On To The Magic Lands
After failure to accomplish their mission against the pythags, Aristagoras' Folly turned their attentions to the other quest they had agreed to on behalf of Scylla. Following the clues provided by Eldasia's Dear Mother, Rosemerta, the heroes made plans to travel o the Magic Lands in search of the homeland of Tylwyth.
Before leaving the heroes traveled to the Academy to meet with Andalee's patron and teacher, the Master Thespian, Timodeus of Demopolis. Bringing him several of the potions they had found he attempted to discern what they were. He was able to identify three of them as two potions of clairaudience and one elixir of madness (which he destroyed). The last he was unable to identify.
As he talked with Andalee, the others saw that in his cluttered study there was an area in the corner where the only things were and inlaid circle etched in the floor and a golden five-foot square cage in which a beautiful specimen of a raven was. The bird stared at each hero as if a great intelligence was present and Tylwyth attempted to 'listen' to it using his unique ability. Blinding pain shot between his temples as he reached up and held his head in his hands.
The next day the heroes left for Ichthyataes and for two uneventful days traveld North. On the third day of travel they met a Hejazian merchant named Hakim Anazar. He was a cloth merchant selling Silk from his country and he shared with the party some information about a cyclops troubling a village near Ichthyates. Thanking the man for his hospitality the heroes departed and rest that evening. The next night the heroes were attacked by a hungry Chimera but easily defeated it. On the next night the heroes were attacked by Bandits and defeated them easily, capturing three. On the next day they met some wealthy Pilgrims going to Urbs Deorum in hopes of arriving before the midsummer's celebration. Ignoring the clue that the pilgrims were from Ichthyates and they were on foot, whereas if there were ships in Ichthyates they would have used one, the heroes continued on. That evening they saw camp fires in the distance. In the morning they discovered that the fires that night were from a patrol from Demopolis and the heroes turned over the bandits to them. That evening there was a lightning storm but it was otherwise uneventful. For several more days the heroes traveled until they came to a fork in the road. It was there that the heroes spied a crying child. The child (Cloe) was from the village of Dipania and informed the heroes she was running away because her father gave her pet sheep, Brutus, to the cyclops to appease him. It was decide that Kufu and Tylwyth were to head on to Ichthyates to secure passage on a ship while the others went to the village.
At the village the heroes were met by the child's father Julius and he told the heroes about their troubles. A cyclops had moved into the area several weeks ago and began demanding sheep for him to eat. One or two a week. He went on to tell them that in the village there was a protector of sorts named Megacles and he had been sorely defeated by the cyclops so the villagers felt they had no choice but to pay. Julius welcomed them and invited them to take advantage of his hospitality and they began the task of hunting down the cyclops.
On the outskirts of the village was the small hovel of Megacles. As they approached the hovel they spied under a tree the sleeping form of an out of conditioned warrior wrapped in a strangely familiar red cloak. He stank of sweat and appeared as if he had not bathed in quite awhile. Waking the man the heroes learned that he was recently discharged from the Aresopolean army and traveled to Dipania to 'retire'. It wasn't long before the heroes realized he really was a deserter and very lazy to boot. He told them of his encounter with the cyclops and showed them the wound he had received in his fight. A nasty bruise could still be seen upon his head. He informed them that whenever the cyclops came into the village that he came from the East.
They left the man, who promptly went back to sleep, and went to the East in hopes of finding the one-eyed-giant.
Waiting until dusk, the heroes returned to the village. It was then they saw that the fences at the home of Penelus had been knocked down and the sheep were scattered. The villagers quickly began to yell at the heroes."Leave! We don't want you here!", "You're only making it worse for us!", "The cyclops came back and said if you don't leave he'll demand more!", "Go away, we don't need you!"
Julius, aware that the villagers would be mad at him responded to them, "Friend, I promised them hospitality. We will anger the gods should we refuse them."
The others agreed but only with the warning that the heroes would have to leave in the morning.
During the next day the heroes tried their best to find the cyclops but were unable. Seeing as not one of them had the ability to track. They went back to Megacles' and heard him sleeping within. Going inside the heroes saw the remnants of Aresoplean armor and a spear. Old bowls and cups and when he awoke, Andalee attempted to get him drunk. After quaffing much of the wine Megacles, not use to drinking so much, quickly passed out. The heroes left the hovel in hopes to find the cyclops once more.
When evening came the heroes hid in the forest so as not to anger the villager hoping they would think they were gone. The next morning the heroes spied Megacles walking into town. Knocking on Penelus' door the man's wife, Thalia answered. Quickly, one of the heroes drank one of the clairaudience potions and heard the conversation.
Megacles was interested if the heroes were still in the village. Thalia responded that they had left that evening. The Megacles remarked he was hungry and she gave him some porridge. Although it was obvious that Megacles was hoping for something more substantial than porridge, he none-the-less thanked the woman and headed out of the village towards his hovel.
Within moments the cyclops appeared coming from the same direction that Megacles had left. The heroes came out from their hiding places and surprised the monster. Almost 14 feet tall with one eye, it was indeed a cyclops. It almost seemed hesitant to fight but once it realized it was surrounded it began to try to pound the heroes with its massive fists. The heroes quickly subdued the cyclops who begged for mercy. It was then that the heroes heard that the voice of the cyclops was similar to Megacles. Reaching down to his waist the cyclops removed the smelly pelt it was wearing. As he did he shrank down and transformed into the familiar form of Megacles.
He went onto explain that when he left the army he became lost. Cold and hungry he found a cave where a wolf had made its lair. Killing the wolf he then attempted to cook it but was unable to light a fire. So he went into its cave and found what he thought was a smelly pelt. Not realizing what it was he wrapped it around him and transformed into a cyclops. In the process his armor and clothing was destroyed and he almost was crushed within the cramped space.
After telling the story the villages began to exit their homes. Megacles, realizing none of the villagers saw the quick battle called out not to believe what the heroes were going to say.
They tried as best they could to convince the villagers that Megacles was the cyclops and Euripades even used the pelt. It only confirmed for the villagers that Megacles was right and the heroes were the reason for the cyclops. The villagers chased the heroes out of Dipania.
Traveling onto Ichthyates they arrived the next day. It was then they found out there were no ships as it was only a fishing village. They went to the waterfront where a shrine to the gods was located. There, a priest of Poseidon named Polycleitos, prayed for passage for them.
TO BE CONTINUED
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