Tales of the Dolos Rogues

Part II

The 301st of the 300 Rogues: The "Deceiver" — Cifera Cifera, also known as Cipher, was famous for her swift feet and sharp tongue. She often wore a hooded cloak and was commonly referred to as the "Lying Cat Cipher" or "Swift-Footed Cifera." Later generations often don't count her among the 300 Rogues because by the time she gained prominence, the 300 had already become legends, and her career as a swindler and thief only spanned around twenty years by the time the great ruse against gods was accomplished. Cifera's story, as this author recounts it, is simply astounding: A young woman, practically unknown compared to the other rogues, managed to unite the 300 and pull off the great ruse against gods, even earning the divine authority of "Trickery." Was this all truly fate as foretold in prophecy? Since Cifera claimed the divine authority of Zagreus, nearly 900 years have passed. The records of the "Dolos' Great Ruse Against Gods" are unclear, largely because the Chrysos War was raging at the time and every state was preoccupied with its survival, leaving little time to track a Coreflame of the Calamity Titans, and making everyone focus on the Flame-Chase Journey. However, some bards who were there witnessed the entire "Spirit Day" deception feast and later recorded it in poetry, passing it down through the generations. ... After deciding to seize the Coreflame of Zagreus, Cifera set off with her legendary steps that could cover a thousand miles a day, searching for the scattered 300 Rogues across Amphoreus. Among them, 103 rogues volunteered when they heard of the upcoming great ruse against gods; 87 were in Dolos, and Cifera spent a month visiting each, persuading them; 65 had returned to their ancestral homes, and Cifera spent five months visiting and convincing them; 19 were imprisoned, two faced execution, and Cifera, with the help of the "Goldweaver," used diplomatic means to rescue them; finally, 26 were missing, and it took Cipher two years and five months to find them all. ... In the end, it took four years and seven months for all 301 rogues to gather in Dolos on the eve of Spirit Day. After a brief mobilization and discussion, the next day, with the help of the "gatekeeper," the rogues scattered across various city-states, each executing the trick they had most longed to try but never dared. What each of them accomplished is recorded in their individual biographies. Zagreus, in their true form, only appears on Spirit Day, drawn to masterful deceptions. The events of Spirit Day led to the near-imprisonment of all 300 rogues, but also brought forth the infamous God of Thieves. This Trickery Titan was delighted by the feast of lies, taking the opportunity to mock every rogue caught in the snares of the law. When Cifera, the 301st rogue, was finally captured, Zagreus revealed themself to her in the final moments before Curtain-Fall Hour at the Spirit Day. Zagreus knew she had gone to great lengths to orchestrate this Spirit Day feast, all to summon them into the open. Now, Zagreus had come as promised, but how could a mere mortal like Cifera ever hope to defeat a god of trickery? Yet, the instant the god of thieves appeared, Aglaea the Goldweaver, who had long been waiting in ambush, swiftly ensnared Zagreus with a golden thread of truth. Zagreus, attempting to use the divine power of lies to vanish, soon found that its fabrications had no place to hide before the unyielding golden thread. It turned out that Cifera and Aglaea had devised the entire scheme, using the prophecy of the demigod, Tribios, to predict the god of thieves' appearance. Aglaea executed the capture, and in the end, Cifera seized the opportunity to kill Zagreus and claim the Coreflame. Thus, the Dolos' Great Ruse Against Gods was completed. Following the Spirit Day feast, Cifera used cunning to lift Dolos's ban on deception. Historical records state that she returned to Okhema with Aglaea the Goldweaver, and through the Coreflame trial, became a demigod of "Trickery," with occasional sightings of her even to this day. As for the 300 Rogues of Dolos, some say they perished in prison, while others claim they were rescued by Cifera through the divine power of "Trickery," with most living out peaceful lives. Regardless, after the great ruse against gods, the 300 Rogues disappeared, their tales fading into obscurity. Just as the end of a Kremnos hero's journey is crowned with ascension to the throne, for a mere thief, ending a life of trickery with a great ruse against gods is no ignoble fate. ...