (2d20 - 1)

>>5679522
>>
Rolled 5, 13 - 1 = 17 (2d20 - 1)

>>5679522
Zeus is so horny, he just wants to constantly screw us.
>>
Rolled 5, 10 - 1 = 14 (2d20 - 1)

>>5679522
The Trojan Quest Dice are just way too strong. You've been pretty consistently high rolling this entire time.
>>
>>5679526
>>5679538
>>5679542
This set was brought to by the number 5 holy shit
>>
>>5679526
>>5679538
>>5679542

Bad news all, looks like the troops are about to be blooded.

Will calculate damage rolls and so forth in the morning, thanks for keeping the thread alive with me.
>>
>>5679563
Now I'm curious how chariots would've worked into this army battle. Perhaps through a strange twist of fate, Nikon's lost chariot will end up back at the οἶκος.

Might need to feed either Aristo or PantyBoy Nira's magical blood mixture.

The current system seems to encourage higher-quality but less troops, but I suspect that having more troops means more HP. I am slightly confused by the idea of making the AGI of the troops based along the hero stat lines, as outside of centaurs opposing armies will be normal humans. The degradation of stats, I guess, makes sense if one thinks of it as the formation breaking down. How does the damage roll with armies work?

Is it wrong to think of the combat encounters and army ones in Nira's story as testing grounds in case Lesches continues Nikon's journey?

Ah, if only tactical genius was here, we could have made a night attack and stabbed the centaurs like Diomedes and Odysseus did while their enemies slept.
>>
>>5679563
Some of the wounded men should be able to be brought behind our line. Unless they died on impact.
What I am counting on is the increasing wounds and fatigue of the centaurs. Even the scrapes and bruises.

>>5679750
I would have done the boulder plan with >>5679563
Nikon, but more complex and thus deadly to the centaurs. Night attack in their own camp sound too reliant on being extremely sneaky and rolling very good rolls.
>>
Rolled 4, 3, 3, 4, 1, 1, 1, 4, 3, 2, 2 + 2 = 30 (11d4 + 2)

Okay, here's how I'm calculating these damage rolls:

>11 typical centaurs with STR at 15 (typical +3 bonus, but with -1 wound malus = +2 bonus)
>1d4 damage die given that they are armed with typical quality spears
>no need to roll for broken spears, etc, since your troops are not wearing bronze.
>your troops have a CON of 6, being average commoners, and therefore have 5 wounds apiece
>Don't forget that you guys have something like a 9 to 1 numerical advantage here, so while this is not great, a few of your dudes getting speared is not horrible. A flawless victory without Nikon was probably not possible.

>>5679750

>what if chariots were present?

The rocky hillside doesn't lend itself well to chariots, but had Nikon been present with chariots, he might have dug some ditches in the plain, planted stakes there, and parked his spearmen behind the ditch. Then he would have lured the charge, with the chariots out of view somehow, and had the chariots smash the centaurs from behind into the ditch.

>>5679750

>The current system seems to encourage higher-quality but less troops

Yes, that's exactly how I hope the system will perform. In Book 21 of the Iliad, Achilles goes on his aristeia and he is a literally unstoppable force of destruction, to give an extreme example of "high quality, fewer number".

>I suspect that having more troops means more HP.

Yes, exactly - you guys have something like 500 wounds between all troops.

>I am slightly confused by the idea of making the AGI of the troops based along the hero stat lines, as outside of centaurs opposing armies will be normal humans. The degradation of stats, I guess, makes sense if one thinks of it as the formation breaking down.

I'm still tinkering with concepts here, but don't forget about troop training and equipment! These may provide significant boosts to combat performance. Legendary units may also have better-than-normal stat lines (for example, STR/AGI/CON at 8 instead of 6, etc etc).

>Is it wrong to think of the combat encounters and army ones in Nira's story as testing grounds in case Lesches continues Nikon's journey?

