Ethyria Forever!: Gamelog

We had three players make it today for Omiros, Kiren & 

All the recent heroes who plundered the cursed ruins, captured hounds of Geryon, found passages to the underworld and cleared long-blocked mountain passes were to be celebrated by the Polis of Kastra and to be presented awards with the king. So all the players so far...

First Omiros and Kiren, sylvan folk adopted by city and related to its history for centuries

Omiros Firehair, the satyr, priest of Heliod, descendant of a heroic sidekick of Silenas, died in battle defending the polis and has a statue of them in markets near a wine shop. There is a tragic play about it performed yearly. Now has a magic shield +1+2 for Heliod worshipers.

Kiren an elemental Monk, monk of Heliod, the family were mercenaries killed defending the polis and were adopted by city. Has been tormenting enemies with range 15ft grapple and elemental punches. 

Then the return of: 

Hibbolytus, a wild centaur loner bard and wanderer, a student of ancient lore and magic. He had joined Aias and Xi once before and worshipped Nylea the huntress.

Kadmos, a minotaur Paladin who was constantly training in the arena for the god Iroa. He had joined Aias and Xi once before 

And the famous duo:

Aias the rogue sailor, initiate of the sea goddess. With a villainous family with many kindred in the temple of the Sea goddess. He is a well-known musician too. Recently at sea, now the leading man of the family after burying his brother.
 
Xi the satyr warlock, initiate of Kruphix, family of scribes and scholar weirdoes of Kruphix

They were told they were to be honoured by one of the kings scribes in 2 days.
The adventurers all met (some the first time) and Omiros, Kiren & Hibbolytus spoke about killing time. They heard of some archers hired to go to the cursed labyrinth in two groups, one to the sphynx and the other the long way that met some cyclops-orcs and ran home with some drinking money. Mothers of the missing group begged the adventurers to look for their sons. They had rescued adventurers. They kept moving and went to drink.

"Perhaps some time with families on the farm?"
"Surely we can have an adventure inside three days, lets go get the sphynx in the north pass"
"Or talk to her."

So it was very close up a long unused road into a canyon into the mountain for hours before reaching a box canyon. Each entry and exit had a carved sphynx at the gateway. There was an ancient tomb inside and human bones. Omiros had a good look at bones with his anatomical gaze. Human.

The sphynx came out and surprised everyone how its smallish person-sized with cheeta body, wings, a woman's arms, breasts and head. She had nicely done hair with a bejewelled diadem. She demanded they leave or take the challenge of her riddle.

They boldly elected to remain.If they passed, she would depart; if they failed she got to eat them. So she spoke here poetic riddle and Hibbolytus being a bard (and a smart player) blurted out the answer. She was enraged and flew about screaming into her cave tomb. There was lots of noise and then she came out dragging a sack. She declared she would depart and humans may move freely north and the wild people of the north will be able to go south. It would alo make the cursed labyrinth only 4 hours march so ships not required.

Kiren offered for her to jon them as a companion and she was a bit surprised but nope, she had a retirement island with no humans. She did chat with Hibbolytus about how a god had bid her guard here 200 years, and now was obviously the end as prophecy told. Hibbolytus sang a beautiful, flattering song about her with Omiros support. He begged her to come before the parade so all could wonder at her majesty. He promised to keep her safe and perform again. She was flattered enough to agree. She would guard the pass till then, and they could have her leftover loot. But insisted none enter her cave until then. They agreed and went home.

So the parade had acrobats, soldiers, actors in costumes, dancers and singers. Two caged wagons held the Dogs of Geryon, a hellhound and a two-headed hound, a son of Cerebus. Then can the centaurs Kiren & Hibbolytus on foot, both mostly naked in barbarian splendour. Omiros was in a chariot with Xi as both satyrs, and finally Aias and Kadmos. They reached the podium after a march past the crowds cheering, singing and throwing flowers. The king gave a speech about the fame and glory of the city the heroes had achieved and offered them land for their services. The sphynx came down to hear her song and all impressed by the touching song. Some want a statue of the sphynx as she promised to leave forever.

So after a drinking party in the morning, they rushed to the sphynx tomb and looted it. Lots of copper and bronze platters and vessels and cups, and arm rings. An ancient tomb was used as a chest and has silver and gold and a magic shortsword, a pointy hat, a fancy wine cup, a coin and three goat figures. They also found the missing adventurer's bones and possessions. The priest buried the,m and they took possession of the dead and the treasure to the temple. They returned the remains of the dead to their kin and then to the temple. The hat made people sit quietly, but not really a weapon but a scholar bought it. The cup prevented hangovers and sold fast. The coin Omiros worked out on his own would flip to the side he called in a coin toss. He nabbed it as a funny trinket.

So they marched the next day back to the canyon and saw three orcs on tomb steps and heard noise of looting inside. They confronted the orcs with the power of tongues of the priest on the bard. When the cyclops orcs heard humans from the south and not north, they drew their blades. The orcs didnt last long. The last begged for mercy and was questioned, then executed.

They marched through the mountain pass and could see the ruined labyrinth by the sea cliffs in the distance. They looked at the map given to them by absent adventurers and decided to avoid the harpy graveyard. They decided to camp and go in the morning.

With an early night, they heard stomping in the morning as a Blemmyae was looking for goats in cliff shelters in scrub. Kiren sneaked off and followed it as it headed to the others. Hibbolytus sung a quick song and the monster barged out to investigate. It was a ogre-like being, headless with a drooling face on its chest and a club. The heroes dogpiled the poor creature and managed to overwhelm it. At dawn, they went to the ruins. They found a staircase and cast light.

Two hulking minotaurs came down and told them to piss off, but an older, wizened minotaur in robes said they were welcome to explore the haunted wing. There was a discussion and he brought them up to see the haunted chamber. "You're welcome to loot here and we will let you pass if if you clean the ghosts out"

There was muttering about minotaurs not liking ghosts.

So inside a room and looked left, then ahead and then right.
Forward was a room with flayed human skin mats on the floor and a mural of the minotaur god Mogis bathing in blood and aroused, surrounded by headless corpses bleeding into his bath. Omiros was sure they covered a pit trip so blased a mat with fire. The flat skins began to stand and the party hurled fiery death on the monsters with a few striking back but without their ambush and plan to dogpile intruders.

Left was a room with a frightening, angry winged woman with a bow and spear in a foreign style. There was a shield with a dragon on it before her. Omiros waled in and picked it up for a look. Kiron went into the other room to the right and it was a shrine of the three-bodied giant Geryon. There was a spear before it with a nasty, jagged head. Kiron picked it up and stepped out the room. Omiros was not smart but he was wise, so he put the shield down and went to aid his adopted brother. It happened that the powers of the party were uniquely suited to destroy the living statue.

"That wasn't too bad"
"Let's get the Shield"
And from the statue came a burning erinyes devil from the underworld with her glowing rope and sword. This was the worst fight the party had, and she rapidly chained Omiros as the defiler who took the shield offering. Her resistances were mostly mighty and she made multiple sword attacks and had a huge well of HP. But they did defeat here using everything they had. Probably the worst and most unfair fight yet.

The old minotaur offered them healing and identify magic. The Spear was +1+2 vs humans. The Shield was +1 +2 save vs draconic bretah weapons. They rested with the minotaur guards watching for their next sortie.