"If the shades starved to death, we should be able to sate its hunger with a big meal," Oinos suggests. "We can give it Kalli and Arfi's, shares. They probably won't eat yet for days." The satyr grins at his teammates in genuine admiration.
"Ataiosiphon, can you fetch us supplies for a fine feast? We can handle the cooking, and dealing with the spirit."
"Yes, I am happy to oblige. I'll invite the neighbors to partake as well!"
Each PC can contribute to the feast’s preparations through one of the following activities. Resolve any patrolling and shopping attempts first, as these affect the cooking and entertaining activities. Ataiosiphon successfully Aids one PC, granting them a +1 bonus to their check.
Shopping: A PC with at least 10 sp can seek deals and the freshest produce, perhaps even convincing vendors to donate ingredients for the good cause. The PC attempts a DC 15 Diplomacy or Pol-Bailax Lore check or a DC 17 Deception or Society check. On a success, the PCs spend only half as much to gain one or both ingredient benefits. On a critical success, they gain both benefits for free.
Patrolling: A PC keeps watch or even arranges ritual defenses, ensuring the xenia spirit doesn’t scare guests, oversalt the soup, or otherwise spoil the event. The PC attempts a DC 15 Occultism or Religion check, a DC 16 Intimidation check, or a DC 17 Perception check. On a success, the PC can intervene to avert disaster once during the event; after seeing the result of another PC’s check while cooking or entertaining, the patrolling PC can roll 1d4+1 (1d4+3 on a critical success) and retroactively add it to the other PC’s roll.
Cooking: A PC can create a worthy meal with a DC 14 Cooking Lore check, a DC 15 Crafting check, or a DC 16 Survival check to earn Victory Points.
Entertaining: A PC can prioritize their guests’ experience by being gracious hosts, providing music, and other entertainment. The PC attempts a DC 15 Performance check, a DC 16 Diplomacy check, or a DC 17 Society check to earn Victory Points.
Arfi-em-khet's blue eyes shine as the kholo goes
A PC with at least 10 sp can seek deals and the freshest produce, perhaps even convincing vendors to donate ingredients for the good cause. The PC attempts a DC 15 Diplomacy or Pol-Bailax Lore check or a DC 17 Deception or Society check. On a success, the PCs spend only half as much to gain one or both ingredient benefits. On a critical success, they gain both benefits for free.
He even contribute 10 sp to purchase even better ingredients and spend 10 sp to buy food for an even larger crowd!
I have a few coupons for such an occasion!
The Kartaji Epicurean begins making it rain!
"Ah, excellent ingredients, Arfi," Oinos complements. He practically hops around the room on his cloven hooves. "Fitting for a send-off meal, and plenty for everyone."
For a moment Kallistratos considers entertaining, but then realizes that his efforts would be better suited to serve as Oinos's sous.
With your help, the feast draws a large crowd that fills Ataiosiphon's home with light, food, and good cheer. Fortunately, it seems that your efforts are enough to keep the restless spirit quiescent for now. After the last course is served and festivities are starting to wrap up, the potter signals for the guests’ attention to begin a short speech thanking you and the guests for such a memorable night.
"Truly, this has been a wondrous display of hospitality!" Ataiosiphon says. Unfortunately, this seems to be a trigger for the angry shade. With a wail, it seeps out of the wall, appearing as a spectral man half-starved and enraged! The crowd gasps and scatters as the spirit lunges at Ataiosiphon!
"Quiet spirit! Taste life and sleep deeply!" Oinos channels some healing energy at the spirit, hoping to counter its aggresive anger.
The spirit shrieks as Oinos’ healing spell wracks its form. In response, it loudly begins to lament the hospitality it was denied in life!
Critical Success The creature is immune for 24 hours.
Success The creature is unaffected.
Failure The creature is sickened 1. A creature sickened in this way can ingest food and drink, and it can only recover from the sickened condition by spending an Interact action to consume food within reach.
Critical Failure As failure, but the creature is sickened 2.
Arfi-em-khet burps.
Poor soul appears to be hungry.
The Kineticist calls upon the Earth to begin swirling sands about the Kholo's person!