No, this is exactly my intention - although the players have done a great job in providing me with these training opportunities as a QM. However, I have two big questions to grapple with - if I was to attempt a hijacking of TWQ, does that meaningfully reduce the chance of Homer returning to take over himself? I would hate to kill off the chance of him returning because I impatiently step in. Secondly - I have a major change coming in my own life in 3-4 months, and I'm honestly unsure if I'll be able to run a quest of any kind by October.
>>
Rolled 4 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5679806

>Six of your troops are killed outright, and a further five dudes are grievously wounded! Total troop wounds = 450/500.

>however, from a common sense perspective, the numerical advantage (greater than 5:1) here means that not all of your spearmen are in "active combat" - this means that your wounded troops can withdraw to the back line, and healthy troops can replace the ones killed outright. The centaurs have not been afforded this option thus far since they've more or less all entered "active combat" simultaneously. In general, I'm not going to penalize your troop performance until there's more significant damage to your active combat participants.

----

Time for a contested hero round!

>The enemy Centaur hero is charging your lines (with +4 AGI bonus) and Aristonax interposes himself - Pantaleon is sprinting towards this clash but as he was just tossing a boulder, he will miss the first exchange between them.

Players, I need one roll of dice+1d20 to determine Aristonax's initiative (typically +1 but with -1 wound malus due to 8/9 wounds)!
>>
Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>5679838
Fight!
>>
6 dead troops, darn. Well, as long as Nira is alive I’m happy.
>>
Rolled 20, 8 + 4 = 32 (2d20 + 4)

>>5679838
>>5679840

>8 vs 14 - Aristonax surprisingly doesn't botch his initiative and strikes first

Wew, lads, let's see if Aristonax can connect. Deianira will be simultaneously shooting with her bow, and if she is successful, her attack will happen before Aristonax's.

Centaur Hero:
to-hit/dodge: +4
wound: +4 bonus
block: +4 bonus

Aristonax:
to-hit/dodge: +0 (typically +1 but he still has 8/9 wounds, so -1 malus)
wound: +4 (typically +5 [+3 STR and mediocre spearfighter trait], -1 wound malus)
block: +3 (typically +1 but he is bearing arms and armor comparable to Nikon's, +2 to block roll given royal-quality armor and +1 to block roll given his royal-shield; -1 wound malus)

Deianira:
to-hit: auto-success given ranged attack
wound: +1 total bonus

I need TWO rolls of dice+2d20 for Aristonax and Deianira's attacks (Nira gets a manual +1 bonus to connect)
>>
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Rolled 3, 15 = 18 (2d20)

>>5679936
Well that's no good
>>
>>5679936

>The TWQ effect is now here, I'm rolling nat 20s with every update.
>Biageiros rolls a 24, it is impossible for Aristonax or Deianira to connect with him.

My sincere apologies, anons. Feel free to roll anyways; I'll have an update post out for later tonight.
>>
Rolled 6, 13 = 19 (2d20)

>>5679936
Life, death and TWQ dice
>>
>>5679940
>The coward hides behind his horse-men while our proud thessalyan men parry spears with their chests!

Since we have the advantage of numbers i espect that our guys will end up encircling the centaurs on the flanks.
A common fate of cavalry getting bogged down after a charge, here the enemy commander would retreat before wheeling back for another charge(if he's not an idiot or too aroused by the sight of deianira).

Thankfully he's no military genius otherwise he would have not engaged but rather encircled the hill and besieged the group over the next days.
>>
>>5680029

>get out of my notes anon

Yes, Argyros will be ordering the ends of the spearmen line to wrap in on the centaurs (and this will come with mechanical bonuses). These kinds of troop movements are catching Deianira by surprise (and I’m purposefully leaving them out of the updates until they happen) given her lack of experience in battle.

Nikon by contrast, is the full package - proper battlefield selection and manipulation, deception of enemy forces, troop movements during combat and more! Argyros is pulling his weight here as a competent veteran but Nikon would have done quite a bit more to stack the deck in his favor.
>>
>>5679750
An interesting thought about chariots is that they are often misrepresented in media. Everyone likes to think they were used for charges but they were actually more commonly used for skirmishing action. It's a LOT harder to get a chariot unstuck from a mass of men than an individual horse and rider who can potentially wheel around on the spot and run away. But on the other hand, since proper horse archery wouldn't really be invented for several centuries or longer, charioteers were able to perform the simultaneous move and shoot action with their spare crew on the platform. So you'd have them throwing javelins, shooting bows, and generally just being a harassing nuisance. Of course you could still charge through thin lines of men and scattered individuals with them, which is why they also are great for mopping up routers.

