This shrine sits at the end of a quiet street that runs into the wall of the gorge. It’s a large stone building with a copper dome. The pediment above the door bears a marble engraving of the legendary dragon, Balmytria. Inside the building, there is a strong smell of incense. You can hear the muttering of prayers, as the priests of the shrine carry out their daily rituals.

The gygans were Sydon’s  favoured people, six-armed giants with a single eye. Once the greatest civilization in Thylea, the Gygan Empire fell during the First War. The ruins of this empire can be found on countless islands throughout the Cerulean Gulf. The few surviving gygans keep to themselves but take any opportunity for vengeance against the hated settler races. 

What began at first as furiously independent polis has now become a collection of closely knit city-states that have banded together to protect themselves from roaming bands of bandits and monsters.

The Heroes of Thylea have been given the location of The Ultros and Acastus's blessing to reclaim it from a group of bandits that have taken over the ancient ship, using it as a base of operations. This fits nicely with the heroes needs of securing a vessel capable of traversing the Forgotten Sea.

Bards who study the College of Epic Poetry are devoted to the creation of a singular masterpiece in the tradition of the epic poets. Selene is no different. She has learned to transcribe events faithfully, even in the chaos of battle. You must be able to see or hear the event happen.

• Comedy ------>  Someone rolls a natural 1 on an attack or saving throw.
• Hubris --------> Someone rolls a natural 20 on an attack or saving throw.
• Irony  --------->  Someone fails a saving throw after adding a Bardic Inspiration die.
• Tragedy------> Someone is reduced to zero hit points by an enemy.
• Epic  ---------->  Any exciting event that seems to warrant inclusion in your poem is eligible as long as the GM approves — but don’t push it. 

Each time you compose a new epic verse, you must declare that you are doing so. If the GM approves, then you may add 1 verse to your poem. Your poem increases in rank as the number of verses grows.

Examples: 

• https://inkspilledpapers.com/hellenistic-greek-art/
• https://hellenism.net/greece/ancient-greek-literature/greek-poetry/

Cosmo was the first-born son of Rizon. He succeeded Xander as the leader of the Dragonlords. 

Isadore was the granddaughter of Xander. She was the fourth leader of The Order of the Dragonlords. She was instrumental in establishing the The Great Games as the global event is today. Even in modern time, the winner of the Decathlon is awarded the Wreath Of Isadore.

Sydon and Lutheria, the Twin Titans, have corrupted the heart of an ancient boar and unleashed it in the verdant countryside east of the The City of Estoria. They hope to create fear in the people of Thylea so that the mortals will abandon their worship of The Five Gods. The Oath of Peace once protected the human settlers from the Titans, but now the magic of the oath is weakening. This is a small taste of the devastation to come.

Kyrah, Poet Laureate of Mytros has summoned the heroes to hunt the boar and put an end to the devastation that it is causing any way they can. If the beast has been slain, the carcass should be burned as a sacrifice to one of the gods or Titans. Great fame and riches are promised to those who make such offerings. 

The hunters took the party to where they had left rotting fruit as bait - it was there that the hunting party was split in two. In one the hunter Tarvos led Kyrah, Euryale, Tryntia and Selene to the west and Javon leading Praxos, Aella, Eurytus and Rekken to the north. The party to the north came across a ruined homestead and while attempting to rescue a trapped villager where ambushed by boars behaving quite intelligently. The battle was brutal with Eurytus the centaur being knocked out by a giant boar but the party was able to dispatch them. The rescued villager, a young woman called Efterpi was an apprentice cleric of Mytros so was able to heal the party somewhat. Putting the remains of her family to rest, the party continued deeper into the forest with confidence until they found The Boar's Cave.

Setting up a rope between two rocks Aella, The Whirlwind the Amazon shouted at the boar. With a great squeal, it emerged, the rope tangling around its legs. The fight was fierce with Javon, unfortunately, dying, gored by its massive tusks but the party was finally able to bring it down, with Praxos landing the final blow. Before it perished it said this to them:

“Know this, mortals. Your sins cannot be atoned. An ancient power sleeps in the heart of Thylea, and when it awakens, the age of Mytros will come to an end. Just as my broken body falls to ruin and decay, so too all mortal things will come to death and darkness. No prophecy will save you.”

