Two months had passed since the heroes' most recent adventure to search for the Dog Skin of Hades. It had been a success and a turnabout of fortunes for them. The bitter sting of failure from the search of the Bow of Herakles a year prior was washed away. Over the past two months almost anything that they desired from the influential Dimas family was granted to them.

After only a few weeks at staying at the family's estate, Itylus let his companions know that he was feeling the itch to travel again and had said his goodbyes, leaving them and returning to the forests that he was so comfortable with. As for others? Well, if they desired solitude they were respectfully given it. They were guests, and free to leave to stay in town or travel elsewhere as desired. But otherwise they enjoyed the hospitality and gratitude of their new patron.

Lysandros himself, however, was of interest to the Dimas nobles who he had spoken with, and he was quickly introduced to a young woman, Calliope Dimas, who had accepted his courtship with interest. She was not particularly well-connected to the family patriarch or had any mercantile connections that her cousins had, but she carried the weight of the name and thus the connection. It was still a little too soon in their courtship for Lysandros to make a proposal of marriage.

Those in the group who would travel to the city would, over the course of the past two months hear about the political successes of their patron. How a nobleman from the House of Dimas had been elected to the Assembly of the People, and now were staunch advocates for the "democractic nonsense" that they and other noble families had formerly eschewed. They had also heard about how they had also restarted operations at the silver mine which they had cleared out, bringing wealth into the city. The populaces' opinion of those from the Dimas Family seemed to be quite high as their influence continued to grow.

---

October 31, 313 - 7:00 PM

The Taverna Mythos was one of Thena's newest and rapidly one of the most popular eating and drinking establishments. Fresh warm bread, well cured meats, and vegetables. Additionally they had a large stock of imported wine from the Vineyards of Ione, which lay inside of Argos, and which was renowned throughout all of Mythika.

It was here tonight that the heroes gathered to meet. Being well connected now to the Dimas family of Thena, and now becoming better known in the city itself, they were given their own private table and complimentary wine and appetizers.

The Taverna was busy tonight. In the common area people from all walks of life were gathered, having their dinner or drinking to excess. A table of Noblemen and Noblewomen, bearing colors of other noble houses of the city sat laughing and enjoying several bottles of wine together. At another table was a one-eyed man, a gambler of sorts, who was running a kind of card game. A singer was in the corner of the Taverna, taking requests and singing alternatively joyful and happy songs as well as those designed to stir emotion in the heart. Merchants also took up deals here, selling or buying goods - perhaps some legal, some illicit in nature.

Either intentionally or inadvertently Tancea has played a detectable role in her new patron's success in the new political climate.  Making frequent and often dramatic use of her skills as she travels through the city seeking out those in need of healing.  Accepting any donation they are able to offer in return for her aid, be it a simple well made meal, or several coins from an over full purse, she doesn't seem to even notice the difference. While somewhat limited in the minor miracles she can perform and more limited by how many, she still tends to find the time to perform more than a dozen in a single day.

Given the new and dangerous nature of the silver mine much of her effort takes place there, fixing what would otherwise be fatal or at the very least crippling injuries only moments after they occur, all the while not making any effort to hid the nature of her current patron.

Despite having taken the reward as offered Tancea has, as nearly as anyone can tell, done nothing with it.  She donates her time and mystical energies to the pursuits of her faith and accepts nothing more than the spare change she spends on food at the more comfortable of taverns, all of which have gladly extended her a tab on days when her efforts receive no contribution other than the heartfelt thanks of those unable to spare even a single coin.

---

October 31, 313 - 7:00 PM

Taking a well deserved break from yet another long day of traveling the city, healing the wounded at the mine, and providing more mundane aid to those in between, Tancea has been a common sight here in the last few months.  As is usually her way she drops a handful of smaller easier to spend coins in the hat of whichever entertainer happens to be lucky enough to be on duty on her way in, stops at the bar to order a wine considerably better than the complimentary kind, and one of the richest meals that pairs well with it and the very nearly disgustingly sweet dessert that draws her interest that day, paying as always with a significant percentage of whatever coin was donated to her that day, paying no mind to the storage of wealth it simply flows through her fingers like dry sand.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:38, Tue 29 Sept 2020.

Dionne spent most of her days exploring as a dog or altering her form. A nude acrobat was popular and a old disabled woman seeking alms. But she stayed fed a cute playful dog gets scraps.

Here she was herself as she joined the others to eat and drink modestly.

