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Alea Iacta Story Hour: A Mythic Rome Campaign (Baby Announcement: 8/17)
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<blockquote data-quote="Orichalcum" data-source="post: 2172607" data-attributes="member: 3722"><p><strong>Alea Iacta IX: An Easy Descent Chp. 2: Bargaining with a God</strong></p><p></p><p>Hey folks, sorry about the recent hiatus, but I've been flying around the country interviewing for a real job in the last few weeks. The good news is that it looks like Cerebral Paladin and I will be winding up in the Chicago area come August or so! But meanwhile, life is getting close to normal again here in NYC.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p>Back to Shast's tale:</p><p></p><p>After briefing Hadriana and Meloch, we go down to the Forum and the Temple of the Vestals, and Cornelia goes in to the Temple to request aid of the Chief Vestal. The Vestal is highly grateful to all of us, as well as worried about the fate and safety of the Empire, which, after all, she is sworn to protect. She tells Cornelia, however, that she cannot herself speak to any gods besides Vesta, who is unlikely to be helpful in this case, and certainly not to the Celtic Lugh. However, she can arrange for all of us to spend the night in the house of the Rex Sacrorum, dedicated to Mars, and the Vestals will entreat the gods to give us a true vision of them to aid us in our quest. </p><p></p><p>Cornelia agrees on our behalf, and, come nightfall, we are all arranged on rough mats in the ancient temple of Mars, former home of the Kings of Rome, surrounded by the 12 sacred shields, one of which is actually Mars's, while the others are merely decoys. Heilyn and Llyr spend a few curious moments trying to determine the authentic shield, but realize quickly that the deception is far beyond their powers of magical or natural investigation.</p><p></p><p>We fall asleep to the sounds of the chanting and light drumming of five Vestals, and awake, or so it seems, to find us all standing together at the bottom of a long, marble staircase. Uncertain what else to do, we begin climbing; there seems somehow little reason for talk.</p><p>After a long time, the staircase emerges into a cave mouth by a grassy meadow, full of flowers and trickling springs and a small, burning fire. Standing by the fire is a breathtakingly handsome young man in a short white tunic, carrying a snake-entwined staff, a small red leather cap, and sandals with small golden wings attached. </p><p></p><p>He glances at us in mild puzzlement. <span style="color: Silver"> "You are most definitely not Vestal Virgins - at least not most of you - and I don't think you really want to stay a Virgin, do you, lovely lady?" </span> he smiles enticingly at Cornelia, who blushes brightly.</p><p></p><p>Metellus, concentrating strongly on his responsibilities and the innappropriateness of any attraction to a male god, speaks, "Hail, Mercury, God of Trade. Ah...we weren't expecting you here - we presumed it would be Vesta, or Lugh."</p><p></p><p>Mercury, eyes still largely on Cornelia, raises an eyebrow. <span style="color: Silver"> "I am also the God of Travelers, and thus I meet all who are sent to the divine realm by unorthodox ways, and guide them to their appropriate destination. Why do you wish to see Lugh? I can perform - given sufficient incentive - any miracles that he can, after all." </span></p><p></p><p>The Celts bristle at this, but Cornelia says placatingly, "Lugh, we think, is the only one who knows the true name of a Brigantian man, born several decades ago, who now is plotting to overthrow the entire Empire and cause great devastation -which, after all, would be very bad for trade, and travellling, and, um, magic, and money, and..."</p><p></p><p>Mercury ponders her answer for a moment, and responds, <span style="color: Silver"> "Well, it certainly sounds like a generally worthwhile cause, although I don't see what's in it for me. Hmm...wait..." he examines each of us, especially Lucretius and Marcus, very carefully. "I have a thought. I will give you guides who may take you to Lugh's part of the divine realm, where you can speak with him directly. But you must swear to protect them until they reach their destination there, for they are weak, and helpless. " </span></p><p></p><p>Marcus speaks up, "Ah, what sort of guides are these, exactly?"