Carthago !

From Amphius’s Arguments:

058: Si'aspiqo Head Crash

Now then! Si'aspiqo asks me: “of your own practical experience or knowledge by reputation of sacrificial practice of your various peoples, concerning size of sacrifice and size of boon asked […] I mean no intrusion, I just seek to review what is publicly known, in order to scope our request.”

Well, Amphius is no priest, but he has always known what he likes. In Crete, like other civilized parts, Hermes The Messenger has always had to handle a good number of tasks on behalf of his worshipers, such as myself. I remember my old father, Autolycus, getting the household Gods down and giving his Herma a good rub like it was yesterday.

So, when it comes to telling the Kushite about liminal deities and what they might like Hermes, has to be up there. As well looking after Travelling Heroes, overseeing boundaries and such like, he is also patron of humble Greek sailors and informal Grecian property redistributors, in which causes I have occasionally been active (in the past you understand).

Si'aspiqo continues: “It occurs that we do have some stock of doors to hand in the upper level of Kaskator, which might be of interest to a guardian of gateways – whether as sacrifice, or perhaps even as an installation of a door for the Keeper to keep (closed…).”

I reply: while we could put together something with these mundane doors, if we are looking for a substantial propitiation – with significant opening/closing power – best we offer up to Neti the Key of Great Keyness. We all know that is magical and powerful and useful to open/close many doors with.

My only caveat is that a specialized door opening/closing tool may be less useful to a deity who is “Chief Gatekeeper of the Seven Gates of the Underworld”. Probably he can open/close most gates and doors at will. So, while in the party I have mainly used the Key since we took it out of the pool, I also have the closest ability to do without it. Still, its labour saving compared to picking a lock, and quiet compared to using a Gaul. Maybe that’s the kind of convenience Neti would appreciate.

So, after a bit more discussion among us at the camp, we decide to go back to Rogan’s store-room for some extra bits of wood and whatnot so we can make a proper propitiation rite. Goes fine getting back there and better once we realized that we had left a few storage jars unexamined including one with gold rods in it! My old father would not be impressed! Always check the corners for unconsidered trifles he used to say… giving me a slap so I’d remember. Those were the days.

Si'aspiqo decides he needs to kick off with an initial friendly match with the goddess idol from the pink pool, before getting down to the serious business with Neti. I hoick the goddess idol from out of the pool with long tongs and the Kushite gets down to it.

Powered by scented wood and prayer, it seems to be going OK at first, then he falls over unconscious… that’s torn it … [TBC]…

Amphius, Son of Autolycus

From Amphius’s Arguments:

81: B3a – A Little Night Scouting

As retold by Sammus

After a short while I found a ‘castle’ consisting of a circular outside wall enclosing three towers arranged in a line east to west: the towers are also circular though seem unusually thin compared to typical castle construction. There is a gate with guard at a brazier accompanied by a dog. 

“Circling the building there are the remains of a village behind – the huts appear to have been destroyed 1 or 2 campaigning seasons ago – as other huts I encountered. Round the castle wall there is a dry moat which is rough underfoot with brush.”

“There are noises from the castle and I climbed the curtain wall to observe more closely. Inside the castle there is a circular lean-to from the wall towards the central tower covering about half the distance between wall and tower. There is a small walkway / fighting platform inside the wall. Steps seem to lead up and down from beside the outside towers.”

“It is not possible to observe inside the buildings, but there was quite a bit of noise including singing. I estimate that there may be – some – 2 dozen people inside the castle. Mostly men, but some women. There were a further 2–3 dogs, including one which set to barking when it seemed to hear me. This led to a patrol of 2 men + dog round the outside of the building. While I don’t speak Sardinian, it seemed to me that the people were speaking the local language – through from which bit of Sardinia I don’t know”.