Arfi directs a Blast of Sand to Strike the apparition!
Frowning he calls the earth to rise and encircle him!
The Kholo forms another weapon of sand!
Oinos prides himself on always having a snack at hand--he hasn't been hungry in years.
"Eat this," the satyr encourges, feeding the spirit more life energy.
Hunger pangs tug at Kal's slight frame, and he quickly snatches up a morsel from the feast to scarf down, then lunges forward for the ghost!
Oinos is unable to recall more information about this type of spirit. While the wily ghost avoids the attacks of all of his companions, the satyr blasts it with another burst of vitality magic. Reeling, the spirit turns to flee, but then it halts near a platter of food. It hesitantly picks up a morsel, savors a bite, gives Ataiosiphon and you a grudgingly approving look, and then dissipates. The watching guests cheer and funnel back into the home, helping to celebrate the victory until the potter kicks everyone out hours later.
Afterwards, Ataiosiphon thanks you profusely. As promised, he lets you choose two items from his itinerant aunt's heirlooms.
The next day, it's time for the penultimate game: the Grand Melee! Gladiatorial combat is among the archipelago’s oldest sports. Soon after Earthfall millennia ago, as the people of Pol-Reanphoros were clearing debris and burying their dead, raiders from the mainland assaulted the island only to be repelled by Reanphoran militia. Since then, gladiatorial displays have featured in state funerals—as much to entertain as to show that Iblydans always fight to protect the fallen.
Today’s gladiatorial contest differs from these ancient fights in two ways. First, combatants wield padded weapons, wear protective gear, and have optional bucklers. Each of these simple weapon’s striking surfaces is dipped in orange paint. A weapon must solidly strike a foe’s protected head, torso, or arms to count as a wound. Once a combatant has received three wounds, they’re defeated and ordered out of the melee.
Second, rather than hold dozens of individual duels lasting the whole day, the organizers have arranged a grand melee—a free-for-all involving all of the contestants at once. The fight takes place in a 50-foot-diameter circle cordoned off with rope, with the various combatants starting just inside the perimeter. When the main judge rings a bell, the melee begins, and combatants can chase after whoever they please.
Scene 1: Caught Amidst the Bedlam
Unsurprisingly, Oinos finds himself in a disorganized scrum. He tries to sneak out without being noticed.
Scene 2: Artful Opportunity
He ends up between two opponents that have squared off for a duel. He makes a big show of smacking one while they are distracted.
Scene 3: Called Out->Underhanded Foe
Not much of an expert in one-on-one combat, he slips away into the melee.
In order to distract from his cowardice, he tries to cast the crowd's attention onto one of the fighters using dirt tactics.
Avoid Wounds
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3vp, 2 wounds
The Stranger feels odd given fake weapons and paltry armor. But he participates in the grand melee event nonetheless. Within the grand struggle many seem to take him as a simple creature who will be easily fooled and outsmarted by underhanded tactics.
Showing his mental fortitude from many long years as a trusty battle companion, he expels the notion that he is anything but a well trained warrior. Calm collected counter strikes allow him to avoid and riposte against his foes managing to remain unscathed through the combat.
The second clash sees him nicked slightly as he attempts to deftly avoid his opponents' padded blade.
The final clash sees the titanic cyclops call him out from across the field, not one to upstand a honorable call out he moves to meet her in one on one combat amidst the fray. Unable to get past her guard and putting up a good fight until eventually she overpowers him with her sheer strength.
He bares the 'scars' of failure and presents himself after the combat is called to a close, knowing that he fought far better than he did during the eating contest.
Kal keeps his armor tucked away with stern instructions not to trifle with it, and dons the padded replacements with discomfort and privacy.
The corsair looks almost a naif as he bumbles and stumbles when confronted with the simplest of tricks. Still when the moment comes he has a perfect moment to fling his borrowed sword across the fray, finishing off a contestant with a perfect **donk** to the helmet. But that moment of arete is short-lived, as a towering warrior bellows a challenge, crashing down with a maul on Kal's shield again and again, but the wiry corsair keeps himself uncut throughout the whole of the melee.
Arfi-em-khet begins doing his pre-game stretches....