</p><p></p><p>Mercury answers, with mild annoyance. <span style="color: Silver"> "Some lost souls, who died here and came into my part of the realm, but who don't belong here, but over in the Celtic underworld. I have not had the time to spare to escort them safely, and they are too confused to travel safely on their own. They know where to go; you must merely follow them until they reach their destination. Will you swear?" </span></p><p></p><p></p><p>With some little trepidation, we all swear, aware that making an oath to a god is not to be taken lightly. As we finish, Mercury fixes his piercing blue eyes on Heilyn, and speaks again. <span style="color: Silver"> "There is, of course, another matter to be dealt with. You, young spirit-speaker, stole something from me. I don't take well to people stealing from the God of Thieves." </span></p><p></p><p></p><p>Heilyn, who has been half expecting this, uses all his native gift o' the gab in a desperate attempt to stay alive. "If it please you, divine lord, Mercury, I didna think of it as stealing, but rather as returning to the rightful owner, that is to say Lugh. After all, you are so great and powerful that you do not really need such an item, whereas the lack of it is keeping Lugh imprisoned and powerless in the mortal world, a fate I'm sure you would not wish on Him."</p><p></p><p><span style="color: Silver"> "Nonetheless, you took property that had been acquired by my agents and given to Me. Why, precisely, should I not steal your very soul here while we speak?" </span> Mercury casually inquires. </p><p></p><p>"Perhaps," Heilyn improvises, "I could give you something of equal value in return for the cap."</p><p></p><p><span style="color: Silver">"What do you have that would be of equal value to a divine artifact?" </span></p><p>Mercury asks, contemptuous but a bit intrigued.</p><p></p><p>"How about a lightning bolt?" Heilyn prooffers.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: Silver"> "Hmm...that would certainly annoy my father - and that proud Minerva, for that matter. And just think of the havoc I could wreak by using it appropriately... Do you have one now?" </span></p><p></p><p>"No, but if you give me enough time, I'll make one for you. But I have to stay alive. I'm working with a smith who's developing one, and I promise I'll give you the first one I make."</p><p></p><p><span style="color: Silver"> "Very well. Swear on your soul...and on the spirits of your ancestors, and by the light of Lugh." </span></p><p></p><p>Heilyn solemnly swears, desperately hoping that the Master of Naxos' crazy theories will indeed enable him to actually make a lightning bolt someday. Mercury, meanwhile, raises a set of panpipes to his lips and blows softly. In a few minutes, as far we can measure time in this strange realm, a number of shadowy figures come floating towards us. As they reach us, we can see that they are nine small children, all girls, covered with hideous sword wounds. Some of them turn and shy away from us, especially from Lucretius and Marcus. Looking at them more closely, the faces seem familiar, and the blue Iceni-esque tattoos shine on their translucent faces and arms.</p><p></p><p>Mercury fades from sight, laughing mockingly at us. <span style="color: Silver"> "It seemed only right that you should guard and return these children to the proper realm of the dead. After all, you did kill them." </span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Orichalcum, post: 2172607, member: 3722"] [b]Alea Iacta IX: An Easy Descent Chp. 2: Bargaining with a God[/b] Hey folks, sorry about the recent hiatus, but I've been flying around the country interviewing for a real job in the last few weeks. The good news is that it looks like Cerebral Paladin and I will be winding up in the Chicago area come August or so! But meanwhile, life is getting close to normal again here in NYC. *** Back to Shast's tale: After briefing Hadriana and Meloch, we go down to the Forum and the Temple of the Vestals, and Cornelia goes in to the Temple to request aid of the Chief Vestal. The Vestal is highly grateful to all of us, as well as worried about the fate and safety of the Empire, which, after all, she is sworn to protect. She tells Cornelia, however, that she cannot herself speak to any gods besides Vesta, who is unlikely to be helpful in this case, and certainly not to the Celtic Lugh. However, she can arrange for all of us to spend the night in the house of the Rex Sacrorum, dedicated to Mars, and the Vestals will entreat the gods to give us a true vision of them to aid us in our quest. Cornelia agrees on our behalf, and, come nightfall, we are all arranged on rough mats in the ancient temple of Mars, former home of the Kings of Rome, surrounded by the 12 sacred shields, one of which is actually Mars's, while the others are merely decoys. Heilyn and Llyr spend a few curious moments trying to determine the authentic shield, but realize quickly that the deception is far beyond their powers of magical or natural investigation. We fall asleep to the sounds of the chanting and light drumming of five Vestals, and awake, or so it seems, to find us all standing together at the bottom of a long, marble staircase. Uncertain what else to do, we begin climbing; there seems somehow little reason for talk. After a long time, the staircase emerges into a cave mouth by a grassy meadow, full of flowers and trickling springs and a small, burning fire. Standing by the fire is a breathtakingly handsome young man in a short white tunic, carrying a snake-entwined staff, a small red leather cap, and sandals with small