The Delesian Incident III: Strength in Numbers

The tragoi fought Keira, Krastor, Ketero, and Iason with ferocity while Simaratos strummed at his lyre and sang a song that Iason immediately recognized as laced with magic. As the music built and the fighters fought their thoughts were tickled by thoughts of animals escaping their pens, rivers overflowing their banks and madmen leaving the city to wander in the wilderness. They pressed their way relentlessly into the naos of the temple, and were joined mid-battle by a man who strode through the forest of Palesia alone clad only in olive oil and hair. Milon of Deles had returned from the games, again crowned victor and had heard of the righteous plea of Keira and had caught up with them to aid their quest. With his added strength their push into the temple became inevitable.

Once in the room they saw better the nine women with wild hair, dirty faces, and torn clothes. They chanted and drowned themselves in wine from amphorae lifted one-handed to their lips with supernatural strength. Between pulls of wine they chanted "Ya! Ya! Reshpu adonnu! Ayyalu khashku! Nutannu maratzu qudoshu! Nekra malkatu matu!"

The party pushed into the room as Simaratos' song reached its climax filling their thoughts of illicit lovers meeting in the dark, a change came over six of the nine women and they saw their dirty hands and tasted their lips cracked and covered with stale wine and became confused and their chanting ceased. The three who remained enthralled were enraged by the change that had come over their sisters and moved to attack them as they stood confused and defenseless.

As the party moved to put down the attacking women Keira wailed "no, aunts and mothers" and instead the party sought to subdue the three mad women and protect the liberated ones. Beyond the women were two more tragoi guards who had watched while the party had entered but now acted to protect the mad women. Keira and Simaratos began to shepherd the confused women away from those still enthralled.

Ketaros used his sling, but missed and was grazed by a javelin for his troubles. Milon grappled one tragoi guard while Krastor knocked the other to the ground. One of the enthralled lunged at a liberated priestess but missed her, as did the one that chased after Iason. Ketero and Iason both missed with their respective attacks, but Krastor did disarm his prone opponent. Milo continued to press his guard's face into the floor as he squeezed tight and crushed his windpipe. One of the enthralled grabbed Keira and sought to subdue her, but Simaratos did cold-cock her and freed the priestess of Bira. Keira's shoulder was wrenched as she was freed. Krastor killed the guard he was fighting and sought his next enemy. Simaratos grabbed the enthralled one and began to wrestle her to the floor with Keira and eventually also Iason ganging up upon her. Ketero grabbed an enthralled woman and also began to take her down. Krastor attempted to finish the guard held by Milon, but there was no need as he broke the goat's neck. Ketero knocked out the enthralled one he had as Milo tackled the last enthralled one and subdued her too.

Their wits regained the priestesses mentioned that they did not recognize Keira though she comported herself as one of their own. She told them the story of the dreams she had had of a lost temple and that they had been in isolation for some 30 years.

Ketero moved to the door to the south of the temple hall and attempted to open it but it was locked, and he failed to pick the lock. Keira implored Bira to grant Milon a boon and his injuries were healed.

They decided to enter the storage room to the south before moving into the room to the east where they heard yet more abythian chanting.