Lord Joris' hospitality and gratitude was boundless.

He insisted that they stay as his honored guests and friends for at least a week, so they could rest and recover from their venture into the cursed caves. This would also provide time enough for news of their exploits to travel to fair Thena, to help build their reputation. It was clear that Joris delighted in this to a certain extent - the showing off of his newest champions. It afforded him a kind of prestige that the old war hero had not experienced in some time. Who could blame the old man for relishing it?

As much as adventurers of all stripes enjoy leisure time when afforded, eventually the itch to go out into the world starts to act up again.  It was that at near the end of the week that Arthanos and Petracles could be seen walking together engaged in an intense conversation on the outside of the estate. Elsewhere Agmund the Barbarian took towards heading to Joris' holy shrine, also on the outskirts of the estate, to engage in meditation and prayer with the deities that he worshiped.  The feeling that it was time to move on was heavy in the air.  All three were back in time for dinner with the others after they had returned from their activities.

The air was crisp now, and they had finished their dinner. They had enjoyed a fine meal (and even finer wine), and watched now as the sun began to set over the horizon. The great red streaks running straight across the sky and clouds. It was here that Joris bid them goodnight, and left them in his courtyard to talk amongst themselves...
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:38, Sat 21 Dec 2013.

Eurenomes reclined on a dining couch and poured a libation to the gods before supping from the cup. The Argosean priest enjoyed his wine but kept it well watered - Hermes valued followers who kept their wits sharp.

"Well my friends," he said, having swallowed his fill. "Our host has been truly generous but we should not feast upon his gratitude indefinitely. I find myself thinking more of fair Argos; the bustle of her great marketplaces, the sunlight glinting off her temples and the blue waters lapping against her quays.  Especially the last; perhaps it is the merchant blood in me but I have dreamnt often of the sea of late.  With our reward we could afford a finely built ship in Argos and there is no place better to buy a ship."

He paused to enjoy a handful of Lord Joris's finest olives. "What say you my friends? Argos or should we seek further adventure in Thena, or perhaps elsewhere entirely?"

Aleta lays back on a couch, sipping some wine. "Oh, I don't know, I could get use to this though I guess I am getting a little bored. Its just so hard to give it up. I mean really, boredom versus being pampered?" she holds out her hands, like she is weighing something.

She looks at Eurenomes "And what would we do with a ship?  Travel is fun but it has to pay for it self and I know nothing about a ship"

Unlike the rest of the others, Itylus had spent almost no time during that week in Lord Joris' estate. He had beenmost of time in the forest surrounding the estate, making sure everything had returned to normalcy. There still was much left unexplained about their little adventure in those woods: whom had sent those Wood Titans that had attacked the others the night before he met them? What had been that odd feeling in the clearing that day when he had first talked to them? Whom were Euryskos the Satyr and the Nymphs the Calibans had spoken about? Probably they would never now, but Itylus was sure there were forces at work in that forest of which they weren't aware of.

For now, everything seemed to have calmed though, and Itylus was starting to think again on his Hunt and the Preys he was hunting, and how their already feeble tracks would be getting feebler everyday.

It was with those thoughts in mind that he joined the others that night for dinner at Joris' estate.

After the dinner, Itylus stood leaning against a column and watched the sunset while he heard the others discuss what course they would take. Without taking his eyes from the horizon, he suddenly says "I don't know what course you should take now, my friends. But as for me, I must return to the Hunt I've been leading for the past years. I already delayed myself too long in here and the beasts I am hunting are elusive ones and never rest."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:29, Sat 21 Dec 2013.

It was very difficult for the easy going, city bred Eurenomes to understand a mindset like that of Itylus so he answered the beautiful thief before the grim hunter.

"Every Argosean knows a little of seamanship." Eurenomes boasted, flashing Aleta a charming grin.  "Besides a good ship pays for itself.  We could trade; the wealth of Midia is proverbial.  We could explore and who knows how many treasure filled islands are out there waiting to be discovered."

He smiled slyly, adding: "And of course a ship is the fastest way to get as far as possible from trouble."

As Itylus, Dysis had been somewhat scarce during their time at Joris' villa.

Unlike him, it wasn't because she'd been outdoors.

No; it was the library which had commanded a good deal of her attention.  What she perused there, she kept to herself.  Mostly a combination of philosophy, history, and literature.   Though she also found a scattering of subjects more esoteric, which were of keen interest.

She too made occasional use of the shrine, at the times it was empty.  Whatever divinity she addressed there, she likewise kept private.   Or at least, did not volunteer as any topic of conversation.

She was pleasant in passing, generally more interested in listening, than in talking.  She did enjoy all the amenities the villa had to offer;  it was a refreshing break from recent travels and travail.

But eventually, she too began to feel a bit restless.   And so, cup of fine wine in hand, she listened from off to one side, standing near a window, through which she on occasion glanced, while the others spoke.

Aleta had a valid point about the ship.  But then, Eurnomes had a decent counter to it.

"Argos, hmm," she remarked softly and idly, mostly to herself.  Go back there?  You've got to be kidding.
And yet, fate had driven them so much, of late.  And for all his flippancy, Eurnomes was a holy man, the hand of a God.  Perhaps there was something there-?