In reply to Maze Master (msg # 1):

 With his meager coins, Lysandros would seek to purchase better garments for his rightful station in the nobility. He had to look the part, if he was going to reclaim his rightful place in society.

 New and more fancy armor was on the to do list, but such was beyond his purse, for the time being.

Of their little company, it was Itylus of whom Dysis had been most fond, and most open with.  She truly hated to see him go; but in no way tried to sway him otherwise.  Darkness and Air were her essence and orientation in the art.   And the former led her to be somewhat cynical, as the latter led her to cherish freedom.  Both her own, and that of anyone she authentically cared about.  Thus, on that final day, she bid him good fortune and godly favor, turned another page, and went on with her life.

Politics:  Dysis loathed politics, all of its unceasing and greasy maneuverings, though she rarely said as much.  It had destroyed her own family; initiated the chain of events that had seen the better part of her youth spent in servitude, borderline slavery.   Alliance with Dimas was another means to an end, and she did hold some gratitude for its benefits.   Still, she would be happier were it unnecessary, and she not working and living on the periphery of the political.   It made her just a little uncomfortable; like a burr in her sandal that she could not remove.   Yet the perks, security and stability were for the present worth it.

Retaining an occultist who could compel the shadows and the very air to obeyance lent a mystique which had its uses in some quarters.  So in addition to her scholarly and magical advice, her simple presence was sometimes a boon to her patrons' projects and works.

* * * * * *

Inside Taverna Mythos, the elementalist sat quietly sipping now and then at the white Debina wine she'd ordered.  As she had eaten earlier, she was not particularly hungry.  Well, her body was not.  Her mind was.  In lieu of anything else to fill it, she was listening, watching.  Hardcore student of human nature, there was nearly always something to see and learn...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:00, Wed 30 Sept 2020.

Susie was joined by Dionne as a more seasoned magical peer and smiling sending the spellweavers mood. Stud"You look bored care to study me, we are rare and marvelous beings, none are about I think?," she said as an offer.

The group was in a prime position to people watch, such as it were. The nobles were still at their table getting progressively drunker. One of them was now making aggressive passes at one of the serving girls, goaded on by his fellows who were laughing boisterously as the poor girl slapped away his hand.

Elsewhere in the taverna a merchant was inspecting a small vial of white powder with a man that the party had not seen enter previously, but was now sticking out like sore thumb because he was trying so hard to be inconspicuous and failing to do so.

The one-eyed gambler had paused his game and was now eating, paying for the meal with his winnings, and the singer had stopped as well to rest her voice.

While watching all of these going-ons, they saw a young boy no more than 14 or 15 go to different tables and leaving notes for people to read. He finally had come to their table, shy in his countenance, and left a notice. Examining it, it listed a variety of jobs that needed to be done that normally would go up on a proper notice board, though the taverna lacked one. Many of the jobs were mundane. People looking to hire laborers for a variety of tasks, like building homes or surveying land.

Of some interest to an adventuring party was the following:

With little more than a glance at the note after she slides it around on the table to read, likely not even having read more than half of it Tancea pushes it back out into the table where anyone else can read it.

Looking up at the others at the table she asks them a seemingly simple question, but given her membership in the priesthood of Asclepius probably isn't going to lead to much in the way of debate.  ”I am off to Argos in the morning, do any of you care to join me?.”

A man sitting alone nursing his wine clears his throat then addresses Tancea, "Um...pardon me, but would you mind if I accompanied you? I'm a physician, albeit between patients at present (and somewhat itinerant), and the the announcement of the temple theft might well be meant to guide my path to my next destination."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:45, Thu 01 Oct 2020.

 Lysandros sat at the table, with a goblet of wine in his hand. He enjoyed the down time, but as much as he enjoyed himself, part of his thoughts where always on his situation, and ways to improve it." Why do you travel to Argos, Lady Tancea? Does the charms of Thena already soured for you?"

Tancea seems considerably more surprised that Lysandros needs to ask the nature of her urgency than that someone she does not yet know would be similarly alarmed by the problem.  ”While I have no doubt that whoever so chooses to chart the Minotaur's maze, or even scare off flying creatures, could make use of my skills in an effort to survive such a quest the more pressing matter is the theft of a relic from my temple, something I fear I may have already waited to long to solve easily due to the travel time involved, haste will need to be made to address that problem.”

Turning to look at the man at the nearby table as she stands from her own she addresses him directly, but not so quietly that many others can not overhear it.  ”I would welcome any travel companions that can be ready to depart first thing in the morning and maintain a quick pace or have knowledge of a way to speed the journy along its way.  Who the temple is willing to engage the services of will need to be assessed when I can speak to the local priests.”

