“That is a lot to process...” Talpharos agreed. “Could you tell me more? Both about the powers of my bloodline, and about the tasks that will be asked of me? I'd like to know what I am getting into...” He wasn't sure how the whole 'become a hero' thing was going to work, but it did not seem any worse than his current life...
"I will answer what I can." She nods. "The powers you will develop will vary. As the divine blood in you mixes with your own personality, your powers will emerge, generally after accomplishing a great feat, making you closer to a god than a man. From my understanding, you will be able to control this process somewhat when it happens, guiding the changes until the powers that awaken are to your taste." She sighs. "As for the tasks, I won't lie. Aphrodite seeks to spread love through the world, and as such your tasks will likely involve that. But there will be danger, I'm sure - no labor asked of a demigod is ever safe. When you are ready, our temple oracle can give you your first."
“I see... well, spreading love is far from the worst thing that can be requested of me...” Talpharos noted as he went over all that he had just learned. “Well, let us go meet the oracle so that I can learn my first task. No point just standing around worrying about it. The sooner I learn what is being asked of me the sooner I can start preparing for it.” He decided.
"A good attitude." Aphara nods, and leads Talpharos deeper into the temple complex. They arrive in a room so thick with incense smoke that Talpharos' head begins to spin, the walls decorated in all manner of colorful mosaics and tapestries. "Pythia - It's time. What is the lady's command?" Aphara asks, looking up at a woman attended to by two priestesses. "As you wish. Godspawn, let us learn what you must do..." She stokes the incense flames, sending more smoke into the air, which makes Talpharos even more unsteady as he breathes it in. Suddenly, the art on the walls begins to move. The images begin to take the shape of a great hunt, where many try and fail to kill a great beast. "In the land of Calydon, a beast rages through the land, killing man and animal alike - a great boar, a monster of fire and lightning and tusks sharp as razors." The oracle speaks in a trance like state, her body swaying softly as she talks. "Oenus, king of Calydon, has assembled the greatest heroes of Greece to hunt the creature - but many have perished in the attempt." The smoke begins to take shape, light from the ceiling refracting from mirrors and giving the image color, revealing a beautiful woman holding a bow. "Artemis, goddess of the hunt, has sent her greatest champion - the huntress Atalanta - to bring an end to the beast." The smoke reshapes again, this time into a different woman, still beautiful, and still wielding a bow. "Atalanta..." The oracle continues, "is a huntress beyond any on this Earth. Breast fed by Artemis herself as a child, her strength and senses are honed to near perfection. It is fated that she will kill the boar. But the men of Greece are proud, and among the heroes of the hunt are some who will not take kindly to being outshone by a woman. Atalanta will fight well, but overwhelmed, she will be murdered by jealous heroes." The cloud dissipates. "Aphrodite would see this gruesome fate undone, and such a beauty not sent to Hades." The oracle continues. "Travel to Calydon, save Atlanta from those who would slay her, and your first labor will be complete." Spoiler: Awareness Roll D100: 84 Looking at the Oracle's face, even through the smoke, Talpharos gets the sense that he's not being told everything.
Talpharos looked at the oracle through the smoke. “Is that really all? I just have to save her from those who would murder her? Is there nothing more you can tell me, be it about the beast, about Atalanta, or about the other hunters?” He inquired as he watched the oracle carefully. He had the feeling he was not being told everything, and that made him feel uneasy.
"Is that all, he says... Were the deadly beast and some of Greece's deadliest warriors not enough for you?" The voice from before giggles in Talpharos' mind. "Ahem..." The oracle sighs. "Atalanta, along with most of the servants of Artemis, has been forced to swear a vow of chastity. Lady Aphrodite wishes you to convince her to forsake this foolish pledge and accept the pleasures that Aphrodite has lovingly gifted to humanity." The woman states elegantly. "I want you to seduce her and fuck the shit out of her until she's addicted to cock. Maybe when Artemis sees her top servant begging for more, she'll stop being so damn prudish and finally find out what the fuss is about." The voice adds, less elegantly. "Oh shit, gotta go. Good luck, son!" As abruptly as she arrived, the voice goes silent in the demigod's mind. "You are fortunate in that of your foes, none has been blessed by any gods. There are many supernatural figures attending the hunt, but none of them will attempt to harm Atalanta." The oracle continues, unaware of the intrusion. "The main murderers of Atalanta will be the sons of Thestius - competent warriors, but not supernatural. Meleager, son of the king hosting the hunt, is also one to watch - he will fall in love with her and come to her aid. This gives you an ally in your task of keeping Atalanta alive, of course, but makes your other task potentially more difficult."
Callirhoe by bare instinct steped out of the lion paws and then run fast around the beast the get on her back and strike snake of it tail with stab of her spear.
Cleon continues enjoying the body of Amunet, enjoying the warmth of her mouth, it's tightness, before finally finishing, his seed flooding the woman's throat and mouth. Satisfied he got up and stretched. "Do continue." He said to the slaves as he started putting on his clothes. "Do a good job, and we might have some fun later..." He paused. "I trust you will know when to stop." He chuckled as he left the room, making his way back to his own room.