Back and Forth
The Kineticist seems to be doing fine. He actually intersped a bit of calisthenics during the Melee!
Artful Opportunity
The Kholo's blue eyes watch for the most opportune moment.....
Underhanded For!
The Ancient Guardian seems to be a bit disappointed in his opponent....
Arfi smiles at the crowd.
I'm famished!
As the melee reaches its zenith, only a handful of competitors remain. The tengu Akki has just received her third wound. However, she’s in the throes of her battle rage, and the judges’ insistence that she needs to leave the ring only infuriates her further. Losing control, she begins pummeling the closest targets and drawing blood! Clearly the judges' and crowd's outrage won't stop Akki. It's up to you!
Kallistratos clutches for the charm in his tunic as the battle becomes earnest. Bark and branch cover him over in oaken might such that his arm is a deadlier bludgeon than the blunted spear-shaft in his hand. Once again he picks his moment, beating the tengu's blade out of line with the rim of his borrowed shield, and delivering a blow to Akki's temple that rocks the warrior to her foundations.
"Oh my! Calm down, Akki!"
Oinos casts elysian whimsy on the raging competitor.
Arfi-em-khet's position seems suitable for interfering with the irrational Akki!
The Earth Kineticist opens his Gate.
The kholo Strides next to her and....
Akki resists Oinos's spell. Kalli almost takes down the angry tengu with a single blow to the head, but amazingly, she stays on her feet. Arfi moves up and grabs her, putting her in a headlock.
Akki screeches, her feathers and weapons crackling with electricity as she channels the ferocity of a raging storm. She bashes Arfi with her club, the blow so hard that the kholo goes down! She then whirls on Kalli, but he fends off her wild blows!
Oinos casts heal on Arfi, then moves up behind the Stranger.
Kal ducks under the sweep of Akki's blunted blade, nudging it higher with his first attack, and then thrusting the blunt end of his spearshaft into her beak with a barely muffled crack!
The Kholo's blue eyes open wide! Sitting up, Arfi absently begins rubbing his head, as he watches Akki go down!
That hurt.
The Kineticist nods in gratitude to Oinos' quick thinking!
The Stranger deals two light hits, then Kalli brings his weapon up into Akki's face in another brutal blow! The tengu blinks a few times as if coming to her senses, then she collapses to the sand. The judges signal the end to the grand melee, directing medics to assist Arfi further in healing his injuries. The judges also publicly recognize your bravery and reprimand Team Akki, prohibiting them from earning any medallions from this event.
***
The Golden Pegasi: With padded hooves, Rhetienn earned 2 VP. Her companions earned 1 each.
The Pearl Chasers: Sappil’s martial prowess was on full display. He earned 3 VP, and Mellita earned 1.
Team Akki: Though Akki had earned 4 VP, the team earns no medallions for this event.
Final Score: Oinos takes first place earning 5 medals, Sappil takes second place earning 3 medals, and the Stranger takes third place earning 1 medal.
Leaderboard:
Kleos Athanatoi 16
The Golden Pegasi 10
The Pearl Chasers 6
Team Akki 3
***
The rest of the day passes without incident, allowing you to rest and recover. The next day, it is time for the final game: the amphora roll!
With its pointed base, narrow neck, and pair of handles, the amphora is a ubiquitous jug for storing and shipping liquids like wine, oil, and fermented sauces. Ideally, a merchant loads amphorae into a wagon or ship’s hull for transportation. But when conditions aren’t ideal, civilians get resourceful. When a now-forgotten olive presser needed to get her oil to the harbor before her hired ship set sail, she set one of the giant amphora on its side, balanced on top, and spun the jar with her feet to steer it down the sloping street toward port. The desperate feat supposedly ended in disaster. However, the audacious athletics inspired countless others to try. Amphora rolling has since turned into a local sport.
A competitor begins in South Slope with a water-filled amphora roughly the size of a human. They must roll the amphora down the designated streets, which wind their way to the finish line at the harbor. The competitor can run alongside the amphora or balance atop it, but they’re prohibited from lifting and carrying it farther than a few steps. The competition judges keep the route clear of civilians and property, but judges often set up mock obstacles like market stalls, carts, or rubble to complicate the race.