The party decided to dedicate the boar to Thylea. 

All is still for a moment as the fires of the sacrifice begin to quickly burn out. A crackle from a burning branch gives way to a great song from the birds in the trees, previously absent due to the boar’s presence. Other woodland creatures curiously step out of their hiding places, and all seem to glance at you, knowingly, before retreating into the forest once more.

The party gains the love and respect of woodland animals and also a Charm of Vitality. They then headed back to the sour vintage where a huge celebration was occurring for them - seemingly as if they knew what happened before they had returned. 

The The Heroes of Thylea discovered that The Order of Sydon planned to sacrifice Minotaurs that they had bought in the slave trade as a way to ensure favour in the The Great Games. Instead of sleeping and preapring for the games the heroes spend a sleepless night and rescued them. Most of the party headed to the Temple of Sydon and using magic were able to inflitrate the temple, deceive the High priest of Sydon and secure the release of the temple slaves. At the same time Praxos snuck into the slave traders home and intimidated the man so much that he swore to release the slaves even though under the Oath of Peace no one could harm anyone in the city.

"In the western sky at dusk you can see the Spear of Sydon.  It reminds me of the tale of Galimus, a soldier who broke his oath to serve the King of Estoria.

Galimus was a lazy, brutish coward who preyed upon the weak.  Recognising thism his officers banished him from the army.  Bitter and resentful, Galimus prayed to Sydon.  If the Lord of Storms would transform him into the greatest warrior in Thylea, then he would kill the very king he had vowed to serve.

In answer to his prayer, Galimus was transformed into a powerful minotaur.  Reckless with power, he rampaged throughout the king's palace, trampling and killing all who crossed his path.  Eventually the king rallied his men against the monster.  They stabbed him a thousand times with their spears until he lay dead.

Because of Galimus, the people of Estoria and Mytros regard minotaurs as untrustworthy brutes, even to this day - but Galimus was a monster long before he became a minotaur."

After rescuing the Oracle, The Heroes of Thylea made way to The City of Estoria. But a few hours away however they all fell unconscious, visitided by a nightmare.

A woman's voice suddenly emanates from the darkness around you. “So... your great 'quest' begins. Off to become heroes, are you? Mortals are so very proud."A light shines in the dark, illuminating the sad and pathetic figure of an old man, who has been hogtied to a stake. “Look at this one. He’s falling to pieces: joints stiff, skin slack, teeth gone. The life is practically dripping out of him."Inky black shadows fall across the old man. He flinches and squirms, panicking as something draws closer—something that you cannot see.“Yes, his sad mortal life is leaking away. But I wonder what will happen to his soul?”The old man thrashes against his restraints, scream-ing into his gag as a butcher’s knife descends, and you awaken from the nightmare, bathed in sweat.

Everyone woke up and with the exception of Eurytus, whose superior willpower allowed him to retain his wits while everyone else was visited with a temporary madness. After this had passed, Kyrah, Poet Laureate of Mytros informed The Heroes of Thylea that this was an attack by Lutheria, Queen of Dreams.

Some hours later the party arrived at The City of Estoria. Using Praxos's military renown they were able to gain entrance to the city promptly. They then wandered the city for a while meeting notables such as

• Volkan The Blacksmith, a renowned blacksmith who claim's he is the god of forges himself, Volkan. He claimed knowledge of the mines found in the Mithral Mountains and swore to join The Heroes of Thylea if they succeeded in their quest to Light the Fires of the Mithral Forge.
• Aesop, the attendant and head priest of the Dragon Shrine who knew Tryntia. They explained that while the horn of Balmytria was located in the shrine it was recently stolen by Goatlings.

Realising that they could track the culprits using them magical wine stains as a guide the party quickly left The City of Estoria and headed to The Oldwoods to find the missing horn.