Quoted By:
This will be your legacy is Odysseus has his way.
You consider Palamedes’ words more carefully – that Menelaus would “sacrifice the peace of Hellas”. You open your mouth to inquire further, but your military mind provides the answer you seek: if Helen is not returned to Sparta, the Oath of Tyndareus becomes null and void, and the treaty that has restrained armed conflict between the major powers of Hellas vanishes – it would only be a matter of time before Hellas descends into anarchy and the civil strife of a thousand wars, both large and small. As atrocity leads to vengeance and retribution, the cycle of bloodshed would spin out of control.
Palamedes seems to lose some internal battle himself, interrupting your musings and asking you of your doings on the Salaminian vessel. You see no reason to lie and explain that you have become quite friendly with Teukros, and with Pollux as well.
“Yes, that has become clear to all as well, Nikandros. I suppose that I am not surprised that you would seek their company after our discussion in Mycenae…” He trails off abruptly, lost in thought - humming absentmindedly, he stumbles over the underbrush with his eyes on the sky.
“Look there!” you exclaim – pointing out the clear markings of a troupe of goats upon the soft earth of the hillside, besides bushes stripped of their leafy crowns. By the appearance of the goatspoor, the trail is only a day old – you suspect that there’s a small group of ten or so nearby. Palamedes peers at the same trail, but he apparently is not educated in tracking like yourself – as a Nauplian, no doubt his education focused on the sea, waves, and wind rather than tracking beasts through the hills. Nonetheless, he is willing to take your lead, and brings his bow to bear. As you set off in pursuit, you consider the wisdom of re-opening your discussion with Palamedes – he had previously declined to work with you in concert to spoil the diplomatic talks with Ilion, before you had put out to sea weeks ago, but perhaps he would reconsider?
>Well, /qst/? Will Nikandros take another chance at persuading Palamedes to align with him? Please note that Nikandros failed his first diplomance attempt by a huge margin (3+ degrees of failure), and so this will result in a -5 roll malus. A smart write-in might partially mitigate this malus.
>Yes, attempt to persuade Palamedes to align with you. You have a better grasp of the politics, and more importantly, you have successfully aligned yourself with Teukros. You may be able to leverage this new friendship in your persuasion attempt with Palamedes.
>No, do not discuss further with Palamedes. Perhaps it would be better to leave this alliance dormant – any conspiracy grows unwieldy as the number of conspirators grows – and Odysseus is lurking. Furthermore, it occurs to you that angering Palamedes carries its own risks - he is an intelligent man in his own right and no doubt developing his own schemes.