With the teams decided, you ready yourselves for the amphora roll!
STEEP SLOPE
Chase Points 1; Overcome: DC 15 Athletics or DC 17 Reflex; Guide: Perception (to spot the slope beforehand)
The street descends at a precipitous angle. There’s a risk the amphora rolls away from the team.
GOAT CROSSING
Chase Points 2; Overcome: DC 15 Acrobatics or DC 17 Athletics; Guide: Intimidation, Nature, or Survival (to drive off the goats to clear a path)
The judges banned livestock from crossing the route. These goats don’t care. A few of them even seem ready to headbutt the amphora and anyone near it.
Special: If a guide critically succeeds at their check to drive off the goats, the herd scatters, also earning the team 1 Chase Point.
PEBBLES AND POTHOLES
Chase Points 1; Overcome: DC 17 Acrobatics or DC 15 Athletics; Guide: Crafting (to make a bridge across the gutter), Athletics (to sweep away some gravel), or Perception (to spot a path)
This street needs serious repair. Potholes, gravel, and trash litter the intersection, plus the amphora will need to cross a shallow gutter designed to redirect rainwater. Keeping the amphora balanced will be difficult.
Special: Critically failing a check to Overcome this obstacle deals 3 additional damage to the amphora.
DUBIOUS GATE
Chase Points 2; Overcome DC 17 Athletics, DC 19 Acrobatics, or DC 16 Performance; Guide: Athletics (to break the gate), Crafting (to assemble a ramp to jump the gate), Thievery (to unlock the gate) can all bypass the gate, reducing the Overcome DCs by 3.
A rickety gate has been erected, blocking the route and indicating a detour. Following the original route involves getting through the gate, whereas the detour could waste time or even be a distraction.
The team must make a choice about which path to take. The Guides might identify the best route (see below). Taking the long detour earns the PCs 1 Chase Point in Overcoming this obstacle, but doing so takes the entire turn.
Special: Rather than open the gate, a Guide can attempt a DC 12 Pol-Bailax Lore check or DC 15 Society check to compare the intended route to the indicated detour to know which is better. If the Guide succeeds, they know the detour is safer but takes longer. If the Guide critically succeeds, they identify a more efficient detour that earns the team 1 Chase Point in Overcoming this obstacle.
OVERCROWDED FINISH LINE
Chase Points 2; Overcome: DC 16 Acrobatics, DC 18 Athletics, DC 16 Intimidation; Guide: Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Performance to manage the crowd and clear a path
It looks like half of Bailax showed up to witness the finish line! The crowd spills partway into the race’s route, risking a dangerous collision!
Steep Slope:
Goat Crossing:
Pebbles & Potholes:
Dubious Gate:
Finish Line:
Oinos does his best to guide Arfi down the course.
Steep Slope
Arfi frowns.
The street seems to descend at a precipitous angle. There’s certainly a risk the amphora rolls away from the team. And us with it.
Goat Crossing
This thing got a horn?
Pebbles & Potholes
I want to speak to a Senator about these roads!
Dubious Gate
I would close your eyes.
Finish Line
Arfi and Kal are, if anything far far too much in sync. When one lags, so does the other. So their progress is uneven to start
You struggle a bit to make it past some of the obstacles. The other teams make it across the finish line a bit faster than you.
The Golden Pegasi: Yphani’s strength helps her steer the heavy amphora to the finish line in 6 rounds, but her amphora has only 2 Hit Points remaining.
The Pearl Chasers: Mellita is a natural at guiding the ceramics, completing the race in 7 rounds with an undamaged amphora.
Team Akki: Akki nimbly navigates the course in 7 rounds, her amphora having 9 HP remaining.
Final Leaderboard:
Kleos Athanatoi 16
The Golden Pegasi 15
The Pearl Chasers 9
Team Akki 4
***
After the amphora roll, Undyl gathers the teams to tally their medallions and announce winners. The cyclops has arrayed several lots of Dintolneon’s possessions bequeathed to the city, and he identifies the magical items so you can make an informed choice. Beginning with the winning team—each of whom also receive an amateur champion’s laurels—and then in descending order, Undyl calls up each team to pick a lot as their prize.
