Quoted By:
“Now, old friend – pull off a haunch of goat, drink some wine! Let’s discuss <span class="mu-i">SHIPS!</span> – I think we both know that a substantial allocation of your Athenian spearmen, half-trained as they are, would be hugely helpful, and would draw in additional volunteers. Now between us, I suspect you have the funds and men for at least eighty ships –“ Menestheus chokes in distress at this figure, Menelaus stampeding right over him – “but I’m willing to compromise a bit for you, of course.”
>Menelaus rolls an 11 vs 8 against Menestheus – sort of a sad display on both sides, tbqh
As the horse-trading begins, you listen in – and it’s hardly the high-minded debate that you might have expected. Instead, Menelaus simply batters Menestheus into submission through a combination of rough threats, unwarranted comments about Menestheus’ unmanful actions on the battlefield, and finally, a rote promise to “bring back the good old days”, which you immediately recognize as worthless. Menestheus, surprisingly, can only stutter inarticulately in protest - perhaps decades of abuse has rendered him impotent? Before ten minutes are out, you watch as Menestheus coughs out a promise for fifty black ships in recognition of the Oath of Tyndareus. It's a enormous number of soldiers that you can scarcely imagine commanding yourself, but Menelaus manages to be ungrateful about it, saying that Menestheus "must have been pissing away all of Theseus' gold if you can't scare up the full eighty ships"...
Once this is done, Menestheus doesn’t hesitate to make his leave, muttering about preparations for the Athenian procession for tomorrow’s festival – he steps around you as if you are a fallen tree or a boulder, completely ignoring you.
Menelaus turns to you and says – “Ah, don’t worry about him – he always gets sour before a potential war, hasn’t got the stomach for it, really. Fantastic general, though – just don’t ask him to fight on the front lines…that’ll be YOUR job, boy!” Menelaus laughs uproariously, before thanking you again and stumbling off in search of women.
>next update tomorrow, nicely done anons – you’ve helped to preserve an element of the canon timeline!
>No Kleos for Nikandros for this (but he could win some tomorrow in the Lesser Delia if he's lucky) - but he's made a good impression on Menelaus, which will definitely matter later, and has preserved his neutral relationship with Menestheus, which is also pretty important
>I would just add that Nikandros could have easily been cursed or have died if you guys had chosen physical violence against the sacred enjoys to the Lesser Delia...
