#thylead recap | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

badassindistress · 4 years ago

Text

The Thylead (Session 19)

Sweet Citizens of Mytros, will you hear my song

I pray for your indulgence, I won’t be here for long

My name is Mania, I am a fallen star

But now I have been chosen to stop the Titans’ war

The Titans would deceive you, that they are just and fair

But to soothe Sydon's tempest, I had to give up half my hair

So treasure you your kind gods, who would never wish you pain

And distrust those heinous others, who'd use your fear for their gain

So sing a song for Kyrah, pray your thanks to Vallus fair

With the Five and with Thylea, you need never despair

The next morning, Volkan’s weird robot messenger delivers a golden shield. (casts thunderwave as a bonusaction + advantage on initiative and perception)

Thalestris goes to find Makaila, who is jogging. Thalestris informs her that the island can’t wait and she’s going to do something but needs information. There’s not much in the way of cities on Themis, but the last holdout was the sacred temple. It’s probably where she’ll find the not-queens. Thalestris asks if there might be anyone else willing to help. She could ask if Moxenna wants to help. Makaila wouldn’t ask, because she doesn’t know her motives. There’s Temple is on a little island in the bay to the north-east, start there. It’s doubled as a prison in the past, might be where they’re keeping Daran. 13 years ago, it was a narrow space, easy to get guards in and hard to sneak through. It was underground.

Makaila sketches her a quick map of the island. Thalestris doesn’t remember much of Themis. The temple wasn’t a place normal amazons went in and out. Makaila warns her not to try killing them all alone. Thalestris says she’s gonna go ask if the others want to help, but if they say no she’ll figure something else out. Thalestris says that her sister and she are going to be the priestesses of their faith and if another cult has taken over the island it’s her duty to take it back. Makaila tells her to not get herself killed, Thalestris thanks her and says it’ll be fine.

They arrange for Bullbug to ready the ship and go say goodbye to Vallus. Vallus acquired a not-perfectly complete map for them, that shows the relevant Islands. It’s 60 days before the Oath of Peace. I the Peace can’t be renewed, right as the Oath ends would be a good time to strike. Vallus won’t advise playing games with Lutheria unless they’re desperate. Titans are weaker now than they were in the first war, after the Oaths ends their strengths may begin to grow again. She believes striking quickly will be enough. Vallus shows them the 10 islands on the map:

Island of Yonder = library, base for Gaius and the Order of Sydon, might be of use but dangerous because of them.

Golden Heart = The tree and the heart of Thylea, hard to reach, the stars will guide them

Fire Island = lizard people who throw outsiders into volcanos, there’s maybe dragon eggs, try diplomacy, don’t get captured or you’ll get the volcano, they have a bad relationship with the mainland.

Island of the Fates= Vallus doesn’t know which constellation it’s under (one other island is nearly impossible for regular sailors.)

Chimera Island = a small island, home to a rampaging chimera that might have some cool items in it’s hoard

Island of Exiles = for those ostracised, more political crimes than hardened criminals, and also Acastus’ mom was exiled 7 years ago, for Reasons

Scorpion Island = home of centaurs, last known location of the Lotus Witch

Indigo Island = home to a variety of people, recent under attack of a malicious metallic dragon (so not Hexia)

Titan's Folly = Vallus tells them not to go. It is sealed off, which will be obvious should they go there, which they shouldn’t. Phryne asks if that’s a prohibition or advice. It’s both, it’s dangerous for Everyone.

(I think the tenth island is probably the Island of Time, we know this is where the Lotus Witch was exiled from, probably also the island impossible to reach for normal sailors)

The Antikythera can collapse distance between points, it’s 3 days between islands with it. Estor was the last owner of the Antikythera. But the order of Sydon has taken an interest in it, they might find something in the great library of Yonder.

Phryné asks for advice to deal with the Fates. Vallus says bargaining with the Fates is possible but be careful what you agree to, but it can be done. Don’t know how advisable it is to fight them, but it may come to that.

Mania has arranged for all the bards to gather at the Academy and present their songs praising Thylea, the Five and the Chosen Ones. Falana, the popular bard from the Games, brought all her fans and Pancras the Oread came along with all his friends too. Laos has a ballad-like epic, Falana leads her screaming fangirls in a rowdy tavern song. Mania picks a lesser known bard with a sweet song. She makes her promise to guard the harp with her life, to only use it to protect the people of Mytros and to only release it to the Kyrah, Vallus or Mania (and the Chosen, with proof from Mania that it’s really them and not an imposter). Before she hands it over, she promises to show them how it’s done. At her sign, Iliana turns invisible carrying a rope, which she quickly ties around Mania’s ankle. In the rain, kept dry by her new amulet of the desert, Mania starts to glow, levitates herself and sings her song to the people of Mytros. When the last note rings out, she disperses the storms and gentle floats down to the applause of the crowds. Some of them have even gone to their knees in prayer.