On the other hand you're not supposed to use heavy cavalry like a giant armored fist either. Even stuff like the cataphracts of later ages were better used as flankers and smashing the vulnerable parts of a line than just hammering the main mass of men and hoping they lose composure and break before the impact.
>>
>>5679936
>to-hit: auto-success given ranged attack
Wait, does that mean we only have to beat the block roll of 12?
>>
>>5680169

Well, shit - I flat out forgot about Deianira’s roll when I was posting this morning. Give me a dice+1d20+1, attentiveanon
>>
>>5680210

Wtf am I talking about

>>5679964

This anon already beat the DC, since Deianira auto-wins with a ranged attack.

So I need a DAMAGE roll, not a wound roll.

Roll me a dice+1d4+1 anon
>>
Rolled 3 + 1 (1d4 + 1)

>>5680213
Nira a true heroine
>>
>>5680102
What I would give for a horse like Bucephalus and some stirrups for Nikon.
>>
Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5680214

You guys are shooting pretty well despite the fact that Deianira is theoretically a mediocre shot.

>Centaur Hero takes 4 wounds! He is now at 8/12 wounds. He is operating at a -3 wound malus.

I previously established that Deianira’s shot would happen before Aristonax’s attack, but even with the new wound malus, Aristonax fails to connect. His turn stills counts as a failure, so the Centaur hero will counterattack next round.

1-14: Aristonax
15+: Deianira
>>
>>5680230
Oh sh-
>>
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>>5680230
>>
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>>5680228
>nikon can't find a horse strong and big enough to carry him
>resorts to wrestling a bear into submission to ride

>>5680230
>>
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EVERY TURN EVERYTHING JUST GETS WORSE
>>
>>5680255
Nikon must be using up the luck pool
>>
>>5680302
Better close the pool. What's the BC equivalent of aids?
>>
>>5680307
Don’t know. Throw Achilles into the pool he’s bound to have something.
>>
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It’s too fast to follow, with your heart pounding in your ears – your eyes try to focus on multiple collisions simultaneously, but this cannot be done. Instead, your eyes glaze, taking in the overall picture – the savages, each of various colorations, streaming towards your men like the crashing surf against the rocky shoals, rising upon the ascending shoreline, and then, the violent encounter between them, thin plumes of spray leaping off the water into the air, the spray finding the gaps between the stones. In this fashion, you watch with awe as the Κενταυροι leap into the ranks of your men, bronze-tipped spears gleaming in the humid morning air, driven forwards by the will of manslaughtering Ares…

You watch as good men are gored, shattered, split apart by the hooves and spears of the beasts – beaten down so that their souls are torn from their frames and sent below to the realm of Hades. The rapidity of the violence is breathtaking – there is not enough time to measure each act of destruction, only the lightning-fast trading of spearthrusts, parries, and wounds.

And yet – it is not total devastation. You dimly notice Argyros’ roaring shout in the background, and men are suddenly grabbing their fallen compatriots by the necks of their linothorax armor, bodily dragging their dusty heels over the earth until their feet remember how to kick and walk on their own power. Amazed, you see the wounded stagger to the back of the lines, stumbling, but holding their spears steady and firm. Before you can register this, you hear Argyros shouting again, "FOLD IN!"

There are bodies being trampled into the earth – but fewer of your Thessalians have caught the earth in their teeth than you might have feared. Less than ten, you guess, your eyes darting across the hilltop’s edge, rubbing your freezing right arm and hoping –

You see him.

The black-haired savage chieftain – there’s no mistaking him. He is visibly older, scarred, snarling as he steps agilely to one side or the next, angling for position against a charging Aristonax. Aristonax has advanced unexpectedly against the chieftain; jolting forwards from a rocky outcropping on sturdy legs, a bronze-clad boulder.

