Chapter One: A Noble’s Exile – Lysandros’ Story

This thread and adventure is exclusive to Lysandros

Lysandros found himself awakened roughly with a kick to his ribs. "Hey, time to get up. ‘His Holiness’ wants us to break camp early." said his companion, Bardas.

Arising from his bedroll, Lysandros could only reflect on how he used to be woken up. It was far more pleasant and on occasion when it was a particularly pleasing servant girl he could always pull them into his bed. It was a drastic change to go from the privilege of birth and rank to this. Indeed, Lysandos had gone from being the son of one of the most respected families in Thena to now the dishonor of being the son of a traitor. They had called it a mercy that he too was not killed for his father’s crimes but had tortured him all the same in forcing him to watch his father’s trial and execution. There were crimes that Lysandros knew his father was innocent of, yet they had hanged his father as a common criminal all the same.

In the time that had passed since his exile, the exiled nobleman had begged the Gods – any that might listen – with pleas for justice and retribution, but to date his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Lysandros had found himself quickly running out of money and so found himself offering his sword arm in exchange for coin and food. Overall, it was not a bad life and he was allowed the opportunity to hone his skills but it was simply not enough.

His most recent assignment now was through Bardas. Lysandros and Bardas had shared a prior job together escorting goods in a caravan and had fought off bandits who had thought their employer and his good’s easy prey. Just a month ago now Bardas had recruited him to this new opportunity. "Simple escort job for good money, my friend." Bardas had told him than a month ago. "This fat priest is making a pilgrimage to one of the great temples. Bringing along livestock for sacrifice and he needs protection. Simple as that. 25 silver a day wage. More than any other job I've been on, I'll tell you that."

That had been almost a month ago, and the fat priest who Bardas referred to with great sarcasm as “His Holiness” had been a nightmare of an employer, and made many demands on his small entourage of servants, livestock, and guards such that all would be physically exhausted by the time the sun set from the marching and, in Lysandros and Bardas case, being sent ahead continually to scout for dangers based on the priest’s paranoia.

Now awake, Lysandros quickly ate a ration, drank some water from his skin before going to where Bardas had been waiting for him. ”Ready? Good. He wants us to go ahead of them again. Claims he’s had a vision again that there is trouble ahead.” With Lysandros assent, the two traveled together on horseback. After traveling roughly a mile ahead and enjoying the cool breeze, Bardas pulls the reigns on his horse, prompting Lysandros to do the same. "Woah there." he states. "Hey, Lysandros, you see that there? Looks like bandits hit a wagon or two just up ahead there. We should be careful."

OOC: Welcome to your thread. Feel free to post whenever you feel ready.

 The laughter began as it always did, a single chuckle, followed by a chorus of amused sounds of a crowd in mirth. The next things was his father being pulled by many hands towards a scaffold where a noose dangled. His father held out his hands to his son, with an expression of hope upon his face. Lysandros attempted to reach forth and grab his father, but some unseen force prevented him from doing so. His father disappeared, then reappeared dangling from the noose, with the cries of glee from the unseen crowd.

 As sudden jolt drove these images from the mind of the sleeping Lysandros. His mind climbed back to the world of wakefulness from the depths of the nightmare. The noble looked up at his fellow companion, and offered the other a deep scowl. “Damn your eyes, Bardas. I be awake already.”

 After making ready for the day’s work, Lysandros girded himself in the garb of the Warrior. Breast plate, leggings and the large round shield, that he slung over his back. Sword and spear, not to forget the brace of javelins he had for casting at an enemy at a distance.

 The task was to scout ahead of the small caravan, so the two mercs, trotted down the trail to take the measure of what was ahead. When Bardis spotted the remains of a wagon, and bespoke of Bandits. Lysandros unslung his shield and placed it upon his left arm. “Aye, we must remain alert  for any signs of those that did that. Let us see if there are any survivors, Bardis.”

 Lysandros guided his horse towards the wagons, as he kept a sharp eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Sun 07 May 2017.

His companion nodded and urged his horse forward alongside Lysandros.

The two carefully approached the battle site which appeared to be genuine. Bardas looked distressed. "I... I don't think we'll find any survivors, my friend." he states as they get closer. The man then dismounts his horse. The mercenary walks towards and then turns one of the bodies that had been face down on the path, revealing it to be a dead woman, her face frozen in horror.

The two men carefully checked the site. It was indeed another merchant caravan and had been plundered thoroughly. Only spilled cotton, and other goods and furnishings such as candles, lamps, oils, and dyes and the like were the evidence that the caravan had carried anything at all. The other evidence simply being the scattered bodies of men and women both without discrimination. Lysandros had observed two of the bodies for himself. One poor man had been killed with an two arrows to his back and so did not even see the attack coming. He checked then on a nearby woman and grimaced seeing that her neck had almost been severed from her body.

Mounting his horse again, Lysandros looks back to Bardas who shakes his head. "We'll have to either find another path to go down or recruit some of the others back at camp to move the wagon, supplies, and bodies out of the way."

 As the two guards investigated the remains of the caravan, Lysandros took note of the bodies and debris scattered about. When they remounted, he turned to Bardis.

" Yes, I'd say we should scout around and see if there is another trail past this."

