The Damascus Spears

Following big IRL events we have plenty of episodes recorded and nearly ready to post as time allows. With episode 39 and the first part of the prison break infiltration being broken audio, I combined a recap along with episode 40 to get us on track again.

The prison break to release then kill Zenchin, the most powerful criminal in the Greek world, has gone underway with the big moment ready to release him from his icy cage.

Leaving Thebes, the party heads on their way to Delphi. The only obstacle in their path being the Sons of Atlas' activities mining Mt. Parnassus with the Athenian Prisoners of war they have. The hidden door to the Underworld that Orpheus created is said to be somewhere inside, but hasn't been unlocked just yet. One thing to be understood about D&D: never underestimate the ingenuity of players.

Preparation begins as the party plots to kill Zenchin, however a deal Petra made with the Sons of Atlas has thrown a wrench into the machine.
Party tensions rise when Feya must choose between family and friends, a choice with deadly consequences.

A second chance is given to Dorea and her family, while the party plots their next move. The city of Thebes is given respite from the Sons of Atlas - their influence reduced. Now only the Spartan Regime under command of the heavily preoccupied Aeneas remain. The King of Thebes remains in hiding, but other problems must take the Damascus Spears' attention.

Finly's past comes up with getting to know an old friend sparing room in their home for the party. Galatea seems quite taken with Scion and his progress. Petra gets scolded by her great^4th Aunt for the people she hangs out with. The guards continue their search for the lost fugitive - Sidri currently residing with the party.

The Sons of Atlas versus the Damascus Spears in this Gangs of New York style clash in the city of Thebes. Barbara claimed violence, and that is what they got.

Stumbling into the Thieves guild den where Petra had been hiding out has been an awkward, yet opportune, turn of events for the party. She makes a break for it but few are prepared to outrun a hasted monk with a passion for tackle hugging their family.

Stage fright can definitely scare away most people, especially when their eyes watch waiting to strike. On another note, Barbara insults someone's mama, while Annikke sees what became of an old "friend".

Thrust into the fray and chaos, the group maneuvers through the big city of Athens. Their runaway friend proving to be a considerable ally in the hunt for Petra.

Despite the ongoing pressures mounted by the Sons of Atlas influence in Thebes, the party prepares to drop the hottest diss track in the Aegean. Surely nothing would go wrong.

The party sets course and travels to Athens, the spire of democracy to prevent Feya's Niece, Petra, from releasing the most powerful criminal the Greek World has ever known.

An assassination attempt, an oracular vision, and some real bad vibes brand the party's entrance into Thebes. Alone in a city without much support, they play the cards they have and grab a closer look.

A fair reminder that the Peloponnesian war still rages finds its way to the Damascus Spears of Group 2. What is a friendly Spartan Military encampment reveals to be an unwelcome surprise in their Journey to Thebes.

The next steps are plotted and a a stop is made inside a Volcano. The broken dragon, Talos II lies at the bottom of this forge on Eritrea.

Training with Chiron, the centaur and legendary teacher to the world's greatest heroes, commences with the Damascus Spears working together. Old promises and new debts have come to term as the Grove's revival and protection come forth.

In the aftermath of the Siege of Fort Dystos, the Damascus Spears spend a month training to further their powers with the legendary mentor Chiron. Afterwards, they set off on their next adventures.

The Final assault of Phase 2 is underway as Group 2 has to tackle being under heavy fire from two ballista fronts with two separate bridges. The core of their forces rely on the success of this group as they run in. The Sons of Atlas prepare a counterstrike with their strongest kill team enroute to intercept.

In the command center of Fort Dystos, the Damascus Spears of Group 1 fight tooth and nail against the Sons of Atlas commanders as they dance with their own deaths. The tensions are high.

Phase 2 of the Assault begins with Group 1 following the plans they've made. They rely on coordination and trust in their allies to get their jobs done and help take the fort atop a sprawling mountain.

Phase 1 of Group 2's assault begins. While those from the Agripas strike the forces of Dirfi, the crew of the siderokos supported by maneuvering Shields of Laconia troops work to take out the military checkpoint before word gets out. If a single sending spell is cast, everything they worked towards can crumble in an hour. There isn't room for mistakes in this episode.

Phase 1 of the Assault on Fort Dystos has begun! The Damascus Spears from aboard the Agripas mount their attack on the harbor of Dirfi - the destroyed fishing village of which refugees escaped from Cyclops and Heads of Hydra attacks. Pirates populate a makeshift dock bringing slaves and materials used to fortify the camp at the top of the mountain under control of the Sons of Atlas.

A long awaited encounter between Barbara and Aeneas, her brutal mentor from Sparta and only parental figure, unfolds in twists of steadfast loyalty and bitter consequences while they try to address Thebes' looming issues before their assault on Eritrea.

