Delivering a Champion
- Recommended Level: 35
- Prerequisite: Complete Kings of Sparta
- Unlocks: The Contender
- Story: Victory is assured for Sparta with Testikles as their champion in the pankration. You just need to get him to the Olympics.
Talk to Testikles’s trainer
Lakonia: Sparta
Talk to Testikles’s trainer (1) in Sparta. He tries to brush you off, saying you’re new and they don’t train just anyone.
Conversation with the Trainer
Tell the trainer “You couldn’t teach me anything” or “Sounds exclusive.” You tell him King Pausanias sent you to collect the pankration champion. He apologizes, and you can reply “You should be more careful” or “Misunderstandings happen.” If you are mean and tell him to be more careful he does not share the rubbing oil secret with you and you do not see the next objective. Accept his apology and he tells you that giving Testikles oil as a gift when you meet him would be a good idea. Testikles thinks it imbues him with the power of Herakles. The trainer tells you to find the oil merchant in Gytheion. You can ask him about Testikles—what he’s like, where he is—and what pankration is (a fighting competition). Select “I’m leaving” to continue the quest.
Find and Talk to the Oil Maker
Unfortunately, you need to get oil for Testikles. Travel south to the Forest of Eurotas and the Village of Gytheion. Find the oil maker (2) near the Gytheion Watchtower viewpoint. If you have previously synchronized there, then fast-travel there now to reach the oil maker quickly. If you have not, make sure to synchronize before you leave the village. Speak to the oil maker and you immediately discover that she is a slave.
Conversation with the Slave
You ask for the oil and what do you get? A salesperson with some long-winded story about being a slave and not being the oil maker. You getting the oil now would be stealing from her master. You can reply “I’m not asking, tell me.” That seems a little insensitive but still gets you the recipe. If you say “I can pay you,” she refuses to take your money and you just return to the conversation options again and must choose “Can’t we work something out?” With that, she offers to give you the recipe to allow you to make it yourself. Remember: Light the fire, heat oil of Athena, and add the last mentioned ingredient (rose petal, myrrh, or cinnamon). Select “Let’s make some oil” to begin.
You walk away from the slave to a cauldron. Select the following choices in this order:
- First, I light a fire.
- Oil of Athena
- Last ingredient
With those selections, you successfully create the oil for pankration fighters.
Find and Talk to Testikles
Messenia: Bay of Hades
Travel by horseback or by ship to the small island next to the shipwreck of the Nestor in the Bay of Hades. If you go by horseback you can call your ship at the dock located on the island. Find Testikles (3) at the top of the hill. He’s drinking more than he’s training on this deserted island.
Conversation with Testikles
Testikles is three sheets to the wind drunk. Tell him “Get on my ship” or “We sail to victory,” or if you were nice to the trainer and the slave then you have his oil and can say “I’ve got your oil.” If you have the oil, select that option. If you’re going down the oil rabbit hole, then your next choice is “Here’s your oil” or “You’ll get your oil in Elis.” He gets on the Adrestia. You should too. Get to the dock on the southern tip of the island and sail to Elis.
Bring Testikles to Elis
Elis: Kyllene
Travel by ship north to Elis to the city of Kyllene and dock the ship. The objective marker (3) on the pier is where you will find Alkibiades for the next objective.
Talk to Alkibiades
Conversation with Alkibiades
Alkibiades welcomes you, Testikles, Barnabas, and Herodotos to the Olympic Games. You can ask him why he’s here, who’ll win this year, and “Who’s the fighter?” The fighter is Dorieus, the reigning champion. Select “To the Olympics” to continue.
Alkibiades insults the still drunk Testikles, who barely understands the insult and then stumbles into the water and gets eaten by sharks.
Conversation with Alkibiades
Alkibiades elects you to take Testikles’s place in the Olympic Games. You can ask him where you need to go to get started and what else you should know. Once again, select “To the Olympics”to continue.
The Contender
- Recommended Level: 35
- Prerequisite: Complete Delivering a Champion
- Unlocks: The Long Game
- Story: With Testikles out of the competition, you have to win the pankration with only your bare fists and a loving pat on the back from Alkibiades.
Find and Talk to the Pankration Organizer
Elis: Valley of Olympia
From the pier where Alkibiades greeted your crew, find the nearby message board (1) and take the quests found there. Head northeast to the Kingdom of Pelops and synchronize with the Temple of Apollo (2). Find the message board (3) in this town and take those quests as well. Stop at the blacksmith if you need to upgrade or engrave. Call Phobos and ride east out of town, heading through the Forgotten Swamps and into the Valley of Olympia. Synchronize with the Temple of Zeus (4) and talk to Barnabas.
Send Ikaros to the northeastern part of the town to locate Paios, the official, standing near the stadium. Talk to him.
Conversation with Paios
The pankration organizer stands near the stadium where Olympians are warming up. He thinks you’re joking when you tell him that you are there to sign up for the pankration. He says the only fighter they’re missing is Testikles. You can tell him “I’m replacing him” or assume his identity by selecting “That’s me.” The organizer knows Testikles very well and you won’t fool him. Tell him you are ready to begin by selecting “Let’s go.”
Defeat Orion
The announcer riles up the crowd and introduces a former Olympic champion, Kallias. Kallias works the crowd and starts the games.
This is a fistfight competition. You are unarmed and nearly undressed. Your first competitor is Orion, who should be at the same level as you. The quickest way to win the fight is to block his first swing, hit him with a heavy attack, and then unleash your adrenaline special attack. This takes away more than half his health. Repeat this tactic. If he turns red to release his own special attack, dodge the effort to achieve the slow-motion effect and use that to get behind him and continue to pummel him.