From Sammus’s Boast:

126: E19 — Into the Lion’s Den

In the morning we speculated on whether the lion had been summoned by the witch, whose curse had been mentioned by H’Assan. Amphius asked whether we had asked questions about the witch rather than just the lion and we were not sure what had been asked as it was in Numidian. Baal-Shaq said “My grasp of Numidian is imperfect, but I think he said the witch was cast out, and cursed Sef. Chief H'Assan did not volunteer much information about the witch, so I thought it impolite to ask directly. From his reluctance one might guess it was a local matter which would bring down the reputation of Sef. Doubtless he told us what he thought we needed to know. We could return with the skin of the Black Lion, and ask questions on the strength of his gratitude, but to what end? Their hunters could not find the Lion, much less the witch. After men started to die, surely they would not suffer a witch to live”. He continued “So our choice is to return with the task maybe only half-done, or to seek out the witch and end this matter one way or another. We were not asked to do this, but maybe what is unsaid may not be unheard. I would hear the views of all. We cannot tarry here for too long, but I had thought it might take several days to find the trail and hunt down the Lion.”

Agripinus prayed to Tanit and used his healing powers on myself and Amphius. I was fully recovered after this and while Amphius had a lot of stitches on his arm and bruising on his chest he could now move around stiffly. Over breakfast Baal-Shaq told us it was time to decide on our next steps. Either we were hunting for the witch or going back to Sef with the trophies from the lion. After a short discussion we all agreed we should stay here, while Amphius was cured by the arts of Si'aspiqo and Agripinus. The Numidian brothers would skin and take trophies from the lion, Toxoanassa would ride round the lake looking for any tracks or clues and Mago and I would try to retrace the lion’s steps in the hills. We would all return to the campsite for mid-afternoon.

Si'aspiqo muttered and touched Amphius and cast a healing sleep on him. The Greek went into a very deep sleep, not stirring at all. Agripinus checked and re-bandaged his wound while he slept away the day.

Mago and I set off lightly armed. Initially I followed a false trail. Casting around I found signs of lots of birds, a fox and a few other small mammals, quite a lot of game. I even spotted a small deer, but no lion. Mago found a very large pile of droppings. It wasn’t something I knew, so I thought it might well be the lion and then Mago noticed a small piece of fur in a nearby bush that could be from the mane. We followed the trail with some difficulty as it had left very little trace. Soon we were high up in the hills following a dried-up stream heading north with the lake off to the west. It led further into the hills and although there was no real trail to follow, every now and again there was the outline of a paw print to indicate we were on the right track.

Mago looked up at the rocks off to one side. There was a band higher up with darker splotches, which he thought might be caves. It was now after midday, so I blazed the trail here and we headed back to camp for mid-afternoon. Toxoanassa had returned around an hour after midday, a couple of hours before us.

She told how she had got part the way around the lake and seen a small crannogg at the end of a causeway in the lake. She had hailed from the shore and a wizened man appeared who seemed to only speak Numidian. From the halting conversation she understood that he was warning her about a bad man and a bad lion and advising her to return to Sef. She had immediately returned to the campsite to report her news and fetch Baal-Shaq, as the only one of us who could speak both Numidian and Berber.

In the middle of the morning Amanar had come to Agripinus as he had seemingly been bitten by the dead lion, while trying to remove the teeth. Agripinus had cast cure light wounds on the Numidian and then had taken a close look at the lion, which had been almost completely skinned and had looked very dead. He had then cast a blessing, as a ward against bad luck or ill will. Meanwhile Si'aspiqo had muttered a cantrip but had discerned no arcane influence. The Numidians had resumed their work and had taken teeth and claws as trophies as well as the skin.

Once we had all reported our news, Baal-Shaq, Agripinus and Toxoanassa rode off to talk to the hermit, while the Numidians and I stayed to guard the camp and the sleeping Amphius. Si'aspiqo and Mago also stayed behind with us. Baal-Shaq and Toxoanassa returned just before dusk with a rather damp looking Agripinus.