Stavos nods, "I'll be ready."

Dysis listened to the ongoing with a rather blasé demeanor, that belied the fact she was rather intrigued with this particular option.    She nodded.

"I'd say it's an easy enough decision.  The allure of a good mystery, the prospect of making connections with a prominent temple.  Versus stepping over minotaur droppings in a musty labyrinth. Or getting a crick in my neck from needing to look constantly up at the enemy. And perhaps getting hit with the gods know what sort of droppings." 
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Thu 08 Oct 2020.

 " the task seems a worthy one. Perhaps I can convince our patron to loan us horses,  for the journey. "

Stavos looks between Tancea and Lysandros, "If you want a fast route, and you want to use Poseidon's aid to reach the temple, why not split the difference and go by sea?"

 " by sea, is agreeable to me. Perhaps our patrons might have connections, so we might get free passage, or at reduced cost. I shall what I might be able to arrange, if that is agreeable to all.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:25, Fri 09 Oct 2020.

Tancea accepts Dysis's offer of aid with little more than her usual friendly smile, Lysandros' suggestion provokes a thoughtful look, as if she hadn't even considered the value of time invested in a faster mode of travel, Stavos however draws her attention more fully.

”If you are able to offer Poseidon's aid then you are considerably more than a simple physician, we would be most grateful for that assistance, and I am sure the temple would reward a speedy response to their call for aid in whatever way they can, at the very least such a reward would only be available to the first to succeed.”

The Next Morning

Having agreed to travel to Argos next, and also agreeing to take on Stavos, who had announced himself to the group as a physician, the party finishes their drinks and food and depart for the evening.

Lysandros, accompanied by Arthanos, spoke to his contacts within the Dimas family. He finds out that not only were they were not inclined to provide any assistance after he announced that their travels would be taking them to Argos, but that they revealed themselves to be nationalistic. After all, "Even if it was for a good purpose in helping the healers at Temple of Asclepius, the benefit would be to Argos, and not Thena!"

Though it took some doing, Lysandros was able to convince them that it would also benefit Thena, and by extension, the Dimas family as well. He also convinced them that the cost would be minimal. Eventually they begrudgingly agreed to pay their passage, but they would not provide any additional traveling costs. "You'll just have to fend for yourselves once you arrive." For his part, Arthanos informs Lysandros that he will stay behind and start inquiries into the problems at Fiskardo. This offer seems to placate the Dimas nobles.

Now early in the morning, the party gathers down at the docks and Lysandros relays the mixed news to them. Now they had to inquire which ships were departing for Argos, and perhaps more importantly, what the cost of said passage would be. It turns out that the Gods were smiling upon them, as they are able to negotiate a cost of travel to only a mere 10 silver per person, provided that they didn't mind sharing accommodation and would be responsible for their own meals. The ship was due to leave port in the next hour after the crew had loaded their cargo, which were bolts of cloth, fabrics, and dyes to be sold at the Great Market of Argos. Lysandros provides the sea captain a promissory note given to him by his contacts with the Dimas family to cover the fare, with the captain being suitably impressed after reviewing it. "I'll have to send a courier up to gather the coin before we leave, but I suppose that covers the cost of your passage."

Before they board they are told by the sea captain. "We are primary a merchant vessel, but we'll have one other passenger traveling with you as well. She actually negotiated her fare about an hour before you all showed up. She's up at the bow of the ship if you want additional company." he gestures to the woman, who is looking out over the city before the ship departs.

OOC:

Lyandros rolled well enough on his persuasion/oratory roll to have the Dimas Nobles cover the fare for travel over sea.

Danae, you are up and free to post your introduction!

Stavos looks confused, "I wasn't offering, I was merely pointing out that Horses were his creation, and sea travel was under his auspices and that they had him in common. And that, of the two Poseidon involved choices, sea travel was faster. You'd asked me to come up with a fast method of travel..."

At the mention of her Danae turns her head, and offers a friendly smile. While not overly remarkable in appearance she looks around the world as though everything might have some hidden value or treasure. Walking closer to the group  she says
“Hello, I am Danae. I saw a notice about a temple artifact that had been taken, and heard there was a group planning to return it. Mt
Mythic items are an interest of mine, and I have learned it is never a bad idea to be friendly with priests, so I was hoping to join you and assist in the return of this relic.“