Rise of the Tyrants – Session Three

[This session write-up was done by Tony M from Thanos's perspective]

We returned to Gela not as all conquering heros, but intact after surviving yet another ambush. Cyrus and Rhad took it upon themselves to sell the ships mast we had been hauling and split the money with the carter Avel. I did struggle with the concept of selling the mast for a while as it didn’t really belong to us. Rhad soon set me straight; the mast belonged to the people who had tried to kill us, so we wouldn’t be able to return it. My conscience clear we could accept the mast as a blood payment even though as a slave I was not to receive any of the money.

During the return trip I had spoken openly with Avel about my desire to be released from slavery and buy my freedom. He suggested making use of the carter’s guild library, and researching Gelan law, specifically the sections around the slave trade.

So it was that I left the Captain Rest after breakfast and made my way across town to meet Avel. Having been introduced to the librarian Elissa (Rachel Weiss) I settled down to the task at hand. I have to say study does not come naturally to me and it was a welcome break when Avel returned and suggested taking lunch on the terrace. Not only did he insist on paying for the food but he gave me a share of the coin from the sale of the mast, in return for saving his life. Thus it was that with thirty three silver pennies in my pocket I returned to my studies.

On my way back home I stopped in at the arena to see if I could make use of the training facilities, but it seems I would need to join the guild first.

I spent another two days in the library with only Elissa and the books for company. For a librarian she seems very scatty and flits from one task to another, never really finishing anything. More than once I did wish that she wasn’t quite so attractive, she is after all a constant distraction from the dusty tomes which I needed to study. Then towards the evening of the third day I found something quite outstanding – the cult of Asclepia had forced through a law rendering illegal certain forms of slavery. I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading, but if I had the right of it I was technically a free man. A jumbled torrent of emotions welled up within me; elated that I was a free man, nervous in case it was snatched away from me, and worried about what trouble it would cause for Cyrus.

I needed an impartial opinion and someone to confirm my standing; heading directly to the temple of Agonius, I paused briefly to kiss a rather stunned Elissa as I left the library.

I had heard that the rune lord Stavarkhos was a fan of the arena, maybe he would give me the help I needed. Arriving at the temple I made it known that I had recently arrived in Gela, and wished to speak with the rune lord if he was available. As luck would have it I was granted an audience within the hour, and was soon explaining my situation to Stavarkhos. Unsurprisingly he was well aware of the law and confirmed my findings. As a freeman I would be able to offer my life to Agonius and rise above the lay membership that I currently held. In return for my dedication Stavarkhos offered a solution; stay in the temple and conduct my annual service for the week. This would give me time to study the lore of Agonius and be presented as an Initiate candidate. During this time he would find a lawyer to hear my case a judge me to be a free man.

I accepted his offer and quickly drafted a letter to Cyrus to inform him that I would be staying in the temple for one week to conduct my annual service to the cult.