Baal-Shaq had laid aside his sword and gone out on the causeway to talk to the hermit whose name was Bibi, a wise or holy man of Lake N’zala, which was his god. He had told Baal-Shaq about the witch and had pointed off to the East, maybe in the direction of the caves we had found earlier. He had warned Baal-Shaq that arrows would have no effect on the witch and that the witch could curse people and even find and kill them in their sleep. Bibi had explained that the lake was good and fed him and protected him against the witch. He had also told Baal-Shaq that he and the witch could see each other, but the lake saved him. Agripinus had made an offering to the lake by throwing some coins in. Bibi had walked out into the water and Agripinus had followed. When Bibi dived below the surface the priest had tried to follow but the water was very cold and Agripinus got into difficulty as he could hardly swim. He had been propelled powerfully out of the water by Bibi as though by a powerful sea creature. Bibi had suggested that they go back to Sef and tell them that they had killed the lion and avoid the witch.

The Numidians collected more firewood and built a fire for the night. Amphius was still deeply asleep and not stirring at all. Si'aspiqo cast circle of protection around the Greek and meditated within the space, trying to keep an eye out for anything prowling in the dream world. Agripinus cast a glyph of warding outside of that and we set watches for the night and tried to get some sleep.

In the second half of the third watch, a little before dawn, Amphius stirred and awoke. Baal-Shaq was by the fire sleeping and Si'aspiqo had his head bowed and dozed fitfully. Amphius felt very refreshed and was back to full fitness, despite being mauled by the Lion hardly a day before. We all awoke in the pre-dawn light and Amphius related his unwelcome dream to the party:

Last night I seemed to wake while walking a narrow path — all was dark, though, of course, I could see. The path fell away on both sides with rough terrain below. While I was not sure why, it felt right to be on the path and the path, although narrow, seemed to go in a straight line. As I walked, I became aware of a presence below the path: a malevolent figure, a person, dark, in a cowled garment. His eyes burned and were visible to me, but no other features: he was attempting to ascend from below to the path but seemed unable to do this.

I looked for my weapons but found myself unarmed. Looking along the path I felt it was taking me towards the dawn. I continued to walk on, stumbling twice, but recovered each time. The figure came closer but was not able to reach me on the path and fell behind. I continued on the path and then woke here in today's dawn. I give thanks to all gods and others who have preserved me from this unwelcome dream.

In my dream state I realize that I did not actively call on the Greek gods to guide me. Nor did I attempt to use other skills — such as moving rapidly or silently out of sight (maybe by crawling) — which might have allowed me to evade the presence. I kept to the middle of the path and walked steadily although, as I say, I stumbled twice even in this cautious mode of progress. I also did not attempt to keep to the side away from the presence. Possibly I should have done this, though the narrowness path may not have made this practical. Nor did I attempt to call any weapon into my dream — so cannot say if such an attempt might have been successful.

I am reminded of the power of the Lamia some of us encountered in the desert south of Carthage. It called to me powerfully and I was unable to resist its spell without assistance. In this case the witch, for I am sure it was he, could summon me into his dream while I was sleeping deeply in our camp. Without the protection of the path, he would have seized me to my detriment. All of us should be alert to this risk. I say that we must urgently confront and kill the witch to prevent his attack. Either that or quit this region and travel to be beyond the reach of his power — however, I do not know how far that would be.

I, Amphius of Crete, have spoken and remain troubled.

Si'aspiqo had seen nothing in his own dreams. Baal-Shaq told us we had a choice to make, and we decided to investigate the caves rather than returning to Sef. We left the ponies behind guarded by the two Numidians and set off into the hills the way Mago and I had gone the previous day. After some hours we followed the dried water course up to where we had seen the band of rocks sticking out of the hillside with shadows that might be caves.

The skirmishers led the way a few hundred feet steeply uphill and apart from Amphius twisting his ankle, we reached the spot safely. Here indeed we found a cave mouth. Si'aspiqo felt for magic with a cantrip but felt nothing. Amphius led the way deeper into the cave into shadow. There was a broad opening narrowing into a darker place, but he could see gnawed bones ahead. Si'aspiqo cast protection against evil on Amphius, but he soon found the cave was empty. It had evidently been the lion’s den. There were five or six dismembered human corpses judging by the gnawed bones and scattered skulls, plus the bones of deer and sheep. There were no other exits from the cave.

Si'aspiqo cast another spell; a fortune telling seeking the beast’s master and learnt that he was not to the West.