On the ship, Thalestris goes to talk to Azelma to apologise for yesterday. It’s nothing to do with Azelma or her family. Azelma says she’s just too used to people assuming things about her. Azelma says she doesn’t trust her grandmother either, but the Oracle gave the necklace to her and she thinks they are the key to something. Thalestris says she thought they were almost friends after the shopping and hopes it didn’t ruin. Azelma says they are friends and they’re going to save the world together. Thalestris says it doesn’t have to be just for that. Thalestris says she’s fun, Azelma says it’s cool when she turns into animals. Thalestris asks if she thinks the group would help her liberate the Amazons and kill the False Queens, it’ll only take a minute probably. Azelma says that Kallis would want them to, so Mania would be into it and the rest would be probably. Also if it’s important for Thalestris. She says they don’t know her, but Azelma says they’ll have time to get to know Phryne is super good, Cleophe is super moral, Mania is… super into promises she made to Kallis… Thalestris says Iliana is her best friend, she’ll help. “If the others say no, would you help me anyway?” Azelma says yes. They’re gonna try on their pretty new outfits.

Thalestris asks them all to help her free Daran and depose the fake queens. They agree to do it, but can’t quite agree on a strategy. Half of them want to try and gain allies on the island first. Mania says Amazons are boring which Thalestris thinks is Mania disagreeing with the plan. Thalestris tries to get them all to agree on not sabotaging the mission by being rude to the reigning powers of Themis, this also doesn’t go very well. {I do not remember who said what here, please fill in if vital things were mentioned here}. They agree on keeping the ship some distance away from port/a smaller island and approaching stealthily with a tender and trying to free Daran first. Then they get interrupted by a sound from belowdecks. Three merrow are trying to bore holes in the ship.

Merrow fight: Phryne with her new shining golden shield, casts a thunderwave at the merrows scratching at the hull. It pushes one of the merrow away from the ship. A merrow takes out a harpoon and starts drilling a hole in the hull, the ship takes damage. Mania Commands it to Flee. Iliana chromatic orb poisons the last one. Thalestris summons 4 reef sharks and gives Iliana a sprig of mistletoe that gives her heroism. Iliana forgot to Mage armour and gets hit by a harpoon. Phryné summons spirit guardian shepherd’s crooks to hit them on the head. Iliana kills one with poison, Mania tells another one to flee as Phryné’s crooks and Thalestris’ sharks attack it. Azelma crisps one (and a reef shark) of them with lightning.

Iliana and Thalestris are hyping each other up while they wait for the Merrow to return. It throws a harpoon to the boat, one of the reef sharks throws itself on the harpoon so the boat is safe. The merrow flees. The sharks pursue and kill it.

Thalestris uses druidcraft to foretell tomorrows weather. It’s going to be light wind and no rain. They elect a sailor to repair the boat with the first repair kit and Mania’s Inspiring flirting while he works. At night, Spectral forms start to appear, but not the big battle and no Estor either. Cleophe’s Divine Sense find no unaccounted for Undead either.

They set up a watch. The next morning, Iliana has learned Fill the Seas and Detect Fish. She sits up on the front of the boat and finds some Fish to take notes and so Thalestris can talk to them. She spots a well-camouflaged octopus. One of the sailors catches a few sardines with her help. Between the fish and the filled sails, Iliana is an immediate favourite with the crew. They should reach Themis early the next morning.

In the captain’s cabin they find Estor’s journal: early parts are records of battles in a victorious tone, rivalries with his brother Telemok. There’s a turning point, where it starts to get kind of rambly and he seems to become obsessed with all the dragons disappearing (around the time he seems to have had a bad breakup with his dragon Arcania) and him thinking they turned on them (they disappeared), this is where he starts thinking about Lutheria appearing in his dreams and promising him immortality if he joins her side. Last entry concerns the journey to Phraxis, Estor’s obsession with the idea that they were abandoned and that this was all a trap. There’s mentions of Kallis and other dragonlords, Kallis was the only one of the Dragonlords still with a dragon left. (Arcania didn’t approve of him killing all the Gygans, that’s why she broke her oath to him. The dragons of Adonis, Rizon and Telemok didn’t disappear when Arcania fought with Estor, they disappeared months later. Right before the assault on Phraxis.)

In addition to Balmytria and Hexia, the dragons who disappeared are Estor's Oathsworn Arkania, Rizon's Oathsworn Sybolkorax, Adonis' Oathsworn Raspytrion, and Tekamok's Oathsworn Tysophalle

Mania takes notes on the battle descriptions for future ballad purposes. Cleophe’s dragonegg is now getting hot to the touch. They rest, Iliana and Cleophe are on the first watch. They see a weird distortion in the air like the gasoline in water effect. A little rift in space appears, some weird clockwork creatures tumble out and fall out of the ship. They keep marching and tumble off the ship again. Iliana magehands one back. It flails with weird little arms and legs. The yellow light tries to encompass the line of creatures. It almost creates a little bubble they’re pushing against. They’re little spears and cubes and triangles. Iliana drags one out, the bubble makes the creatures pop out of existence as the yellow rift closes. It looks at Iliana quizzically with uncanny mechanical eyes. Iliana shoves it in the bag so the light can’t find it. The rest disappeared out of existence with the light. The effect looked like the effect in Cleophe’s house and around Iliana’s resurrection.

And that’s all for this session of the Thylead!

@aporeticelenchus @leomundstinyblog @m-siecle @pioup-pioup @somuchbetterthanthat @guineamaina

#the thylead #dnd #thylead recap #session recap #odyssey of the dragonlords spoilers #mania's fun and flirty adventure #i had forgotten about the weird creatures at the end there #what are they!!#sorry i missed part of the conversation my aunt came by again #not ideal notetaking circumstances #i'm very ready to fight and free some amazons #a talia original

8 notes · View notes