Ares turns from Eris and lifts his bound wrist toward Hades and Thanatos. The black ribbon tightens, not like a chain, but like a vow.
Thanatos
It is older than punishment. A duty-claim marks a power that must witness, record, or answer.
Hades
And this one names Ares. Not as prisoner, but as keeper of what the dead require.
The ledger gives a low, cold pulse. For a heartbeat, its ink crawls toward Ares's fingers, as if testing his grip on himself.
Eris
Oh, that is lovely. The war god wears a secret leash, and all the kings want a tug.
Hades steps between Eris and the ledger, while Zeus stiffens at the edge of the storm. Below, the waiting shades do not speak, but their silence sharpens into expectation. If Ares yields the book, the claim can be read by every god on the balcony. If he keeps it, the secret stays his.
“I ask Thanatos why it names me”
FAILURE (Poor Reasoning, rolled -1)
Ares
Thanatos... why does it name me?
The question hangs between them. The ribbon at Ares's wrist gives a thin, cold tug, as if listening too.
Thanatos
Because it found a witness who cannot be easily turned aside. It seeks one who can stand with the dead and keep faith.
Hades
Not a chain, Ares. An office. But every office has a cost, and this one was hidden from you too long.
Thanatos
I knew the mark existed. I did not know it would choose you until the ledger answered.
Eris lets out a low laugh, but she stops reaching. Zeus watches the exchange in hard silence, while the shades below remain still, waiting for the next name to matter.
Hades
Ask what you need, Ares. If we are keeping secrets, it is time they be weighed aloud.
“I ask what office the ribbon serves”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +4)
Ares
What office does this ribbon serve?
Thanatos
The witness's office. A duty-claim marks the one who must stand present, record the passage, and keep faith with the dead until their need is met.
Hades
Not execution, not confinement. Witnessing. The claim can bind a god to a task, if the task is sacred enough.
The ribbon loosens by a hair, then settles warmer against Ares's skin, as if the words have satisfied it. Below, the shades do not stir, but the silence around the ledger deepens.
Thanatos
It chose you because you can bear looking. That is the advantage, and the burden.
Hades
And because the mark answers to duty, not to force. If another god takes the ledger, they may try to claim what is written there.
Eris
Mm. So the little ribbon makes a jailer out of a war god, if the right hand pulls the cord.
Eris smiles at the ledger, not at Ares, while Zeus keeps his distance in hard, watchful silence. Thanatos does not correct her, but his eyes flick once toward the final, unwritten name still waiting on the page.
Quest Complete
Learn what the black ribbon duty-claim means
Attribute Upgrade: Strength Superb→Legendary