A smaller island sits behind the first. The lake in the centre has a ziggurat sticking out of the water. It has the potential to have tunnels and rooms inside. Steps over the outside and about three-quarters of the way up Helios lounges on a cushion.
STAGE ONE
Skill | Who | Success or fail |
Performance check Calliope sings to the cyclops and entertains them, casting charm person on them to bring them onto her side. Calliope speaks to Grebos the Cyclops and finds out information about Helios. | Calliope | PASS - The island houses 120 cyclops, half of which have been trained for war. Helios has been on the island for a long time, since Alkippe the Great. |
Deception check Braz runs a ballot on the boat to select a guest - Stevia is selected from the crew. He spends some time getting dressed and oiling his hair to ensure he is as pretty as possible. He leaves the majority of his weapons on the ship but wears the sigil of Mytros on his horns. | Braz | FAIL - Braz is the only person who has not brought weapons with him and it seems a little suspicious. |
Animal Handling check To seek knowledge about what Helios enjoys, Hippofilius takes time to speak to some of the birds that inhabit the island and find out from eyes on the ground what he likes. | Hippofilius | PASS - The birds tell Hippofilius about the cyclops in shiny armour on the smaller island. They also tell him that Helios Temple is not somewhere they go near - it feels odd and they don’t like to fly near it. The plants themselves don’t tend to grow on the temple. |
Sleight of Hand check Xan dresses in a god-like outfit, emulating Helios and dressing in an outfit to try and gain his favour. She commands the crew to sing old folk tales about Helios and the gods to accompany her getting ready montage. | Xan | PASS - there are so many tales of Helios, but the tales only begin to be told about 600 years before. This is pre-war, pre-dragonlords arrival. Helios worship was there before but tales like he is not only came about then. |
History check Read the books, studying for examples that are verifiable of where religious tales may have been true. Looking at history over religion. | Theo | PASS - Theo finds out that Helios did not take part in the first war, he took an oath to not take part in this war. This is also about the time that Helios skin allowed rumours of his immortality started to spread. |
Persuasion check With Alke’s support, Laureus writes a poem and performance about the Cyclops on the island. Researching the stories and having the stories recited to the Cyclops and a poem about Stelios. Supporting the performance she casts fog cloud. | Alke | PASS - Alke learns about the Cyclops and performs at the feast. Upon hearing it Tolyphemus is delighted and tells Helios that they remind him of Alcippe (lived and died about 350 years ago). There was once a Jancan here and with the help of the Jancan the arms and armour were created for the Cyclops. It sounds like Helios does genuinely love his Cyclops community and may have loved Alcippe more than this. |
As the party arrives at the feast, there is a small honour guard of 4 cyclops at the door. Tolyphemus sits by the side of Helios and barks orders to the other Cyclops to ensure they are maintaining a respectful distance.
STAGE TWO
Skill | Who | Success or fail |
Twenty Squares In exchange for a question they play Twenty Squares. | Calliope | FAIL - Helios still reveals that he does not wish for the Cyclops to be harmed, and that he does not want them to fight in a battle. He tells Calliope that if you work out you are to lose it is sometimes best to lose gracefully. If you are beaten, sometimes how you are beaten is the only thing under your control. |
Religion check Braz asks of the chariot, if he is the god who rides the chariot across the sky, who is riding the sun now. As he points, the symbol of Mytros reflects on the light. | Braz | PASS - It was an earlier time, it was when his name was spreading before he was a sun god. The chariot is a story that is told to explain his powers. Braz asks if there was a chariot then. He says there wasn’t but now there is. When Braz asks to see it he says “many heroes would.” |
Acrobatics check Xan casts water walk - use on the guards, allows them to also walk on water. A dance Xan did as a child. The joy is infectious. | Xan | PASS - Helios is joyous at the sight and after a resounding round of applause sends his guards away.Trust has been built. |
Insight check Nessa produces a bouquet of flowers, handing them to Helios. As Hippofilius runs his hands over the sunflowers he lights it with a ruby, and creates a continual flame as a gift. Nessa asks if he has had a love. | Hippofilius | PASS - He reveals he had a love, Alcippe gave him the chariot. Alcippe was born to the tribe 400 years ago, she had a wonderful mind. Nessa tells Helios about their own Jancan companions and Helios says he is looking forward to the day that the Cyclops join the world as equals. Helios definitely thinks all the Cyclops are his children and that he must protect them. |