Absentmindedly, you feel your hands working and suddenly, the taut bowstring is against your cheek, fingers tensed. You feel Νίκων’s bearlike leather hands gently pressing on your shoulders, pulling on your elbows, making subtle corrections, and then, you hear him:

Now, ‘Nira! Now!.

The arrow flies true – and sinks into the left shoulder of the chieftain, black blood spilling immediately down its side. It roars in pain, rearing up on his hindquarters before awkwardly turning to the side to avoid Aristonax’s thrust. Its eyes are burning with black vengeance, seeking out who has done this evil against it, and to your dread – you watch them lock onto your own. The spear is being balanced far-shadowed - it takes flight...
>>
Rolled 17 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

Okay, now it's time to resolve the next set of rolls!

The Centaurs successfully landed a bunch of attacks on your forces, which means that we actually need to roll for initiative again for the spearmen/Centaur portion of the conflict.

>I’m rolling dice+1d20+2 for the centaurs (typical +3 AGI but -1 wound malus) as they recover from their successful charge.

>I need ONE roll of dice+1d20+2 for combined initiative for Aristonax’s troops and Deianira’s troops (no wound malus...yet).
>>
Rolled 4 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5680390
>>
Rolled 19, 14 = 33 (2d20)

>>5680393

>19 vs 6

Hate to see it, anon.

I'm rolling dice+2d20 for the centaur's attack on the spearmen. The first roll is to-hit with a +2 total bonus (typical +3 AGI, but minus -1 due to wound malus), and the second wound roll is at a +1 bonus (typical +2 STR bonus but with -1 wound malus).

From the players, I need THREE rolls of dice+2d20-1.
>>
>>5680395

Yikes. Zeus must have a real bee in his bonnet, anons…

I’m going to sleep, tomorrow we shall see if Deianira’s story comes to an untimely end…
>>
Rolled 18, 15 - 1 = 32 (2d20 - 1)

>>5680395
>>
Rolled 12, 9 - 1 = 20 (2d20 - 1)

>>5680395
Bro, stop killing us. On the plus side, with the malus to STR the chieftain has, he shouldn't be able to one shot Nira with the thrown spear. d4+2 or 3 right? And Nira has more than default 8 wounds.
>>
Rolled 16, 16 + 1 = 33 (2d20 + 1)

>>5680395
Damn, the fates really like centaurs
>>
Rolled 1, 13 - 1 = 13 (2d20 - 1)

>>5680453
(Do i get a bonus for rolling double?)
>>
>>5680453
Well the good news is, 15 vs 15 we win because default rules are nice to us. So our men aren't hurt. Yay.
>>
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>>5680387
>Leaves us on a cliffhanger and styles on us
Pls Lesches have mercy.
>>
>>5680434
>And Nira has more than default 8 wounds.
Anon...we only have 8 health.
>>
Also why is the command bonus from Argyros halved and do those bonuses apply to when its our damage phase?
>>
>>5680487
Oh shit my B hero, I thought she had 12 CON not 11. But even still, not oneshot territory. She'll have to run away, certainly, but that was gonna happen no matter what type of hit she took.
>>
>>5680395
damn we are rolling badly lol

>>5680396
Well if it ends you don't have to write for it anymore
>>
>>5680419
>>5680434
>>5680454

>21 vs 17 - centaurs connect!
>15 vs 14 - centaurs wound!

So, this is sure to be an unpopular decision but I’m going to throw out the roll with the incorrect modifier:

>>5680453

It’s technically quest policy to ignore these (although I did previously count one in this thread because you guys had already beat the DC anyways). I admit that I’ve fucked up my own roll modifiers from time to time, but I’m going to take the (mildly unfair) stance that I’ll just manually correct modifiers for my own incorrect rolls (and hopefully make less mistakes over time), and discard incorrect player rolls outright. Anyways, I’m hoping to stick to this standard of throwing out incorrect player rolls consistently moving into the future.