Defeat Erastos
The next contender is Erastos. His level is also equal to your own. Use the same tactics as you used with Orion to become winner of this stage of the fight. Erastos will attempt to use his special ability more often than Orion, so be prepared to dodge to activate the counterattack slow-motion feature.
After the fight you discover that the game is not over yet and that to complete this competition you’ll have to fight Dorieus later. Barnabas and Alkibiades congratulate you after the fight. You soon discover that Alkibiades has been poisoned.
Conversation with Barnabas and Alkibiades
After discovering that Alkibiades drank poisoned wine while he was with his friends (and respected Olympic judges) Demophanes and Kallias, you can ask him “Where were you?” and he’ll tell you he was celebrating at the Leonidaion. If you choose “I’m going to find Demophanes,” Barnabas will stay with Alkibiades while you get to the bottom of this.
The Long Game
- Recommended Level: 36
- Prerequisite: Complete The Contender
- Unlocks: Pankration
- Story: Alkibiades, whose charm has been known to get him in ample amounts of trouble, was poisoned at a party celebrating the Games. You search for the culprit—and a way to save your friend.
Talk to Someone at the Banquet
Elis: Valley of Olympia
Enter the Leonidaion (1) and look for someone to talk to at the banquet. You discover dead bodies when you track down the objective marker inside the Leonidaion.
Investigate the Banquet
Leonidaion
Follow the objective marker (2) to the northeast corner of the Leonidaion to find clues to what has happened here. When you find the room with the clues, investigate the poison in the jars on the wooden platform. Investigate the food on the table in the middle of the room. You discover that the food is not rotten.
In the small back room attached to this kitchen is a Banquet Supply List on a corner table. It’s a grocery list of assorted foods that were at the banquet and is addressed to “Priam.”
Talk to the Merchant
Exit the Leonidaion and follow the objective marker southeast to the merchant (3) in a back room of the Sanctuary of Olympia. Speak to him.
Conversation with the Merchant
You confront the merchant while cracking your knuckles. He squirms right off the bat, saying he was just doing what he was told. You can tell him “I’m your boss now,”“For that you will die,” or “Help me and I’ll spare you.” To avoid resorting to violence, choose anything but the second option. He tells you the antidote is probably at Fort Koroibos.
Cultist Uncovered: Kallias of the Peloponnesian League
The guy that got the merchant to poison the wine was Kallias. This is a cultist who is revealed after the conversation. His location is marked on the map (4). On your way to Fort Koroibos, we suggest you take a very slight detour to eliminate him. He’s standing at the stadium.
Find and Retrieve the Antidote
Fort Koroibos
Travel northeast to Fort Koroibos (5). Use Ikaros to find the antidote and to tag all the enemies, the brazier, and the location objectives. There’s a secret entry icon (6) near the gates of the fort. This is a series of poles, platforms, and trees that, if followed to the end, gets you on the north side wall (7). You can scale it, take out nearby guards, and be somewhat close to the brazier (8) to set a trap. Use the tightrope path to the brazier from that northeastern wall walk. Just make sure to take out possible witnesses first.
Take your time eliminating all the Athenian guards in the fort while collecting, killing, and burning location objectives. The only tricky treasure is the one in the watery cave below the fort. Dive into the well (9) and follow the watery tunnels just about to the end. Just before the exit is an area where you can surface into a dry cave. This is where the underground treasure (10) is located.
The antidote is in the treasure chest beside the brazier (8) on the top floor of the central building (11). This is both a location objective treasure and the antidote. Drop to the next floor to burn the war supplies. Make sure to complete the location objectives for added XP before you head off to deliver the antidote.
Bring the Antidote Back to Alkibiades
Alkibiades is lying down under a tent (12) back in the Sanctuary of Olympia. Ride back and deliver the antidote to him to save his life. He quickly feels his stamina return. Barnabas reminds you that you have one last fight in the pankration.
Pankration
- Recommended Level: 36
- Prerequisite: Complete The Long Game
- Unlocks: Completing the quest lines The Olympian, Paint It Red, and The Cult and The Archon unlocks A Bloody Feast
- Story: Having returned to the pankration arena, you now need to take the prize for Sparta by defeating the reigning champion, Dorieus.
Talk to Paios
Elis: Valley of Olympia
Head back to the stadium and to Paios (1). The pankration organizer stands near the stadium where Olympians are warming up—same place he was last time.
Conversation with Paios
Paios tells you that your next opponent is Dorieus. You can begin the challenge now by choosing “Time to fight” or back out and do something else first (if you need to level up more) by choosing “I’m not ready.” If you made the oil in the quest Delivering a Champion, and if you did not give it to Testikles before you left for Elis, then you have it with you now and can elect to have it on for the fight. Select “I have oil” to rub it on for the fight. The oil makes you smell good and look shiny. It has no magic powers that could help you during the fight.
Defeat Dorieus
The battle with Dorieus is similar to the previous two pankration battles, but Dorieus is a more formidable challenger. Use blocking skills to stop his normal attacks and extended dodges to avoid his special attacks (when he turns red). Dodge correctly and you get the slow-motion effect and can quickly come up behind your opponent and hit him with a combo. Continue this tactic until you have put Dorieus on his butt.
After the battle you are crowned the winner of the Olympic Games (representing Sparta).
This concludes The Olympian quest line, which is one of three (The Cult and the Archon and Paint It Red are the other two) that must be completed to earn another meeting with the kings of Sparta to hopefully get your citizenship back. Before you leave the area, complete as many of the side quests as you can to continue leveling up. The next nearest quest line is The Cult and the Archon. We will be heading to Arkadia.