 Lysandros gazed at the nearby trees, seeking signs that they might be watched.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:23, Wed 10 May 2017.

Bardas replies. "Bandits are cruel and will both steal and kill, but this is vicious. This is intended to make a statement to somebody." he says.

Lysandros nods and both him and Bardas remain wary of their surroundings. They were exposed out here on the road, and in the forest an attack might come from nearly any direction. As Lysandros does so he feels a pricking on the back of his neck and a cold shiver run down his spine. Something did not feel right.

Suddenly, a solitary arrow shot out from across the distance crossing the road, passing Lysandros and landing with a loud *THUD* in a tree.  Alarmed, both Lysandros and Bardas look around in the direction the arrow had come from to see if they could spot the archer but fail to see anybody. No further shots came... At least, not yet.

"I think this may be a gentle sign, Lysandros, to get the hell out of here." Bardas states.

OOC: rolled Danger Evasion for you. 14:22, Today: Maze Master, on behalf of Lysandros of Thena, rolled 25 using 1d20+7 ((18)).
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:39, Wed 10 May 2017.

  The arrow was indeed, sobering. Lysandros heard Bardis,and eargly agreed. " Aye. let us quit this place,before we resemble a brace of pigeons."

 Lysandros wheeled his horse and kicked it's flanks to head down the road and away from the scene.

Having well learned the lesson "discretion is the better part of valor" Lysandros and Bardas withdraw.

About fifteen minutes of riding later they catch back up with their own caravan which was still camped. Bardas stops his horse and motions for Lysandros to come to stop as well. "Right, well you better go tell his Holiness what we've found. I'll get our horses some water and will meet with you soon."

 When they arrived back at the caravan, Bardis was obviously pawning off on Lysandros, the telling of what happened upon the road.

“ You son of a Jackal. You want me to go tell his holiness, that we failed?” Fine, but you are buying the wine, at the next bit of civilization we come across.”

 Lysandros removed his helmet, and headed toward the Priest.

Bardas grins. "Well, I had the pleasure to speak with him first today. Only fair for you to go next." he says with a laugh before leading both his and Lysandros' horse away.

---

Lysandros pulls back the flap of the his employer's tent. There inside was the priest. This was the man who Bardas had referred to as "His Holiness" but to the world at large was known as "Kakares the Wise." Lysandros was not sure where, how, or why this was.

Kakares was laying on the ground in front of a platter of food, wine, and cheese along with a servant girl who likely had spent the evening with him. He was a priest unlike any that Lysandros had ever met. Certainly Lysandros bore no resemblance in manner or method to Eurenomes, a former traveling companion of Lysandros.

The priest took a dagger from his belt and stabbed a piece of chicken on a platter in front of him, raising it up to his mouth before he catches notice of Lysandros. He frowns and wrinkles his nose as if Lysandros had come in with horse shit on his boots. "You've come back quickly this morning, Sandro" he said, now picking his teeth with his dagger. Kakares was one for giving his hirelings nicknames. It could have been worse for Lysandros, he apparently liked to called Bardas "Bardycup."

Kakares raises himself off the ground. "My vision foretold of danger ahead. Tell me Sandro. What did you and Bardycup find?"

 The Warrior walked up to the tent of his “holiness” and placed a hand upon the flap, then hesitated. The man within was not known for his understanding nature, nor streak of forgiveness. But report he must, so he opened the flap and stepped within, helmet tucked under his left arm.

  “Sir, we scouted the road ahead, and came upon the scene of another caravan. It had been attacked by bandits, from all evidence we found. No survivors where located, and all the livestock where taken. We must either find another way to go, or we shall have to take some of the men and clear the road of the wagons and the dead.”

 Lysandros finished  his report, and then awaited the storm.

Strangely enough the Priest did not go into a rage as he usually did when there was a delay.  "Alas that my vision was so accurate!" he laments. "But your assessment is correct, dear Sandro. The way forward must be cleared. Have Bardas organize a small group of men to go back and take the measures needed so we have clear passage... As for you..."

He pauses, musing for a moment while fondling the dagger that he had been picking his teeth with. "Should your friend fail, then we will need an alternate path. Look for a suitable detour but try to take less then a day to do your reconnaissance. If we do not hear back from you by this time tomorrow, then we shall press forward despite the danger. We cannot be further delayed."

He gives Lysandros a broad smile. "Any questions?"

 When his employer let his wishes be known, Lysandros could not but think, it was folly. But he had to be diplomatic in how he spoke next. “ Sir, was  a hidden archer that loosed an arrow at Bardis and myself when we tarried at the scene. Needless, to say, we retired from the field in some haste. But as for your orders, I counsel  that I should take Bardis with me, in search of a new trail. Two can cover more ground then one, plus there is the oft chance of encountering brigands. If I go alone and run afoul, then you are out a guard and time wasted.”

12:02, Today: Lysandros of Thena rolled 21 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 20.  Oratory roll.

Kakares sighs but appears persuaded. "Very well, I will find someone else to organize the cleanup and will warn them to be wary of bandits that may still remain in the area, but my condition stands. Spend no longer then a day scouting an alternative path or we will be forced to leave you both behind."