>>5680492

I’m basically spreading Argyros’ +3 command boost on top of the baseline penalties to troop performance for Hillguard and First Platoon (although I am giving you an extra die, which is more valuable), given that he is taking charge over the Hillguard, is a non-noble, and technically Aristonax is in command.

Yes, this -1 modifier applies to spearman damage phases as well, although the minimum damage applied will always be 1. It would seem unfair to cancel out a successful set of combat rolls from your troops if someone rolls badly in the damage roll.

Anyways - now I’m going to roll for Centaur damage against the troops (see my previous post for calculations).
>>
>>5680667
>>
>>5680667
>technically Aristonax is in command
I am filled with a terrible understanding of how screwed the common Greek soldier is when their hero commander is somewhat good at fighting but not commanding.
>>
Rolled 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2, 4, 3 + 2 = 26 (11d4 + 2)

>>5680668

Am I losing my mind or are my dice rolls getting eaten by the board? This is my third attempt at rolling for damage…
>>
>>5680676
4 dead if I’m not mistaken. How I wish we had better shields for an equipment modifier
>>
>>5680687

Yes, it could have gone a lot worse here.

I’m going to hold off on calling for the hero rounds rolls until I’m home later tonight - I want to have my notes in front of me so I don’t fuck up the rolls.

Anons, this would be the time to roast some juicy offerings to Tyche and Zeus; smoke em if you got ‘em
>>
>>5680691
Alternatively for the titan aligned believers you can throw rocks from the window into the neighbors pool.
>>
>>5680774
based
>>
>>5680691
You can ask favors from Gods with a vow to do something. Maybe Deianira can vow to wear an open cut blouse for a whole year in exchange for Aphrodite's protection in battle?
>>
>>5680880
You're more likely to attract her ire like that.
Maybe some horndog gods could be enticed by promising a motorboat privilege but beware of scorned goddesses.

That said i don't believe the centaur would have the heart to strike a beauty right between her exposed breasts with his bronze spear.
>>
>>5680890
Zeus? Poseidon? Dionysus? Apollo? I'm sure they would all appreciate the view.
>>
Rolled 3 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>this is essentially the last thread on the board, but fuck it, let's get some rolls in.

>Centaur Hero is sacrificing his attack round to cast his spear at Deianira! He will suffer a significant penalty to combat given that he is now unarmed.

>he auto-succeeds on his to-hit roll given ranged attack

>I'm rolling a dice+1d20+1 to determine his wound roll (typically +4 bonus, but with current -3 wound malus).

I need a brave anon to step forwards and roll for Deianira's block - dice+1d20. Her hiking gear provides essentially no protection in combat, but she is holding her bow (a big stick, if nothing else).
>>
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Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5681035
The gods demand open clothing
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Rolled 8 + 5 (1d20 + 5)

>>5681042

kek, pretty close anon... Nira stays pretty for now.

Now it's time for Aristonax's attack! The centaur hero is technically in melee with Aristonax and failed to wound him, therefore he auto-attacks. I'm assigning the centaur hero a massive -6 malus to block for being totally unarmed, on top of his wound malus, and he also auto-fails his dodge roll since he is too busy watching the spear descend...

Anons, I need a dice+1d20+4 to see if Aristonax connects. After this, we'll roll for Deianira and Pantaleon (since he is currently rocketing out to the line at a dead sprint)
>>
Rolled 4 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5681050
If you want some funny mishaps with the tie, it could be that the spear narrowly grazed past and ripped Nira's dress while avoiding the skin.
>>
>>5681050

sigh, multiple errors here

>8 - 5 = 3 for centaur hero's blocking

>to see if Aristonax connects.

Sorry, I meant to say "if Aristonax WOUNDS".
>>
>>5681053

>8 vs 3 - Aristonax wounds!

Alright, anon - looks like you're my only player tonight

I have successfully managed to kill off TWQ's fanbase :(

Give me a dice+1d4+4 for Aristonax spearing the centaur hero.
>>
Rolled 2 + 4 (1d4 + 4)

>>5681057
i'm here too had to log into the pc as my phone refused to load the page
>>
Rolled 3 + 4 (1d4 + 4)

>>5681057
>>
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>>5681057
I am far from the only player. But I do consider myself Nira's strongest soldier.
>>
>>5681053
anon pls, do not be a coomer for sis.