Lot 1: A pyrefeather cloak, pyrefeather token, elegant leather boots worth 3 gp
Lot 2: A persona mask, bronze half-plate armor, and a necklace (worth 8 gp) with dangling fish charms
Lot 3: A gift of olives, three bottles of exceptional olive oil worth 2 gp each, and a scroll of funeral flames.
Lot 4: A death tusk helm, a bronze +1 shortsword whose scabbard depicts heroes fighting harpies, and a steel shield painted with a red phoenix.
Once the teams have claimed prizes and received the spectators’ adulation, Undyl offers one last reminder. “Remember, these games honored our beloved Dintolneon, whose spirit will be among those we guide to the sea tonight. Join us outside the main gate at sundown so that we can bid him safe journeys one last time.”
The hero-god Loptoleon once shepherded the recently deceased to the afterlife, with the spirits walking along the bioluminescent wake of his boat. He has since perished, yet spirits of the Iblydan dead still walk to the sea each Moonday as if answering his call. Bailax guides the spirits with torches and pyres, lighting the way, ensuring the dead don’t get lost (and haunt the land), and giving them one last look at their loved ones. Dintolneon’s death draws an especially large crowd.
At sundown, a thousand citizens carrying lanterns somberly make their way outside the city, where they stand vigil several steps off the main road. The various friends you have made during the games meet you there with spare torches, guiding you to stand near the front of the crowd. Moments later, the first spirits arrive.
Glowing faintly with spectral light, souls of the recently deceased march along the road, gazing at the onlookers with wonder and even starting to leave the road, only to be repelled by the lanterns’ heat. The crowd softly encourages them onward, tosses flower petals on the road, and even calls out messages to be carried to loved ones in the afterlife.
Within minutes, scores of spirits have joined the procession, including a spectral Dintolneon. Then without warning, a third light appears: a meteor streaking westward less than a mile overhead, trailing angry red flames. Its sonic boom crashes into the crowd, bowling over some and extinguishing others’ lanterns. Worse, as the meteor’s sparks fall among the marching spirits, the ghosts’ faces contort with confusion and rage before the spirits begin lunging at bystanders!
The three spirits closest to you move forward menacingly!
Blue eyes down cast as the procession proceeds. The Ancient Guardian nods at the strange (but comforting) tradition being honored for the lost hero-god.
At the sudden sight of the fiery meteor falling across the sky, the Kineticist calls upon the sands around him to come down his bidding.
The Kholo directs a Blast at the closest Spirit!
Frowning he calls the earth to rise and encircle him!
Arfi's first blast goes wide, but his second one hits a spirit, disrupting its form. The spirits all orient on the kholo, moving in to attack with their ghostly hands. Fortunately, this allows other bystanders a chance to escape, fleeing from the angry shades!
"Spirits, follow your path!" Oinos calls to the unquiet dead. "This seems unnatural. Likely that comet has something to do with it."
Oinos flings out a hand and a wave of vital energy washs out over Arfi and the spirits within 30 ftt.
Grateful to be fighting with his own dorata again, Kallistratos plunges his spear into one of the nearby spirits, tearing it free of the ectoplasm in a short, messy arc as he slams his shield before himself to clear a path.
Though the spirits resist Oinos' healing, its enough to pacify the one Arfi previously struck. Kallistratos lashes out with his spear in two powerful strikes that drain the other two shades of their rage!
You stand ready to defend yourselves further, but within minutes, the spirits' sudden fury fades. Many of the spirits sheepishly scurry down the road toward the sea, and others wordlessly mouth apologies to loved ones or flee in shame into the nearby woodlands. City officials do what they can to restore order and escort everyone home. Nobody is sure what streaked overhead, but everyone has a theory. Whatever it was, though, it has shaken Bailax. Terpsime lets you know she might need your help investigating it in the coming days. For now, you have a chance to rest.
Part 1, Chapter 2: Seeking the Bright-Tailed Star
A couple days later, Terpsime summons you to the main coutryard of Pol=Bailax's acropolis. The island’s basalt bedrock juts from the surrounding landscape, creating a craggy hill that Bailax has turned into a monumental and ceremonial hub. Major temples, old palaces, and cyclopean dwellings dot the summit.