At Itylus' comment, she broke from her reverie, and glanced over at him, interested.

"And what beasts is it you hunt, if you do not mind being asked?"

Aleta sips her wine "Well, I love being spoiled and I have meet a lot of handsome men. So far it has all been good.  The only issue of course is I am a little bored. And Eurenomes, if I have any sailing ability, I would be shocked. Though with my agility, its not like I could not move around a ship easily. But it would be the easy way to get around" she looked so relaxed, it was not like she would get up anytime soon.

Itylus smiled at the irony of being Dysis the one asking that. He looked at her and said:"The most vile and despicable kind there is, Dysis, human ones."

Itylus paused for a moment, as if debating whether or not to say more, then, in a somber tone he proceeded, turning his gaze at the blood-red sky once more: "They are the survivors of a vile cult of Lovers of the Dark. Not as..." he threw a glance at Dysis " pacific, as some, these Adepts of Dark are responsible for many atrocities, including the sacrifice of almost an entire village of innocent people, the murdering of several good and loyal servants of the Great Goodess Artemis - including the slaying of one of Her sacred Agents - and... the summoning a Greater Evil from the Infernal Realms ."

Itylus face darkened as memories from that day poured once more in to him. He closed his eye and breathed before continuing. " Thankfully, through the sacrifice of her Agent, the Goddess Artemis herself interfered, their plans were thwarted and the cult fell. After their fall, the Goddess, through her agents, pointed to me the surviving head of this cult, and I knew then that it was to be my mission to hunt down, in her name, those beasts who brought so much evil in to this world."

He opened his eyes and looked at Dysis "Those are the beasts I hunt, the Devourers of Innocence, Hope and the Tomorrow."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Sun 22 Dec 2013.

Eurenomes shivered at Itylus' forbidding words, his hand unconciously reaching for the caduceus staff by his side.  Though unmagical it was a symbol of wily Hermes, his divine patron. The god of travellers, traders and thieves was no sympathiser with evil cults - and nor were his followers.

For a moment Eurenomes hesitated, tempted to return his attentions to the beauteous Aleta rather than linger on such an unpleasant subject. Yet he was still a priest. He sighed and glanced at the hunter instead. "A grim task Itylus. Where does your next target lie?"

Itylus turned his eyes to Eurenomes. "The last lead I had on them only said that they finally had decided to head back to the Land of the Three Cities, most likely to one of its Grand Cities, so that's were I am headed." He pauses to think for a moment. "You speak of Argos... That may be a good place as any other to start." If they were trying to leave the Minean Lands that would be the best way.

Itylus looked at the others and saw some of them were a little upset by his tale. He smiled sadly: "I am sorry for spoiling such beautiful afternoon with such somber matters. I really should know better than that."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:54, Sun 22 Dec 2013.

"Worry not, in my case; you've not spoiled mine.  I'm acquainted with the idea there is evil in the world.  If I let it ruin my mood, I'd be a perpetual wreck. So. 'The Lovers of the Dark - Devourers of Innocence, Hope and the Tomorrow.'  Sounds like quite a melodramatic lot."  She arched a brow. "But no less dangerous for that. Do they serve a specific deity, that you are aware of?"

She looks at Itylus "Oh, you didn't spoil anything for me. I have known many types in my travels and working as an entertainer. Some of them have few if any morals. Anyway, its too great of a day and place to get spoiled, short of some nasty thing attacking us" she says as she finishes off her wine and pours more for herself. "but I am fine with going to Argos

Looking a little happier at the entertainer's words Eurenomes nodded and reached for his own wine.  "Argos is the city of Hermes as much as Posideon. I can perhaps seek advice from my fellow priests; quick witted Hermes values brains after all and His followers are wise... in our own way at least."

At Dysis' question Itylus answers, frustration coloring his face: "Unfortunatly, the true is that I know almost nothing about them. The identity of their dark deity, and theirs, are unknown to me. The titles I told you* are the ones my people gave them after what they did. What I do know is this: there are four of them, all strong magicians but weakened by their defeat. Their leader is a Stygian necromantress judging by the cursed scroll and canticles she used during their ritual. The..." he paused. "thing they were trying to summon was something called an Archfiend.** More than this I don't know, except that though defeated they are still dangerous and I must hunt them down."

At Aleta's comment the shadows in Itylus' face lift a little and he smiles. "Indeed you are right, Aleta. Even the darkest shadow can't stand against the beauty of such day as this." He pauses admiring the last rays of light. "It's good to know that in spite of all the evil in this world, the Light is still strong enough to keep it from overwhelming people's hearts."

At Eurenomes' mention of his god a sudden thought crosses Itylus' mind and suddenly he strides towards the priest, grabs him by the shoulder, and asks him:"Eurenomes, could I ask you for a favor? Do you think you could ask the Wandering God about my preys? He Who Travels Every Road must know where they are for sure.***"

OCC
* Yeah... I think Dysis is right, I kinda left my inner Lyrist take the better of me here.
** Page 33 of the 3rd Minotaur supplement in case you are curious.
*** He is talking about a Divine Vision of course. If possible, anything that Hermes decides to say to Eurenomes will be more than enough to convice Itylus to stick with the group.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:00, Mon 23 Dec 2013.