>>5681057
Apologies. I have been stacking bricks all day. It is hard to move. Also
>manages to fuck his modifier almost immediately after talking about modifiers
zoz
>>
>>5681061

>Centaur Hero takes 6 wounds, now has 2/12 wounds.
>Aristonax botches his chance to dispatch the enemy hero in one fell stroke, another blow to his ego

The maluses here are now so high (-8 wound malus, -6 unarmed malus), it no longer makes sense to roll for the Centaur Hero. Pantaleon swoops to steal Aristonax's kill for the coup de grace (surely he won't mind?), burning his own hero rolls in the process.

Deianira recovers from almost getting her liver obliterated, and fires at the enemy centaurs (now that the enemy hero is down). She auto-wins her to-hit, and needs to beat my roll of dice+1d20+2 to wound them.

So I need a dice+1d20+1 to see if she succeeds. This roll will conclude the round.
>>
Rolled 20 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>5681069

forgot my roll, derp.

>>5681067

It's karmic justice for fucking up the player rolls in TWQ and creating the environment for perfectbuildfag to thrive...
>>
Rolled 4 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>5681067
It's too late, I have fallen too deep into this

>>5681069
>>
>>5681074

>22 vs 5
>Nira is too shaken from her near-wounding to score a meaningful hit.

Whew, I think I might actually call here for the thread. We managed to get through a pretty significant part of the battle, so I’m glad we powered through.
>>
>>5681071
Truly perfectbuildfag is the most heinous enemy so far. Not even the gods could devise so evil a creature.

Aristonax is going to fucking seethe after this engagement. The woman's advisors (not noble men) had better strategies, the woman managed to deliver several decent blows to the enemy, and he failed to kill just about anything.

I hope he cries. Kleos check?

>>5681074
Poor fallen hero. I'll be sure to name my next olive press after you.
>>
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>>5681080
or maybe the clothing rip thing really did happen.

>>5681081
Honestly I can not fathom people who play quests to autistically seethe at number crunching instead of enjoying the fails as part of the fun or being a happy coomer.
>>
On an unrelated note, I think I figured out a good solution to the “divine grandpa” mystery that Homer had posed - aka why Nikon/Nira have the goldflecked eyes but their parents did not. I have no way to know if Homer had planned something similar but I think my solution is thematic without being too fan-fictiony.
>>
>>5681098
Fails are fun when something useful or otherwise interesting comes of them (I know as much from playing Kerbal Space Program), but repeated and continual failures for the same thing start to grate on you and get frustrating rather than entertaining after a while especially considering this time it threatened a rather unsatisfying premature quest end (no fault of Lesches, just bad luck) rather than merely foot in mouth. That said, perfectbuildfag is still a minmaxing faggot who cares way too much.
>>
>>5681081
perfectbuildfag ruined everything
But on the plus side we at least got a cool ass quest with sister pov.
>>
Darn, missed the final battle period, but Nira is alive and still pretty! Pantyboy seems set for the kill, which is funny compared to Aristo, who's dun goofed, considering Pantyboy is just a commoner.
Oh gods, our men, sorry, Nikon. Damn Aristo, a fool of a commander. How will we replace them? Do we go find some dragon's teeth?
>>5681113
>Nira's show, special episode, who is the Hippomedon grandfather?
>>
>>5681081
It's just not Aristonax week, even his son did way better than him, but his troops are definitely getting some experience.
>>
>>5681171
Oh yeah that's true, his wife also bitched at him to make him come to the meet and greet to begin with. So far Aristonax has been taking some form of L in everything he's done so far. Fuck.
>>
>>5681066
-_-

>>5681071
lmao

>>5681164
We will need to attract colonists to our village. And then recruit soldiers from our locals
Dragons are a bit too tough at the moment, centaurs are probably a joke in comparison
>>
>>5681329
>Dragons are a bit too tough at the moment
Just get a god on our side or have the dragon roll a nat 1 when confronted by Nira. Bam! Spartoi for days.