Investigation role Theo is creating small vignettes of the stories he has read about on the table. He asks Helios about his desire to protect his family. And why he was not involved in the first war. | Theo | PASS - He says he was a different person, more demanding of worship. On one side there were armies in servitude to the titans and on the other a dragonlords. Xander was a big concern for him, he disliked the bond that came from outside of Thylea from the ashes of a world with desperation - a spit in the face of the age of old dragons. But he sees now with the bond of Calliope and Alcippe, maybe the bond was not a bad thing. Theo tells him that with the new bond there is softness and respect, learning from history. |
Persuasion check + artificer ability Continuing the conversation Alke speaks of the bond she does not have with her own dragon. She tells Helios that The Chosen have seriously considered their bonds. She pulls out her tiny mech dragon and makes it try to fly, it glows. She tells Helios that the Jancans built it and that it will be a different type of bond. | Alke | PASS - Helios is so worried about his Cyclops and would love to leave and meet with the Jancan but he will not leave them. They are so easily tricked and are soft hearted. Helios is talking about being taken advantage of but it is because of himself at the root of it. He says that his Cyclops cannot be part of the war. |
Calico is being a little silly goose and falls to the floor. Calliope casts Shield to protect her dragon. The Fates took the protections from the dragons. Acastus pulled the dragons through age and essentially treated them as playthings. | Calliope | PASS - When Calliope mentions Sydon and Acastus doing something bad to the dragons, as one was found in the Fates Island, Helios seems to be angry. He speaks about Sydon and Lutheria and that this does not bode well for the future. “I think you have made the right decision here. If all the bonds are like yours, with love and faith there will be a better world. Unbonded dragons can be arrogant. But I also understand the perspective of Sydon… I understand wanting to be worshipped. When people fall at your feet, then nothing is a problem. All you hear is the shouts of approval. All the doubts you don’t have to listen to. I wanted that for myself but through my time here I no longer want it for me. I want it for those who follow me. For those who shout my name. I want them to live a life unburdened by harsh realities. I would do anything to protect them. I swore an oath.” |
Arcana check + daylight Braz continues the questioning. “You swear an oath to live a life unburdened but you hide away. You stay you with your worshippers to have safety and security but when we tell you of the threat, you shrink back. Why? Why the cowardice? Protecting what is yours. You hoard treasures and build a protective bubble for those close to you but not share it beyond the shore. Why? From the divinities I have met and spent time with, the difference between a magical trickster and a leader, is an understanding of what is right. I applaud the desire to not have people follow you but why is your opinion of the world so narrow - why has it become too small.” | Braz | PASS - he tells them he is bound by a different oath. “After the war ended and the oath of peace was enforced, Sydon came to this island, ready to make war. Ready to kill the Cyclops who defied him and take the rest. Kill me. I swore an oath of service that day, that I would not be an enemy that day. Neither an ally. But an oath of service. I have stayed here and learned about the world when I can, and kept my oath on those I promised to protect. Someone you see as the true monster and his demands. Now he is demanding soldiers from me. I made the oath and I have to provide them. If I do not provide the soldiers, I am an oathbreaker.” |
Hippofilius speaks of the bonds at Scorpion Island, and if they broke the oath they would be cursed.
Hippofilius tells Helios more about the bonds and the kindness and honour within this curse.
He speaks about the bonds between The Chosen and their dragons, reciting to him the promises they give their dragons.
“I promise you this, that bond is not one of servitude but one of partnership and love.”
“I CANNOT POSSESS YOU,
for you belong to yourself.
I CANNOT COMMAND YOU,
for you are a free creature.
WE SHALL SERVE EACH OTHER
in the ways we both require.
WE WILL INCREASE OUR WEALTH
by righteous means.
WE WILL ACHIEVE HAPPINESS
and harmony through knowledge.
WE WILL AID THOSE OF OUR BLOOD
to achieve their great destinies.
WE WILL AVENGE THOSE OF OUR BLOOD
who have been done harm.
I AM BLOOD OF YOUR BLOOD,
and bone of your bone—forever.”
“Release your soldiers to us and you will have no soldiers to provide to Sydon and will not be an oathbreaker.”
Helios smiles. Wider and wider and wider. Teeth and claws, a massive dragon with ancient golden scales.