Those not going to Delphi go off on an expedition to scout the territory the Sons of Atlas possess. They charter a small boat and work their way to the island of Eritrea where they find a much more fortified island under construction. Time is of the essence now.

With the groups split Barbara takes off in the middle of the night to find wisdom with the Oracle of Delphi. Leda gathers a group to follow suite and all have their fortunes foretold.

Warning, watch AFTER Group 1 Episode 27 for continuity (this episode takes place after it).

The groups continue to enjoy each other's company and come up with new ways to grow as an organization. Critical choices on the Performer's part set into place events that will change the world of Greece in the undetermined future. In the Big Olive - Scion and Barbara put on a duel with the help of the others to spread notoriety and fame amongst the Damascus Spears as heroes and put the discussion of whom the mightiest Spear might be to rest until a later date.

Warning, listen to this episode BEFORE listening to Group 2 Episode 25!

Both ships of the Damascus Spears convene in Thebes to celebrate a historical holiday of Annikke and her family. They come together and decompress from their missions, share food and drink, merge their prophetic messages and cult conspiracy boards, then come together to plan for their next moves. The first time in the entire campaign where characters from both groups get to interact and play in the same session (naturally creating a longer episode). Group dynamics shatter and coalesce with new norms and a refresh for characters like Feya and Kal tackling the emotional turmoil they have faced.

The travel from Eritrea to Thebes is not a happy one, but this party, on the fringe of having broken bonds, continues towards a reset with their fellow spears of the Siderokos. The journey however is not without a pull for the party to work together in solving other people's problems along the way.

The voyage to Thebes continues with another stop along the way in the city of Olympia, home of the Olympic games and a nearly brain-fried inventor. Their stops however alludes to a deeper reveal and insight into the goals of the cults and their influence in the world, something some of the gods have begun to notice.

An episode recap and the following one packed together as the Sons of Atlas in Fort Dystos are set in the sights of the party. The Oracle from Chalkis, Selene, and an understaffed fort start looking like easy pickings for a raid.

The trip to Sparta is a surprising one at the least. The King left to rule over the land back home is nothing like the stories or representations. A closer look behind the curtain reveals something more than just a quick stop on the road that the party gets involved with.

Giving a Horse hands was probably not the solution to bringing one up a mountain.... Nonetheless, a slight is mended and a bond is formed. A daring rescue and growth occurs with those away from the party while an opportunity arises for an infiltration. The Sons of Atlas second in command, Selene, has some determined demigods coming after her.

Hands are far more useful than hooves when it comes to climbing a mountain. Unfortunately, neither are of use to Finly as he encounters the alleged Pirate King Dorsalis the Grimshark, the leading force of the Heads of Hydra and an old "friend" of Finly's.

Fresh out of the Labyrinth and back into the arid desert formations of Crete, the Damascus Spears chart their next course and get a bigger picture of what has begun to happen in the world. Far away a wild card and shrouded figure reconnects to an old "friend" of theirs within the party.

Down to the last few bits of audio that didn't record correctly, this unfortunately was another really sucky one. The party moves throughout and survives a great many dangers of the Labyrinth. They navigate complex sequence puzzles, platform and prepare before fighting the Nyxweave Minotaur guarding the Door of Death in Crete under the original city of Knossos.

Due to having a split party, I decided to combine the recordings of these two sessions. One done with Finly and Haktos and their time helping a peaceful transition for Delaton and the people of Chalkis, while attending to some of the aftermath of Myron's death at the hands of an Elite Son of Atlas. Following some divine warnings about the results of Scion, Feya, and Kal's failed defense of the grove, they put together a rescue mission. Meanwhile, those captured but not killed awake in another sinister enemy's grasp.

The journey below begins, their descent a quest for the lost Labyrinth of the Minotaur. Traps and puzzles await them as they press on where many have failed or perished. A living and shifting creation designed to kill and confuse all who enter. A living prison patrolled by the Minotaur which houses a Door of Death.

After 2 months of heavy editing and attempting to recover or provide context to lost audio, I am happy to present the salvaged session of what became a critical key point of the campaign so far. Something the party had yet to encounter: a crushing defeat at a battle they couldn't afford to lose. The audio in this episode was void of any of my (The DM's) voice due to errors with OBS. However, there were enough items that, with voice over context, I believe it to be worth listening too. I hope you all feel the same!

The Mother Tree has been felled and Haktos and Scion watch the consequences unfold. They race back to Chalkis while Feya, Finly, and Kal hatch a plan to assassinate Gourmand, the Tyrant ruling over it. Consequences are harsh and the world gets a little bit darker for the Damascus Spears and their quest.

Their journey to find the Labyrinth continues as Group 2 finds their way deep into Minotaur tribal lands. There a proud and noble Chieftain, Palsimos, guides his people and follow the path of the Minotaur. The party navigates their way towards peace and joins in on some of the cultural practices before undertaking their own trials. The stakes rise with inner truths and ideas challenged.

