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The Hestian Chronicles

By Hestia Philomela chronicler of heroes to the gods

Scene 1 Act 1: In which old stars wane and new heroes emerge
The scene opens with our resident heroes Aeneus and his second Vestacles, along with the most distinguished chronicler Hestia Philomela, being liberated from their marooned incarceration on the planet Catalonia IV by the as yet unknown heroes of the bireme Hestor.

All that is left of the crew and passengers of the Spartan craft Artificer after its crash are the two afore mentioned heroes, myself, a hand full of Spartan warriors and their Helot servants. One servant, who will become known to us later, by the name of Tyandius, is a Helot of great courage and vigour, now bereft of a Spartan master.

The planet Catalonia IV, a once lush stage to a thriving civilisation, is now a barren waste land, the peoples advanced automatons, the terrible Machina, having overthrown and annihilated their human creators and masters long ago.

Our liberators comprise an unlikely group of heroes, the proud Spartan Draconius, the purveyor of scurrilous language Telemachus, the wise Diomedes, and Alexander the Seeker. At our initial meeting Draconius agrees to take the slave Tyandius into his fold thereby providing him with a master once more. Tyandius protests, now masterless he is a free man, however this does not sit well with the other Spartans and Tyandius concedes to accept Draconius’ protection.

Before we depart the god forsaken wasteland that is Catalonia IV we attract another travelling companion. Telemachus’ keen eye spies an exquisite creature lurking in the undergrowth a Nymphas no less, by the name of Amphithea. Reluctantly the Spartan’s agree to grant her passage off this desolate planet.

Scene 1 Act 2
Once on board The Hestor and underway it transpires that Aeneus has contracted some form of green fungal infection in a wound to his shoulder and falls into a delirious stupor. After much debate the only course of action seems to be amputation. The debate between Diomedes and Telemachus becomes heated with much brandishing of swords. Vestacles enter the fray and while the angry debate unfolds Amphithea deftly removed the arm. And so it comes to pass that the great star of Aeneus wanes, bereft of javelin arm and deep in his delirium.

Scene 1 Act 3
Sometime later after entering slip-space I join Telemachus on deck. I observe his keen eyes roving the skies, bow ready in hand, on the lookout for Harpies. Our meditation on the ether is rudely interrupted as the boarding sirens sound. All hatches seal to protect the vessel, unusually the main engine also stops and the ship starts to list, sinking slowly towards the depths of slip-space.

Telemachus springs into action, shedding his clothes ready for battle. The hatch is sealed and we appear to be stuck on deck with the ship sinking. A short time later Amphithea aids us in getting the hatch open and Telemachus sprints off, sweat glistening on his muscular form from the exertion of open the door.

When I finally catch up with Telemachus I find Draconius and Tyandius standing over the body of a fallen Spartan. Draconius has a small wound at his neck from which blood trickles. It transpires that Vestacles has activated the lockdown as he believes there are Atlantians in the engine room and that we are under attack.

Upon Diomedes arrival at the scene he informs us that he believes Vestacles to be in some hallucinatory state brought on by the fungi which has now made it into the air circulation system. Following a brief communicator exchange with Vestacles it is apparent to all that he is not in his right mind and appears to have succumbed to the effects of the fungi. Seeing as he will not be reasoned with a plan is hatched to retake the bridge.

In a moment of bravado Tyandius strikes a bargain with Draconius to be freed from slavery if he alone can take down the hero Vestacles single handedly. Not only this, he boasts he will do so with breath held so as not to succumb to the fungi too. A Helot versus a Spartan hero no less, Draconius agrees believing he will be rid of the outspoken slave he has acquired.

After a prayer to Areson, Tyandius draws possibly his final breath and masks his mouth. The door to the bridge is forced open by the assembled heroes and Tyandius lunges toward Vestacles. Deep in his hallucination Vestacles is taken by surprise and with one swing of his mighty war club Tyandius removes Vestacles’ head. The remaining Spartans, without leader, sag and return control of the ship to Draconius.

However in a fickle twist of the plot by the Fates Tyandius is unable to remove the mask protecting his breath and falls to the floor gasping, unable to draw air. Draconius comes to his aid only after a new bargain is struck, Tyandius is not yet to be a free man, but instead will be elevated to rank of servant of the house of Draconius.

Scene 1 Closing Act
And so it is that the star of Vestacles also falls. Both fallen heroes are placed in stasis as we resume our course.

So it comes to pass that a new star from such humble beginnings is rising, that of the little known hero Tyandius.