The Coming of Twilight, Session 10

Arrival at Doria

On 22 Kythorn 1380, the party arrived at Doria, capital of Threskel, currently occupied by Unther and Chessenta.

They immediately set about finding tenants for their new inn, The Traveler's Rest. Such guests include:

• Fraz Korban, Thayan merchant, and escort
• Leylia Mountainsong, elven bardess
• Halakor Priakos, Chessen merchant, and mistress.
• Brov, son of Kor, "merchant from Surthay", and companion
• Marco of the Dark Swamp, Cormish...business man?...wife, and young son.
• Rumal Kahalus, Mulhorandi priest, and slave.
• Finneus Mortimer Klauth, son of Gork, half-orc ambassador of Obouldar to the Silver Marches
• Uber-Zot, gnomish tinker of Neverwinter

By the end of the session, their profit from the venture stood at 80 gold pieces, with an expectation of more to come.

Games of the 501st Olympiad

On 1 Flamerule 130, the Games of the 501st Olympiad were opened by King Plataeus and Queen Ceresia of occupied Threskel.

Various party members competed in the games, with the following victories:

• Desdemona
  • Hoplitodromos - 2nd place (silver medal)
  • Triathlon - 5th place
  • Weightlifting (heavyweight) - 8th place
  • Wrestling (heavyweight) - 2nd place (silver medal), lost to Brov
  • Boxing - 11th place
  • Thoroughbred Race - 3rd place (bronze medal)
  • Endurance Race - 5th place
  • Freestyle Race - 1st place (gold medal)
• Nehemiah
  • Hippios (200m dash) - 1st place (gold medal)
  • Diaulos (400m dash) - 9th place
  • Dolichos (5km run) - 2nd place (silver medal), lost to Cynicia, Chessen amazon
  • Wrestling (featherweight) - 2nd place (silver medal), lost to Mai Lian, Shou monk (shifter)
  • Acrobatics - 2nd place (silver medal), lost to Liea Ravencrest, elf of Myth Drannor
• Atashban
  • Weightlifting (colossus) - 1st place (gold medal)
  • Wrestling (super heavyweight) - 1st place (gold medal)
  • Pankration (colossus) - 2nd place (gold medal), lost to Modan, stone giant druid
• Keket
  • Grand Chariot - 1st place (gold medal)

To Hell and Back

On the 4th night of the games, Nehemiah snuck into the Olympic Village to attempt to cheat his way to victory in the horse races. He was caught in the act by Durgan Zohr, who trapped him in a sigil trap, then sent him to hell with a bit of warlock magic.

The party tracked down Nehemiah's last known location, and encounter Durgan. A fight was averted. The party ascended Mt. Olympus to travel to Delphi, where they hoped to consult the Oracle.

They didn't get a chance. The Ephors, in the midst of some dark ritual (later, it was learned this had something to do with The Furies), got all pissed off and told them they could go fuck themselves, and that Desdemona was big and evil. The only one they got a good look at was a younger man named Cynikos, a man with golden curls and a cold stare of piercing blue.

Desdemona, furious with the Ephors, and at wit's end, summoned forth Xenophon. She offered the unthinkable--her innocence, her complete surrender to the demon lord's desires and designs--in exchange for passage into and out of Hades, to the end of rescuing Nehemiah. He allowed it, and in they went.

In Hades, they were escorted by Death to the site of Nehemiah's torture. On the way out, with him in tow, they and every sane spirit therein fled some terrible catastrophe of Death-spooking frost and shadow. Xenophon himself was too busy fighting the unleashed Hecatoncheires to make good on his bargain. The party escaped Hades only with the help of the Orb of Stars, which wound through time to maneuver around a divine-strength lock on the planar exit. During their brief sojourn, loose in time, they glimpsed some bizarre object high in the sky, dimmed by vast distance, seeming for all the world like a great silver eye.

And thus, they returned to reality at the base of Mt. Olympus. Little was said as they returned to the inn.

That night, Nehemiah was caught in a lie about the events leading to his capture, leading the party to suspect the accusations of his cheating were true. Much of the evening was spent in conversation with Desdemona, trying to steer her away from the dark thoughts of her terrible master. Later that night, Keket walked in on Desi and Raynar in flagrante delicto (as far as she was concerned) and hurried away in a huff. Nothing more was pursued.

Champions of the King

With the morning came an appeal to the King to champion him in the arena. He seemed almost dismissive of the prospect, as if it didn't matter.

Shortly thereafter, Nehemiah sought the Grand Marshal of the Games, in an effort to sic them on Durgan for his treachery.