Sx48 — Stuck Between a Rock and a Mouth Place

***Stuck Between a Rock and a Mouth Place*** is the 48th session of the campaign*.* It is preceded by Sx47 — The Likeness of Athena, and followed by Sx49 — Lemon Squares and Spying Pairs.

This session takes place over a period of three days, from the 15th to the 18th of Oine. Notable moments of this session include Adrasteia's first full moon while cursed and fighting Scylla and Charybdis aboard the Iris' Missive.

## Leaving Athmonon

Ghost, Leoven and Khantos make plans for dealing with Adrasteia's Loup Garou transformation set to happen that evening while Cyaro and Adrasteia discuss how it feels to learn about heritage. Cyaro talks about their mother, not knowing who she is and what purpose Cyaro serves.

> **Cyaro:** *"I've been looking for my mother and I've been using a little frog."*
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In the evening, the group chain up Adrasteia in a nearby cave with silver chains, as well as thick standard chains. However, thankfully, she does not transform that night. Instead, she dedicates her extra time throughout the night to sense Flamouria. She can only get a faint connection.

The next day, Khantos teleports the group to a small fishing village named Collada near Golgynthus as he knows of a ship and Captain that could potentially sail them to Aegyphirian. A colourful ship is at the dock, the sail in rainbow colours and the ship itself painted in a myriad of different colours with cloud decals. It is named the Iris' Missive, captained by Chisme. The crew consists of a colourful selection of characters, loud and flamboyant. Cyaro says they don't know what a boat is.

## Sailing

Ghost sends a prayer to Hecate as the new moon cycle begins and Chisme notices him praying. They speak about life, worship of Hecate and the meaning of freedom. Meanwhile, Cyaro calls to Xunthas to look at the stars, and Adrasteia and Khantos discuss his life.

Khantos and Chisme have a brief exchange about the legend of Perseus, Andromeda, and Cetus. Chisme then asks Khantos if he wants to hear tales about the Pillars of Heracles, but Khantos declines the offer.

That evening, the ship persuades all but Leoven to undergo a Iris' Missive style makeover. Ones of note include: Khantos given glittery green and blue eyeshadow with guy-liner; Ghost given misty-effect eyeshadow with Hecate moon imagery inside.

### Scylla and Charybdis

The next morning, the Iris' Missive approaches a section in the strait with a sharp cliff face either side. On approach, the Titan Oceanus threatens to turn his monsters on Khantos should he not continue to help Atlas, and sets Scylla and Charybdis on the ship as a test to see if he is worthy. The group decide to face Syclla instead of Charybdis and turns the ship towards the cliffside, where Khantos uses *Cloudbreaker* to kill her. He then takes the chains holding her body for himself. Oceanus then taunts Khantos, asking *"Only one of them?"* - implying slaying only one is less than he desires.

## Aegyphirian

The Iris' Missive arrives at a cove in the northern plains, a few miles away from the city of Aegyphirian. The group say farewell to the crew and travel towards the city, led by Sofia, to find the Vallotis secret hideout. She takes them to an un-seeming house at the edge of the city owned by a small satyr man named Daz and reveals her intentions with a secret knock. They enter Daz' house and journey into a deeper room where there is a trapdoor and a ladder beneath a collection of barrels. The airflow here is too fierce to be that of an average basement and the trapdoor gives off the light glow of candles further down.

Journeying down, a sprawling hideout of the Vallotis reveals to the group - a large army packed into the tight alcoves of the old cellar. Most of these Vallotis members are new and Leoven doesn't recognise many of them, roughed up and in basic gear. Occasionally, there are some very old members that Leoven does recognise. Old banners - tattered and torn - hang from the stone, and people begin to whisper about Leoven and Sofia's presence.

Sofia leads the group to a room deep in the cellar used as the Vallotis Hideout's war room. Inside, Leoven sees Stratigos Lycas again for the first time in two years, though he is different than she remembers and clearly has not been getting enough sleep. Here, he is acting leader of the Vallotis - but not yet made Polemarch in respect of the late Polemarch Aspida. Joining him at the table are Lokhagos Thokear and Lokhagos Khorled: Captains from the pre-war Vallotis. The room is decorated with better Vallotis banners and has a large round table at the centre with maps of Dexicos and the wider Heliotym area.

A new Vallotis recruit named Agellos leads everyone to a room for the night except for Leoven, who stays to talk to Lycas. They hug, having both thought the other was dead. Lycas explains how he heard about the events at the Palace in Artemis Cove and then goes on to detail how many Vallotis once exiled have made their way into the ranks again over the last few months, meaning the Vallotis force is now at its strongest since the end of the civil war. Agellos is one of the brand new recruits - and, after a successful Insight check, seems to remind Lycas of someone he doesn't want to bring up in conversation (possible a dead child). Upon further questioning by Leoven, Lycas discloses that he was the only original Stratigos from the original *Council of Stratigos* to survive the trails that took place after the Vallotis' surrender - claiming he was put in the wrong line. He believes that Apollo wanted him to live and continue the Vallotis despite its disbanding in order to defeat the Faen's new weapon.

Leoven reveals that the weapon is her brother, Soúro Marathas, and Lycas uses this information to explain how he thinks Leoven is the one destined to stop the Faen thanks to a prophecy Apollo gifted him at night:

#### Lycas' Prophecy

> *Army of the Light who has run,*
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> *Fighting in the city of the Sun,*
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> *Alongside a fallen Golden Warrior,*
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> *Against a foe, Blood no purer.*
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It is Lycas' belief that the golden warrior must be Leoven, and that she should take the remaining members of her company into the city when the Vallotis lead an attack against the Faen. He then describes how the prophecy restored his faith in the Vallotis. If Matilone knows about the prophecy, then the villainising and targeting of Leoven makes sense — especially as Matilone is a very powerful seer. He also assumes that she knows he wishes to weaponize the city against her. All in all, he believes something must be done before the new moon.

Leoven attempts to divert his attentions to Quintus, labelling him as a bigger threat to the continent than the Faen. Lycas says he can spare a few men to investigate, but is unwilling to move any more away from the war preparations.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that Agellos has a soulmate dove pendant.

> **Adrasteia** ***[about Soúro, to Leoven]***: "If he's lived a life as devoted to the Faen as you have to the Vallotis, then that is what you're going up against."
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