Part of the few episodes that became corrupted or failed to properly record, DM Noah recaps from memory and notes about the challenges the Damascus Spears in Knossos faced and pairs the gap going into the next episode. For reference, June 6th, 2021 was the date of recording of the episode and a great many more have already been recorded but just need time for general editing and upload. The recap roadblocks are currently all that stands in the way of getting them posted, but rest assured, they are being worked on!

After escaping the eyes of the law, the Damascus Spears are thrust into a race against time to explore what lies in the underground passages, what secrets the masked spy holds, and how to save Gylea and fulfill the promise the Performer has made to her.

The town of Chalkis is a difficult problem to solve. From a Tyrannical leader with a choke hold over the people's resources, pressure from Demeter threatening to wipe the town off the map, and with the moral dilemma regarding Ares' commands and forsaking the party. Strap in for choices that shift the tone of Group 1's journey!

Unfortunately, a handful of episodes became corrupted or failed to record (Of the entire series so far of 62+ episodes recorded [at time of this upload], about 7 of them did not record correctly). Some awesome moments have unfortunately been lost forever, however, I will use these moments to give brief recaps and an outlook into my DM notes regarding the session or how the story progresses. Covid and holidays have delayed the times I would upload these recordings, but I am actively getting back on track to release several regularly once more. The recording problem has already been addressed and recent episodes are clean and good to go once I catch up on the backlog.
Thanks for sticking with this 5e podcast, until next time!

With some elite bard skills, the party works to evade involvement in the disappearance of Gylea and kidnapping of Paris. Moving forward, the party plays a dangerous game of Spy vs Spy as very sinister force works its grasp around the city of Knossos.

The island of Andros has been aided, but the plan forward requires some thought and preparation. Not wanting to be identified by the Heads of Hydra pirates, they aim to disguise the Agripas and head to the island of Eritrea where a man named Gourmanduopolis rules, and the scores of refugees flee from.

The party is on the verge of an abrupt and dangerous end as an assassin is on the loose. Our unarmored party members find themselves both as investigators and suspects while large personalities and politics come into play at the Symposium of Knossos.

As the party processes the evening before, more is realized about Andros island's situation in relation to the war. Controlled by Athenian Bureaucrats, the town struggles to accept a batch of nearby refugees from a recent unnatural disaster. Join our party as they weigh the options of grey and darker grey decisions while attempting to do right by innocent people.

Eyes and Ears are always present in Knossos. In the wake of the tournament, a large conspiracy begins to unravel itself. No where is safe from the Order of the Sickle as the party manages an assassin attempting to tie up loose ends and a symposium among high society.

Up north, a place once a home, you'll find a truth, amongst your bones. To war or redemption your path will lead, a victor's mercy, old foes shall heed. Not all secrets are safe in their graves, but in their deepest revelation, the path forward can come alight.

The pinnacle of the tournaments come to a bloody end against the poor prisoner; a minotaur taken from his home and scared into the most violent of pursuits for its survival. The party is forced into a situation where they fight against a magical labyrinth created by the organizers in a mad sprint to gain first blood.

Before you lies the beginning of a breaking point, a miracle to the masses, and an uncovering branching to forces so deep they shape the very world around it. The party has one the battle, but are certainly becoming more aware of the challenges outside the walls of civilization.

The ambush on the Lion of Naxos' ship is at hand! While half of their forces move inland to go for the Hydra lair the Agripas rams head on with a boat load of Mercenaries out for blood and ready to board. 

Breaking off from the group competitions, we see the individual games our party takes part in while one sees the corruption and a conspiracy transpire behind the scenes. An obstacle filled Archery course, a Haiku battle, and a Trial of Pain and Endurance await our party.

Fresh after encountering Demeter at the lair of the Hydra, the party comes to term with their chaotic disorganization when put under pressure. Thaumaturgy + Stealth don't mix well most the time, and neither does our duel wielding barbarian when they can't reach their target. The developments from here give us the perfect look at who our party members are and how they try to form a better battle plan for their next adventure.

The Second round of the tournament is at hand with the party going in with a few heads up gained from their friends betting on their capabilities. A race to kill the mobs without falling off a crumbling set of platforms into a lake of lava. They go in knowing that this game is the first lethal one that poses a threat to them. The bonds of the party are thrown back into the arena as they rapidly learn to work with each other after nearly tearing one another apart in the previous game.

The Nyxweave Hydra has returned to its lair and is on the prowl for thieving prey. The Damascus Spears must find an escape entrance out and away from this very powerful creature or risk the lives of their company. Unfortunately, they are far from the most coordinated when things go awry.
Thank you for joining us on these next episodes of The Damascus Spears.

