To Help a Girl was a virtual representation of one of Kassandra's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
Description
Kassandra approached Damalis, one of Anthousa's followers.
Dialogue
After talking with Anthousa, Kassandra located Damalis outside at the Spring of Peirene.
- Damalis: So you're here to help us, misthios? You don't look like a Monger spy.
- Kassandra: I'm more the in-your-face type. You have a Monger problem, Damalis?
- Damalis: I might. One of my regulars has... changed. He was a decent man once, but now, he's gone bad.
- Kassandra: Korinth seems to have a shortage of "decent" people.
- Damalis: I need someone with muscle to figure out what's behind the change. Why he's different.
(If players choose "What is the man doing wrong?")
- Kassandra: He's gotten you scared.
- Damalis: He asks me questions I don't know the answers to about our drachmae. Where we keep the money, what Anthousa invests in. As though we're Athenian aristocrats.
- Kassandra: Can't Anthousa intervene?
- Damalis: I'm not naive! I won't expose others to this. So he can go after them next?
- Kassandra: He might anyway. Sounds like he needs answers.
(If players choose "What was he like before?")
- Kassandra: Who was he before all this?
- Damalis: Obsessive, but never threatening. He didn't stand out in symposiums, until he had his drachmae act for him.
- Kassandra: Well, something's sure giving him courage now.
(If players choose "I'll go talk to him.")
- Kassandra: I'll see what he has to say for himself.
- Damalis: If he's not lurking around here, he'll be at his house. I want this to end today.
- Kassandra: It will. People tend to show their true selves to my spear whether they like it or not.
Kassandra departed the pool, finding the client's house. She ran into Phoibe there.
- Phoibe: Kassandra! It's me! Kassandra! Good, you found me!
- Kassandra: Shh! What are you doing here?
- Phoibe: I heard Damalis talking about her crazy client earlier and I wanted to help!
- Kassandra: Fine. But you have to do as I say. No games!
- Phoibe: I know that already - because you never let me have any fun!
(If players choose "Tell me what he said.")
- Kassandra: Let's hear it.
- Phoibe: Let me think... He said something about having to meet someone at Phaia's Pig Farm tonight. That could help!
- Kassandra: It could. Did he mention why?
- Phoibe: To get something from them. A deed to some land, I think he said.
- Kassandra: Well, that's something. What else?
- Phoibe: Oh, he said their name! Deinomenes. Wonder who that is?
- Kassandra: Good to know. Thank you, Phoibe the spy.
- Phoibe: Not bad, huh?
- Kassandra: Time to act. Listen closely. You sneak inside and see what you can find in his house while I distract him.
- Phoibe: Quiet like a mouse!
- Kassandra: Good. But if you get caught, run. Right out the door. We'll meet afterwards. Promise?
- Phoibe: I'm ready. Let's go!
While Phoibe snuck around the rear of the house, Kassandra confronted the client.
- Client: Do I know you?
- Kassandra: No. But I know you.
- Client: If Myron sent you, tell him I was going to pay him back this very night!
- Kassandra: No one sent me. We need to talk. I know you're up to something -
- Client: Something? Something could be anything! You have nothing on me.
- Kassandra: You're meeting someone tonight, aren't you? At Phaia's goat farm.
- Client: A goat farm? You'll find no goats are Phaia's. (or cows)
- Kassandra: Oh, I...
The man noticed Phoebe sneaking through his house.
- Client: Wait! Thief! Thieves! Get out! Guards! Get them!
Kassandra was forced to kill the client and the guards before meeting back up with Phoibe.
- Phoibe: What was all that noise?!
- Kassandra: Damalis doesn't have to worry about her client now.
- Phoibe: That wasn't what she wanted you to do!
- Kassandra: I dealt with him, didn't I?
- Phoibe: Well... At least I could sneak in OK. Look!
(If players choose "You're getting deed to some land.")
- Kassandra: They owe you a deed to some land. What that land'll be used for, I don't know.
- Client: A spy. What else do you have on me? Cough it up.
(if players choose "You're meeting Deinomenes.")
- Kassandra: Deinomenes will be quite upset if I don't let you meet him tonight.
- Client: How? What do you want?
- Kassandra: I know about Damalis. And as her client, you seem to think she owes you something.
- Client: I do love her, you know. With my whole heart.
- Kassandra: And yet, you're scaring her.
- Client: Better me than another more careless man. Either I hurt Damalis, or I'm killed!
- Kassandra: That's not love, it's weakness.
- Client: You say it as though I don't know. He knew that too. That's why he's making me!
