You Call That a God
How much does it take to show that a god is truly inept in areas outside of their direct domain? I can’t imagine a more stereotypical example of a warrior lost and confused once he’s achieved his supposed goal of taking the conquest he desired than that of Pythor. What a perfect exemplar of how military virtues are useful in the military and fall down elsewhere. He has his counsellors terrified, he abuses statuary rather than taking action or, woe betide, applying whatever intellect is hiding far behind those muscles.
Even more telling, he’s been sovereign of Estoria for centuries, yet doesn’t seem to have any real control over affairs in the city, even to the point of having his own child nominated for sacrifice to one of the Titans that he defined himself by opposing. In a yet more disturbing development the so-called god of battle has allowed an army to advance to within striking distance of his city’s walls - could he not at least apply enough strategy to prevent this or is he truly so obsessed with battle he’s prepared to destroy the lives of his citizens in order to satisfy his desires and have the battle come to him? I would give him the same benefit of the doubt that I would give any other that’s found themselves out of their depth, but this is supposed to be a god.
Nonetheless, it is hardly reasonable for us to leave his daughter in such peril, especially when it seems she’s well-respected in the city, so I can only hope that she deserves it more than her father deserves worship and respect. To add another burden to our tasks, the horn of Barmytria seems to have been stolen mere days before our arrival - either our opponents have ears inopportune places to know our intentions or Fate is determined to make us live up to the high standards of being prophesied heroes.
It is possible that the former would explain our nocturnal visitor while still at Versi’s shrine, a scouting trap befuddling our minds with empty talk and threats while a greater power rifled through our memories to obtain the content of the prophecy, if not more. I don’t know the tales of the Titans as well as I do others, but it might be worth asking our resident scholar to investigate the histories for context as to the powers attributed to them in the First War, whether this would fall within their purview or if it might be another player getting involved.
I would also appreciate the chance to return to talk to Aesop, the conversation with Calliope revealed much knowledge of the Dragonlords. I owe it to the innocent child I once was to get answers to his inquisitiveness about those esteemed figures, even if the flame within me has burnt out any capacity for curiosity of my own for the time being.