golden wings attached. He glances at us in mild puzzlement. [COLOR=Silver] "You are most definitely not Vestal Virgins - at least not most of you - and I don't think you really want to stay a Virgin, do you, lovely lady?" [/COLOR] he smiles enticingly at Cornelia, who blushes brightly. Metellus, concentrating strongly on his responsibilities and the innappropriateness of any attraction to a male god, speaks, "Hail, Mercury, God of Trade. Ah...we weren't expecting you here - we presumed it would be Vesta, or Lugh." Mercury, eyes still largely on Cornelia, raises an eyebrow. [COLOR=Silver] "I am also the God of Travelers, and thus I meet all who are sent to the divine realm by unorthodox ways, and guide them to their appropriate destination. Why do you wish to see Lugh? I can perform - given sufficient incentive - any miracles that he can, after all." [/COLOR] The Celts bristle at this, but Cornelia says placatingly, "Lugh, we think, is the only one who knows the true name of a Brigantian man, born several decades ago, who now is plotting to overthrow the entire Empire and cause great devastation -which, after all, would be very bad for trade, and travellling, and, um, magic, and money, and..." Mercury ponders her answer for a moment, and responds, [COLOR=Silver] "Well, it certainly sounds like a generally worthwhile cause, although I don't see what's in it for me. Hmm...wait..." he examines each of us, especially Lucretius and Marcus, very carefully. "I have a thought. I will give you guides who may take you to Lugh's part of the divine realm, where you can speak with him directly. But you must swear to protect them until they reach their destination there, for they are weak, and helpless. " [/COLOR] Marcus speaks up, "Ah, what sort of guides are these, exactly?" Mercury answers, with mild annoyance. [COLOR=Silver] "Some lost souls, who died here and came into my part of the realm, but who don't belong here, but over in the Celtic underworld. I have not had the time to spare to escort them safely, and they are too confused to travel safely on their own. They know where to go; you must merely follow them until they reach their destination. Will you swear?" [/COLOR] With some little trepidation, we all swear, aware that making an oath to a god is not to be taken lightly. As we finish, Mercury fixes his piercing blue eyes on Heilyn, and speaks again. [COLOR=Silver] "There is, of course, another matter to be dealt with. You, young spirit-speaker, stole something from me. I don't take well to people stealing from the God of Thieves." [/COLOR] Heilyn, who has been half expecting this, uses all his native gift o' the gab in a desperate attempt to stay alive. "If it please you, divine lord, Mercury, I didna think of it as stealing, but rather as returning to the rightful owner, that is to say Lugh. After all, you are so great and powerful that you do not really need such an item, whereas the lack of it is keeping Lugh imprisoned and powerless in the mortal world, a fate I'm sure you would not wish on Him." [COLOR=Silver] "Nonetheless, you took property that had been acquired by my agents and given to Me. Why, precisely, should I not steal your very soul here while we speak?" [/COLOR] Mercury casually inquires. "Perhaps," Heilyn improvises, "I could give you something of equal value in return for the cap." [COLOR=Silver]"What do you have that would be of equal value to a divine artifact?" [/COLOR] Mercury asks, contemptuous but a bit intrigued. "How about a lightning bolt?" Heilyn prooffers. [COLOR=Silver] "Hmm...that would certainly annoy my father - and that proud Minerva, for that matter. And just think of the havoc I could wreak by using it appropriately... Do you have one now?" [/COLOR] "No, but if you give me enough time, I'll make one for you. But I have to stay alive. I'm working with a smith who's developing one, and I promise I'll give you the first one I make." [COLOR=Silver] "Very well. Swear on your soul...and on the spirits of your ancestors, and by the light of Lugh." [/COLOR] Heilyn solemnly swears, desperately hoping that the Master of Naxos' crazy theories will indeed enable him to actually make a lightning bolt someday. Mercury, meanwhile, raises a set of panpipes to his lips and blows softly. In a few minutes, as far we can measure time in this strange realm, a number of shadowy figures come floating towards us. As they reach us, we can see that they are nine small children, all girls, covered with hideous sword wounds. Some of them turn and shy away from us, especially from Lucretius and Marcus. Looking at them more closely, the faces seem familiar, and the blue Iceni-esque tattoos shine on their translucent faces and arms. Mercury fades from sight, laughing mockingly at us. [COLOR=Silver] "It seemed only right that you should guard and return these children to the proper realm of the dead. After all, you did kill them." [/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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