- Kassandra: Who's making you?
- Client: Tell Damalis I'll stop. That I'm sorry.
- Kassandra: Fine. Chaire, old man.
The man turned back to his papers. Kassandra found Phoibe standing outside, beside a table with her loot.
- Kassandra: Let's see what we found.
- Phoibe: I wonder what this means?
(if players choose "What about the coin purse?")
- Kassandra: What's this, a coin purse?
- Phoibe: His things aren't very nice, though. If he's rich, why have all that junk?
- Kassandra: He must have just gotten paid.
(if players choose "What about the iron poker?")
- Kassandra: I've seen that iron poker used before.
- Phoibe: He didn't have a furnace! Why does he have this?
- Kassandra: It's not used for fire... It's a weapon. For torture. I saw someone use it in Phokis. Someone huge.
- Phoibe: Huge like the Monger?
- Kassandra: Just like the Monger.
Phoibe showed Kassandra a letter.
- Kassandra: What does the letter say?
- Phoibe: It's mean! It says he'll get hurt if he keeps doing things wrong.
- Kassandra: I thought as much.
- Phoibe: And it says more... That he needs to bring Damalis to a place here in Korinth. There's directions. What do you think it is?
- Kassandra: Don't know... But I'll find out.
- Phoibe: Right behind you!
- Kassandra: Not this time. Go to Damalis and wait for me there.
- Phoibe: Aw, please?
- Kassandra: You've done enough for today, It could be dangerous. I'll come find you after.
(If the players chose everything 'right' before.)
- Phoibe: Fine. I almost forgot. I got this sword for you from his house.
- Kassandra: Wow. You're a good thief.
(Kassandra received a randomly generated sword.) Kassandra set off on her own.
- Kassandra: A place to bring Damalis. A prison? I should find out.
A short walk later, and she found the location.
- Kassandra: This must be the place described in the letter. Anybody home?
She began her investigation of the area, coming across a large pot.
- Kassandra: It's blood. Lots of it.
Making her way inside the home, she discovered a collection of breast casts on the wall.
- Kassandra: Malaka. What is this?
The nearby desk had another clue.
- Kassandra: A lock of hair. Smells familiar, somehow.
And then nearby...
- Kassandra: Chains? Oil? This can't be what I think it is.
A man entered the building, dragging Phoibe inside.
- The Stalker: Gotcha! All right you little shit, who sent you?
Phoibe scurried behind Kassandra.
- Kassandra: What are you doing here?
- Phoibe: I wanted to help?
- The Stalker: Give her here.
- Kassandra: Leave, Phoibe. Now!
The man moved to grabbed Phoibe as she ran past.
- Kassandra: Don't take another step.
- The Stalker: You're brave coming here. You want a whipping? The Monger would love to take you on.
- Kassandra: He'd rot in the underworld for that.
- The Stalker: Prude. This is Korinthia! Anything goes in this sex andron. And the Monger will be satiated.
- Kassandra: You're as sick as he is, worm.
- The Stalker: Whether they like it or not, any victim he likes gets his special treatment. I'll tell him you volunteer.
- Kassandra: You'll get my special treatment right now. I'll fucking kill you.
Kassandra did as she threatened, then returned to Damalis.
- Damalis: Kassandra. Your little friend beat you back.
- Kassandra: You made it.
- Phoibe: And fast. I know all the shortcuts now. I'm sorry, Kassandra.
(If players choose "I forgive you, Phoibe.")
- Kassandra: It's all right. You had good intentions.
- Phoibe: I thought I could sneak in... Like before.
- Kassandra: I'm glad you didn't. Especially with what I found there.
(If players choose "Don't do it again.")
- Kassandra: Listen next time I tell you to do something.
- Phoibe: Ok.
- Kassandra: I promise it's for your own good. This time, especially.
- Damalis: What happened to you?
- Kassandra: I just left the Monger's sex andron, if you can believe it. And it's where you were headed.
- Damalis: No.
- Kassandra: It's true. Your client was being forced to take you there. And we found these.
Kassandra handed her the letters.
- Damalis: What does this mean?
- Kassandra: It means the Monger got to him. He does have his hand in everything.
- Damalis: At least I know how to deal with him now that I know what he's after.
- Kassandra: He'll leave you alone now. He gave me his word.
- Damalis: So we really can trust you, can't we?
- Kassandra: We're not all so easily blackmailed.
Outcome
Kassandra helped Damalis to figure out her client, and learned of the Monger's activities in Korinth at the same time, with Phoibe's help.
Gallery