Talpharos tried to ignore the voice in his head and focus on what the oracle was saying. “I see... This is going to be quite the challenge...” he commented thoughtfully. “Is there anything more I need to know?” I doubt Artemis will be amused to see her top servant get fucked, be it by me or someone else. I'd guess she's more likely to put an arrow in my cock than to suddenly get interested in sex... on the other hand this is a chance to meet her... though I am not sure what I could hope for if I do. In any case I will need to be very careful, or else I will have an angry goddess plus a bunch of angry virgin huntresses on my ass... not to mention all the other people I will likely piss off. His thoughts then moved on to the voice he had been hearing. She called me 'son', so I guess that is Aphrodite? Having her watch my progress will be... interesting...
Spoiler: Mount Roll D100: 77 Callirhoe feels the muscles in her legs working as she leaps into the air, landing on the rough back of the monstrous creature, grabbing one of its ram horns in a hand to steady herself as it struggles and moves. The snake head looms behind her, hissing loudly. Spoiler: Combat Roll D100: D100: 62+20 (Spear Combat)+10 (Mounted)=92 D100: 74 Stabbing Damage: 18 Snake HP: 50-18= 32 Her skills make using her spear one handed less of an issue, so the thief faces few issues thrusting her weapon forward, the leaf shaped tip breaking through reptilian scales to pierce the monster's skin. The chimera's body begins shaking harder, in an attempt to throw her off, as the snake head snaps forward towards her.
"Yes, master." They grin, as they turn to their mistress. Clothed once more, the prince finds the redheaded peasant still bound in place above his bed.
Spoiler: Charm Roll D100: 22+10 "We shall provide you with ration, a map of the path to Calydon, and an invitation to the hunt. There is nothing else that can help you." The oracle answers. "Your fate is now in your own hands - will you answer your mother's call?
“I shall.” Talpharos nodded in confirmation. He had his doubts and was not entirely sure about the whole thing, but he was a hunter and so the chance to participate in this hunt appealed to him. He would worry about Aphrodite's task once he was there. “I will head to Calydon as soon as I am able – no reason to delay.”
The oracle bows her head, seeming slightly exhausted, and the head priestess returns, holding a bag out towards him. "Here. Calydon is a fair distance away - west, in Aetolia. Taking ship would be faster than going overland - but there are pirates, I'm informed." She warns.
“Thank you.” Talpharos nodded to the head priestess and took the bag. “There are dangers traveling on land as well. I will first check out the ships headed that way, since that is the faster option, then I will decide which path I will take.” He replied and took a quick peek at the contents of the bag.
Looking in the bag, he sees everything Aphara promised - food, a map showing in detail the path from Athens to Calydon in Western Greece, and a small medallion engraved with the image of a boar.
“Thank you again, Aphara.” Talpharos smiled at the busty priestess. “I believe that is all, unless I am overlooking something. I will leave you all to your duties and go check out the ships currently available.” Unless stopped he would leave the temple and head to the docks.
"Maybe some other time. Think I'd be that easy?" She gave a smile, somewhat rigidly trying to tease him a bit. Still, even so, her mind was still preoccupied with too much to really respond well to it.
Callirhoe used her spear to cut off head of the sneak, protecting her back with her shield, holding one arm of hte massive horns and wondering what her companions are going to do. Maybe they are going to let her do all work by herself?
Aphara leans in close, the smell of her perfume rising up to his nostrils, and he feels her lips on his for just a moment. She pulls back, smiling. "Good luck, son of Aphrodite. I hope we meet again." From her demeanor, it seems like that's more or less a pretty normal way of bidding farewell here, and not an overt show of affection. Talpharos has a long hike ahead of him, marching along the long, thin causeway that connects Athens to its port at Piraeus through the great walls of Athens. Finally, he arrives, seeing a mass of ships along the harbor, with a huge, diverse crowd walking and doing business along the docks. Asking around the waterfront, he finds three ships headed to Calydon, or at least close by. There are: Spoiler: Athenian Warship A great trireme on official state business. The grizzled captain says that he's headed to a city near Calydon, and would be willing to drop Talpharos off nearby - the drawback being that he'd have to help row, and in the case of a fight with one of Athens' enemies, join the fray. Spoiler: Trade Ship Captained by a strange, dusky skinned foreigner, this ship carries spices from the Eastern lands to Greek ports. The captain says she'll allow Talpharos aboard and give him passage to Calydon. In exchange, he'll help unload the ship at their destination, and accompany the captain as she sells her goods, to make sure nothing shady happens. Spoiler: Longship Crewed by a strange group of fair skinned, red headed barbarians, Talpharos has trouble understanding what exactly this strange ship's purpose is, but the mention of Calydon is responded to with nods and inviting gestures. The old man Talpharos assumes to be the captain has to fetch his daughter, whose Greek is still pretty patchy, to translate, and it seems like the barbaroi will let him aboard for free.