On that note of mythical creatures, the Lernaean Hydra's head might still be alive but is under a great rock on the sacred way between Lerna and Elaius. Wonder if anyone would be willing to dig up that head for its magical properties, especially the blood. A terrible idea, though, considering the blood usage resulted in the deaths of Herakles and possibly Chiron.

Since bows have been great so far, I'm left wondering what the quality of Herakles' bow and arrows, owned by Philoctetes, or Paris' bow would do damage-wise. We got to see the stats of The Peleid spear, a 1d8 of damage and unbreakable, but how powerful would Herakles' bow and arrows be, a 1d12 of damage like the Adamantine Spear perhaps?

Something I find a bit interesting is Lesches calling Aristonax a mediocre spear fighter despite him having the same +2 to spear fighting as Concussion-Dealer Diomedes has.
>>
>>5681355
lol if there were so easy....
It's probably because Aristonax stats/skills/traits do not hold a candle to the hero ones.
>>
>>5681355
I figure the high end bows have either a strength or agility prerequisite. After all, 108 suitors each couldn't draw Odysseus' bow. I imagine that to actually use Herakles' bow would take some truly titanic strength.

I think for Paris though his bow is probably a d5 or a d6, he is himself just an insanely good shot. So his personal damage modifier for it is probably really high. I'd guess he gets at least a +6 to damage, so you really want to make sure you don't fail your resistance roll.

Fun fact, he also shoots Diomedes in the foot at some point. So he is a serial toe-killer. That girly-faced bastard.

P.S. don't dig up the hydra head, it is literally immortal and will regenerate again.
>>
>>5681371
I remember reading somewhere that one of the reasons why the suitors weren't able to string Odysseus' bow was due to the fact it was a recurve one, something somewhat new at the time which required a specific way of stringing that the suitors didn't know, and yes, strength as well.

>literally immortal and will regenerate again.
The classic tale of hubris right there, then, if anyone seeks it out. There would also be the issue of getting someone able to see it, considering it is supernatural.
>>
>>5681355

>mediocre spear-fighter

Ah, to clarify - Aristonax’s trait only provides a +2 bonus to wound and damage rolls when spearwielding, and I’m pretty sure that Diomedes’ trait also gives him a +2 to to-hit (and possibly dodge, although I’m not sure about that part). Aristonax has bad technique!
>>
Something I forgot about is the will checks, since the Centaur Hero is so low, I wonder if he will try to flee and if by extension that will cause the others to start running? Once the formation collapses is when all hell breaks loose for any army.
>>
>>5681431

I was actually planning on having the centaurs roll for morale at the end of the next turn, once they realize that they have been surrounded and that their hero is dead. Very possible that they break and flee. At that point I’d give everyone a free attack on them as they attempt to disengage and then everyone will huck their spears as well. Very possible that you guys end up killing most or all of them.

of course, their absence will eventually be noticed…
>>
>>5681434
>spoiler
Interesting. I'm really curious about what the after-action report will be like from the various characters. Especially Aristonax who has been taking Ls and who I kind of want to drown in the pool for not killing more centaurs.
>>
>>5681057
I started playing Monster Hunter Rise and it has consumed my free time, sorry boss.
>>
>>5681386
I thought the Egyptians had access to recurve bows for centuries at that point. And I'd assume the Greeks would have come into contact with it as well thanks to the Scythians relatively close by. Neat trivia though. It definitely checks out, a bunch of noble fuckboys too stupid to figure out a bow because it's slightly different.
>>
>>5682027
It is hard to tell what technology is available at the time, at least for me, since I lack the education of the time period. Like Palamedes, LET NIKON RIDE IN YOUR DAMN CHARIOT, who is credited with inventing dice, mathematics, and writing.

