The Tale Begins
You sit in the grand hall of King Alcinous of the Phaeacians. The feast is rich, but your heart is heavy. The King has asked for your name and your story. It is time to drop the disguise.
"I am Odysseus, son of Laertes," you declare, and a hush falls over the room. "My fame reaches the heavens, but my suffering has been great."
You begin to recount the years lost since Troy. You speak of the raid on the Cicons, where your men's greed led to a bloody counter-attack. You tell of the Lotus-eaters, where you had to drag your crew back to the ships to save them from a drugged forgetfulness. But those were minor trifles compared to what came next: the land of the Cyclopes.
"We landed on a wild island," you tell the hushed court. "I took twelve of my best men and a skin of potent wine to explore a massive cave near the shore. We found it filled with cheeses and lambs."