The plains of Boeotia writhe under a hard, white sky. Ares arrives to the stink of iron and dust, and the sound of men begging for death that will not come.
Broken shields lie trampled in the grass. Warriors clutch wounds that should be fatal, yet their bodies keep fighting the end, shuddering and alive.
At the center of the ruin stands Athena, armor spotless, spear angled down beside a heap of twitching forms. She turns, grey eyes cold and bright as flint.
Athena
Ares. Look at this. Your war has lost its mercy.
At Athena’s feet, a wounded soldier drags himself forward, fingers shaking in the dirt, his breath coming in ragged, desperate pulls.
The Soldier
Please... let it end. I cannot die. I cannot.
The air tightens around the battlefield, heavy with unseen pressure from the Underworld’s broken order. Every cry here is a wound that refuses to close into peace.
Athena
If you came to hunt the cause, then start by telling me why death itself has gone missing.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn why death has gone missing
“"Where is Thanatos?"”
SUCCESS (Great Intimidation, rolled -1)
Ares
Where is Thanatos?
Athena’s eyes narrow. She does not flinch, but her grip tightens on the spear as if the words strike harder than steel.
Athena
If I knew, I would already be there. I have only traces, Ares. A gap where death should be, and a trail that points east, toward Corinth.
Athena
The cause is not on this field. It is tied to a mortal king who cheats more than he conquers.
The soldier underfoot gives a weak, choking laugh that turns into a sob, then slumps as Athena’s answer seems to leave him with less hope than before.
Athena
Sisyphus. That is the name behind this silence.
She lowers her spear a fraction, choosing her next words with visible care, while Ares’ challenge hangs in the heat between them like a drawn blade.
Quest Complete
Learn why death has gone missing