Terpsime meets you here along with Skorgomos, an elderly cyclops who leads the giant seers in the city. Terpsime looks up as the door opens, gesturing welcome. “Thank you for coming,” she says. “First, I want to offer my thanks—and the city’s—for your quick action during the festival. There’s no question your intervention saved lives.”
From his seat in the corner, Skorgomos nods. “The angry shades may be appeased,” he rumbles, “but trouble remains. That meteorite appeared at the same time the send-off was disrupted, and there are no coincidences in the weave of fate.”
“Therefore,” Terpsime adds, “we’re authorizing an expedition to Eupherae, the island where the meteorite fell. We’d like you to spearhead this; you’ve proven yourselves capable and canny, and those involved in Pol-Bailax’s official defense will need to remain here in case anything else happens. The mission is to survey the island, determine what crashed there, and neutralize threats if necessary. Are you willing to aid?”
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Although the Stranger didn't do much to help ease the oddly aggressive spirits, he was not absent that night. He followed them all down to the water's edge, where he placed his torch down and drew forth his bow and the belt that his predecessor wore during her travels. A slight glowing spirit lingering within them still, the energy emerged appearing as a tall sea foam-green half-elven ghost. Floating over the elk who's head was bowed saying prayers to the items. She reached down, placed her hand around his antlers and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.
"My tale is over Eshkal."
He slowly looked up at her and the pair shared a silent exchange. With a heavy sigh the elk placed her equipment upon the lapping waves, they floated with no issue and were slowly whisked out to sea, the ghostly patron of them following along.
The stranger stays for a while standing eventually and heading back to the shared lodgings of Terpsime.
The next couple days see the Stranger, meandering about the outside of the house looking far more at peace than he had been since joining the group.
"Are we the only group to be sent? Just us four?"
"We can certainly handle it, I'm sure," Oinos assures the Stranger. "An interesting adventure, to find a sky-stone fallen to the earth."
Terpsime explains they have hired a ship called The Tide Hunter to bring you to and from the island, and the ship’s captain and crew will assist. Additionally, several other citizens they’ve invited onto the expedition will be bringing teams; she indicates the PCs may have met some of them during the festival—the nephilim Dikaios, the merfolk Phel, and the vishkanya Sappil.
The Ancient Guardian nods at the invitation to investigate the meteorite crash site. The Kholo's blue eyes seem to welcome the responsibility (until he hears the mentioning of boat, he frowns)....
Kal gives an easy smile, "Just as well; I've never liked staying in one place for too long anyways. I'd love to meet the Tide Hunter, and sharing a voyage on her with Phel and the others sounds perfect."
You are able to make whatever preparations you wish before heading to the Tide Hunter. Sailors swarm through the harbor, hauling supplies and equipment to a ship at the far end of the docks. Crisp white sails flutter in the breeze on the ship’s two masts, and lines of oars march neatly down its sides. The figurehead on the prow is a carved owl, its head facing toward the horizon, and more owl carvings decorate the ship’s rails and masts.
Through the hubbub, an elven woman, her hair in a long braid, waves from the Tide Hunter’s deck. “You’re the rest of the ones ones I’m ferrying to Eupherae, I take it?” she calls. “I'm Yasmenei. We’d best get a move on if you want to arrive with some daylight!”
You spot Dikaios, Phel, and Sappil among the others gathered on the ship's deck.
"Captain," Kal greets Yasmenei. "A pleasure to be aboard such a beauty. I'll mind myself while you get us underway."
The corsair moves easily along the deck, giving Sappil and Dikaios a friendly nod, but grabs a spot near the runners to take in teh sea by Phel's side. "So, what brings you away from the games and out to hunt the fallen star?"
Phel's tail swishes back and forth happily as Kallistratos sits beside them. They favor the corsair with a grin. "I've always heard tales of an ancient hero-god shrine on Eupherae since I was a child. I know the meteorite is important, but I'm mainly tagging along to investigate the island and learn if there’s any truth to the stories!"