The start of the tournament is at hand and apparent with the choices of champions that win these events. Split against one another and joined by a curiously problematic team member, they take on what Knossos has in store.

At the doors of the Hydra's Lair the Damascus Spears enact a plan to find the artifacts while the Hydra is away. Sound and Time run against them as they race to retrieve the artifacts.

Testing the fates is an odd gamble. You either appear where you need to be, or you feel the consequences in motion that you had the power to affect. New blood and old flames join the crew, and the Aegean teases its control over the seafaring adventurers. An island of Doom, an Island of Dreams, and a simple quest that is not what it seems.

Finding themselves in a new opportunity, the party follows a secret taken to the grave. Bent on uncovering the riddled cypher, they sail to an island hidden away from mortal eyes. Danger is around every bend, but together, they can unify and repel all. Preceding their adventure, they are forced to hold faith in pirates to keep their word.

Moments after returning to the Siderokos, the Damascus Spears try to take advantage of the opportunity they have created. Despite their best efforts, The Performer is left wounded and with the knowledge that it's possible he knows more aboard the oncoming ship. The fastest ship in the Aegean approaches unaware that some of their crewmates were just killed on a seemingly featureless island.

Their trenches are set, the trap is laid, yet doubt and uncoordinated strategy surfaces at the edges of their opportunity to take on these pirates.
Watch as the scales of fate tip and a new path emerges. Eris the goddess of Strife and Discord watches with increasing interest, although unbeknownst to them, her desires met with these champions.

After leaving Argos upon dropping off Apenlo and having a night of team bonding, the party returns to Melos to plot their next adventure. Aboard the Siderokos they move to investigate the so called bandits terrorizing the outlying Obsidian Islands. Their plan goes awry as the face of the Performer is readily recognized by an old crew mate.

Fate is a fickle thing, always seeming to bring heroes exactly where they need to be to face challenges the gods cannot solve themselves. The small island they landed on to simply resupply has turned out to be plagued by an increasingly dire situation. The battered and intimidated people left on this island need heroes, but are the Damascus Spears ready to take on a dilemma bigger than themselves?

After collecting their thoughts regarding an encounter with Eris, the goddess of discord, our party sets sail on an adventure. On their first trip however, the tides of Poseidon draw them near a deadly scourge. Watch as a they put their lives on the line for the symbols they hold dear to them.

Our party of adventurers discover what went on in the troubled mines of Melos. With a new direction following a dire prophecy, our party comes to terms with their destined quests. What part will they play in this history?

Music: "The Story" by Alexander Nakarada

After the battle of Melos on the following day, our party deals with the aftermath before moving on towards another contract. However, they stumble across a bigger scheme when looking for answers at the temple. A crowd has gathered and a murder has happened.. but why are the only bodies those of the clergymen? 

After a successful stealth insertion and capture of the Polemarch and a high ranking captain, our party finds themselves in a struggle to glean secrets out of the silver-tongued governor of Melos. Navigating a battle of words, mind games, and a touching revelation, we jump into the aftermath of the battle of the Obsidian Islands where the ethics of mercenaries are called into question.

Music:
Kevin Macleod: "Evening Fall (Harp)"
Alexander Nakarada: "The Story"

Picking up immediately after they storm the small harbor on the island of Melos, this vanguard group of mercenaries push forward to storm and secure the fort. However, a few things seem off as one of the escaping Athenians head towards something at the temple instead of regrouping at Fort Trypiti. A daring assault, creative maneuvers, and a perilous duel await you on this episode of The Damascus Spears.

On the night of the Spartan invasion of the Island of Melos, our members of the Damascus Spears aboard the Agripas, await the beacon lit by their mercenary counterparts. An action packed episode as our party rushes towards the harbor and clears the way for landing forces, but in doing so, catch wind of something larger happening on the scene.

After successfully deceiving their way to the command ship of the polemarch and the other half of the party stealthily infiltrating his villa, our party finds themselves caught in a moment of urgency. The guards that our deception team accidentally sent are now asking for the polemarch. Unfortunately, our stealthy rogue and druid are caught in a difficult place right as they are to enter polemarch Apenlo's chambers. Join us for the following wild ride!

In the world of ancient Greece a heroic mercenary guild adventures near the end of an adapted version of the Peloponnesian war. The legends and heroes are all true and had their part in history. Here, Legends and Myths are as much apart as history as your daily life. Our party of adventurers are newly awakened Demigods embarking on their new odyssey. They find themselves hired at the precipice of a great battle in the Spartan's island hopping theater of war. Their fleet can't take the threat head on and their intelligence has proven wrong, this party is sent to find a new way to allow for a beach landing invasion.

Welcome to the Damascus Spears Podcast. This is a live recorded DnD 5e session with minor editing.
We use a modified version of the Mythic Odysseys of Theros ruleset adapted to the Greek Pantheon in hopes of exploring all that this setting has to show.