On a side note, healing 2 hp per round due to FOB made me realize that a holder could just nap for a few hours, and their wounds would be healed. It leaves me wondering if demigods have the same amount of healing or something even stronger. If you cut off a FOB's hand and stitch it to the stump for a while, will they regain control over their hand in a couple of hours?
>>
>>5682180
Yeah, without an education in history and thus the resources associated with it it's harder to keep track of that stuff. I think that recurve bows were the norm in the Iranian area. Which is where the Scythians and Parthians come from. The Scythians would migrate northerly into the area adjacent to and slightly into the steppe. Probably leads to the eventual birth of the Hunnic or Mongol peoples in some way. But I don't know. But the Parthians would become famous for their shooting backwards while riding away. Or course the Scythians aren't around until the 8th century BC? And the Parthians until the 2nd or 3rd century BC.

I just use Scythians for whatever people are over there above and around the Black Sea. The Colchians, maybe? I'm not sure if the Hittites had recurve bows. But if they did it would explain how Egypt got their hands on them. But the Kushites had strong bow traditions IIRC. Or I'm getting way ahead of myself.

Alls I know is, these motherfuckers ain't good enough at horsing yet for archering whilst they does it. But the recurve bow is a definite prerequisite to it because full sized bows on horseback meant you had to dismount to fire them, which made you a mounted archer and explicitly not a horse archer. So at some point in the Iron Age people started to git gud in that region.
>>
>>5682204
without stirrups and with only cloth instead of real saddles horse archery is a difficult dream in this era, even simple cavalry was considered a bad idea by the egyptians who preferred chariots all the way.

logically centaurs could do it but apparently only chiron had the mental capacity and patience to learn using a bow.
>>
>>5682328

After hitting the primary literature, I’m basically convinced that Chiron isn’t really a “centaur” in the same way that Ixion’s offspring are. He has a different genealogy, appearance, behavior, skill set. Basically, a unique type of horse-man.

Although this hits on a related question from earlier in the thread - Homer says Achilles is 16 and trained by Chiron (in the last few years, clearly), and that Chiron is now dead according to Achilles’ buddy in Phthia. The classic myth is that Chiron died sometime during the Labors of Heracles, but it seems clear from Homer’s comments in thread 1 that Heracles’ labors happened about 50 years ago. So in the TWQ-plot, Chiron lived for 50+ years further than canon! It’s possible that he trained more students (5-10?) between Telamonian Ajax and Achilles, which is interesting.
>>
>>5682369
Found da line from Homer
>Oh, I forgot to add that you are of an age with Achilles- you're 18, he's 16. If y'all do end up picking Student of Chiron you'll have trained with under him from 12-15 while Achilles did so from 6-9
I kind of forget how young Nikon is. Anyways students of Chiron seem like prime marriage candidates for Nira, looking at Ajax specifically
>>
>>5682328
Very true. Can't steer the horse with the reins when you're manipulating a bow. I often forget how shitty most horse gear was back in the day.

We should be thankful that centaurs are stupid brutes more interested in fucking than figuring out how to fight. Imagine centaurs decked out in bronze plate, hurling javelins and feigning charges. We'd be pretty fucked.

>>5682369
It turns out, Ixion had those fuckboy genes. Chiron was lucky to be born of greater parents. Calling him a centaur is more out of convenience than anything else.

>>5682482
>Ajax! Achilles is already married so that leaves you as the last man worthy to FUCK MY SISTER!
>>
>>5682754
>We'd be pretty fucked.
An army of heroes, how scary. I guess that's what Priam did by having 50 sons. Imagine all of them under the command of a tactical genius, probably Hector. I wonder if we could get Nikon to produce an unstoppable army from having many children. Bonus points if Nikon convinces a goddess to have that many children with him. Selene had 50 daughters with Endymion. By the gods, they would all be so tall.

Thinking on it Nikon&Argyos being together for +7 command alongside the +2 troop quality for +9 elevates his troops into downright heroic quality even with the negative modifiers from them being commoners.

How old is Telamonian Ajax?
>>
>>5682764
>How old is Telamonian Ajax?
I'm guessing twenties to early thirties before the war. But I honestly have no clue. You'll have to ask someone smarter than me.



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