Eurenomes looked surprised but then nodded slowly. "Swift-footed Hermes is not your lady, graceful Artemis but I feel He would not disapprove such a request. He is patron of guardians and guides too and has no fondess for evil."

The priest smiled wryly at the hunter. "It is a gamble though and not just because my lord Hermes is patron of dice, and those who make their living through that way. The visions of the gods can be vague."

He stands up, smoothing down his blue chlamys and heads for the doors, intending to ask a servant if there were any shrines to Hermes in or near the estate.

Arthanos had been relatively quiet throughout dinner, his mind seemingly distracted. The thickening attitude of the room as the talk turned more towards the dark gods and evil persons finally bought his attention back to the hear and now.

As he listened to Itylus's last, he frowned as he considered the man's words, trying to quickly recall what the discussion had been covering while his mind had been else where.

"Have you spoken to any of the temples in the city? WOuld they not be able to assist as well? Would not people like that anger the gods where ever they went?" he asked Itylus, before looking at Eurenomes "And if you are looking for information, maybe using the Temple to great Hermes in the city might be best? The other priests their would be able to augment your own abilities and provide any assistance, assuming you need any." His tone pitched to show his respect for the man's powers. "Plus if in the city, you could ask in at the temple of Athena. As the goddess of knowledge, she may be able to grant you some in your hunt for those monsters." he said looking at both of the two men.

Shifting to speak to the group as a whole, he continued. "If we are looking for a ship, I could ask if any of the families who draw their wealth from trade, or if our host could recommend a good craftsman or shipwright for us to speak to. With Eurenomes knowledge of ships to make sure we are not tricked, and Aleta's ability to...persuade people, we should be able to get a good deal." he says with a grin.

She looks at Arthanos "We could ask our host if he knows who might have a ship for sale.  I don't know how long it would take but I don't think building one would take just a few days. Also, are we going to hire some crew?"

"I agree that buying a ship would be quicker and that we probably want to hire a crew. I do not know about you, my dear lady, but I would prefer not to spend the entire journey rowing." he says and grins at Aleta.

"Though if we need a crew and ship, perhaps we should simply journey to Argos first. They are the per-eminent navel power, so it makes sense to buy a ship from them, and probably hire a crew there. If we plan to journey on a ship, we should get the best." he says, then nods his head in Eurenomes' direction. "It would also give us a chance to view a ship in action, and let the rest of us learn how one runs."

"Maybe if our host has any connections there, he can write us a letter of introduction.  Then at least we might deal with someone trustworthy. As I know nothing of ships, unless it was really bad, I would not have any idea of what to look for." she says with a grin at Arthanos "And I don't row."

"If you have no knowledge to start with, then that means you can only improve." Arthanos replies, before reaching for his glass to take another sip.

To Eurenomes' warning Itylus nodded. "I am aware of the nature of both Hermes and divine visions in general, but I am confident that whatever sign he can give me will be of great help in my hunt."

He turned to Arthanos to answer him. "This is my first time in the most... civilized region of the Minean lands, so I've never had the chance to go to any of the major temples of the great cities. Besides, I think the help of Hermes alone will be more than enough, I don't like to bother the gods more than necessary, and Artemis doesn't favor those who rely too much in others' strength to hunt their preys. As for them provoking divine wrath," he shrugged. "sadly the true is that there are too many of their kind for the gods to worry about all of them personally. Artemmis already  interfered once and stopped their nefarious plans. The rest she left up to me."

Itylus listened silently to the others' conversation. He didn't participated for he knew next to nothing about boats, however if they were so easy to acquire as the others made it sound, it was something his preys could definitively try, so he listened attentively.

Hovering at the entranceway to the courtyard Eurenomes noted the grins exchanged between Arthanos and Aleta with ill concealed envy. "Well Aleta, I for one would no more ask you to row than I would ask myself. Suffice to say none of us are oarsmen yet, especially those of us who are women, but that is what persuasion is for.  And silver, can't forget that."

Turning his attention to Arthanos he said: "This is wise Athena's city but I doubt She will begrudge Hermes His due. I'll ask my patron first."

"I have to admit, I would think the god of travelers would be better or maybe even Poseidon, as he is the god of the seas. As one who travels, I tend to favor Hermes. But we could see what ships cost, I also have no idea about that" she says to the group.

Eurenomes blinked and looked at Aleta in gratified surprise. Hermes is her patron too?

"Actually I was speaking of asking Hermes where to seek Itylus's prey.  Buying a ship can perhaps wait."  He looked thoughtful before turning to Itylus.  "You need not be present hunter for wily Hermes is not your patron. Though if you could perhaps acquire a spotless ewe or ram for the sacrifice?"

Itylus nods. "That will be no problem. I can even go for it right away if you want to do now the ritual".


OCC:
MM do I need to make some roll to go catch the sacrifice?