Carthago !

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Carthago! is a game by G.M., louisxiv just made a site for it.

From Sammus’s Boast:

176: E56 – Negotiations with Boujje

We arrived at the exchange stone just outside Fort Boujje and sent word to the fort, that we had arrived. The same six Ajjer guides were waiting to take us on as arranged and had been waiting here for a while. A sandstorm hit immediately.

We said goodbye to our Kel-Ayr guides here. Baal-Shaq had doubled the payment he had agreed and handed it over to Barsoom to distribute. We also gave Barsoom all the mundane weapons we had taken during our journey, including a find steel sword, and an iron sword and spear, along with a gold scarab and a gold necklace and Barsoom and the Kel-Ayr seemed very contented. We moved onto the fort and a few Numidians help transfer our goods.

There were still at least 3 weeks travel to Tamuda from here, although a fast rider might take a few days less. We would not arrive for the beginning of May which was only two weeks away, and we would clearly be overdue. Once it was into May, we were not sure how long Kallicrates would wait. We discussed send a fast message and Boujje told us that could arrange a message to be sent to Naguza via a Numidian horseman and then on to Tamudah. Each leg would cost 20 gold pieces, 40 gold pieces in total.

Boujje commented to Baal-Shaq that he had not brought much ivory back with him, but it looked like he had vessels with precious contents and Boujje asked what we had found in the desert. Si'aspiqo told him that this was loot from various places we had come to in the South, when ivory shopping and trading had been redirected due to auspices at our arrival, to take on supernatural events. We had dealt with ghouls and similar that had been troubling the area. In extirpating them we had found a certain amount of interesting stuff in the ruins.

After discussion Boujje offered to decant and seal what we had into smaller vessels, which he thought much safer and easier to transport. His share would be a third of what he bottled.

Agripinus spoke to Boujje about the advantages of forming trading contacts with Carthage and was very persuasive. Boujje was very interested in this and told us that he made healing and painkill potions that seemed similar to what we had found although he wasn’t sure how powerful ours were without checking the contents of our vessels. He also told us of tattoos he could for health, protection from evil, for luck, and to take pain from old wounds.

We agreed to his terms for rebottling our potions and Boujje inspected the contents. The seal of one of the gourds, which contained healing potion, had been damaged and the contents spoiled, but the rest had survived the journey intact. Boujje thought our healing potions were potent and would cure diseases or wounds. The contents would fill 72 bottles. The other potions were a powerful version of a painkill potion very useful for operations – resetting bones or amputation limbs or similar. The contents would fill 88 bottles. Boujje had over 100 bottles immediately available which would be just about enough for all the contents once his third was accounted for. It was difficult to know how much these potions might be worth, but Agripinus had bought some healing potions in Malaka for 100 gold pieces each. Si’Aspiqo offered to help and Boujje was grateful for his offer.

We handed over 80 gold pieces for messages and Boujje agreed to send messages on two consecutive days, with each messenger being unaware of the other. The message would ask Kallicrates to wait and tell him it would be worth waiting.

We then talked about the task that Amphius had agreed to undertake in exchange for the hatband that Boujje had made for him. It was about a week to get to the ruins in the desert and back and it would take between a week and two weeks to bottle the potions. Investigating the ruins and was something we could come back to later, as another year was not significant in the length of time the ruins had been there, but we thought it was worthwhile to at least go and look.

From Sammus’s Boast:

175: E55 — Safe Arrival in Fort Boujje

We set off just before dusk on 2nd April. There was stinging stand blowing in from the east and it was very dark with no moon, so Agripinus produced the light of Tanit from his orb, to help us travel. Amphius went ahead and looked forward to preserve his night vision. The march was uneventful and just before dawn Agripinus blessed more water to be used by the skirmishers. He then performed a Divination and asked the Goddess about the green ring and the ivory bangle looted from the corpse of the Shedim.

In his trance he heard the following:

A verdant gem, this graven stone
By burning day a vibrant hue is shown
In night's embrace, a silent grace
So green echoes through time and space

and:

The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold
And his chariot was gleaming in purple and gold
A whisper of chance, a breath of fate
Cherish the moment before it’s too late

We then camped for the day and the wind had dropped by the time we resumed our march at dusk. The night passed quietly, while we again travelled by the light of Tanit. The wind was rising as we went on and during the day on the 4th April there was a sandstorm, with no visibility and it was difficult to get much rest. Toxoanassa moved a little way from the camp at one point to relieve herself and saw a yellow cobra. Quickly pulling out her dagger, she cut off its head and was able to return with the meat and snakeskin. The sandstorm continued into the night, and we could not travel on. Agripinus held the light of Tanit aloft for the night and spent some time practising with a mirror and the light to try and concentrate its rays.

By the early hours of 5th April, the wind and sandstorm started to drop, but our guides thought it best to stay put as there was little of the night left and more bad weather might arrive. During the day there was still stinging sand from the northwest. Si'aspiqo cast cantrips seeking the Shedim, darklings, jabba worms and ghouls, but felt none of them within a few hundred yards. All the same he set up a protection from evil around us.

In the afternoon there was a drumming of hooves, and a small group of gazelles was seen. Toxoanassa, Amphius and Asmun went after them. After an hour of stalking, they had got into shooting range and Amphius managed to bring down a small gazelle with an arrow. Messian prepared the deer and gave Amphius a small beaker of the blood. At dusk we set off and the night’s march was quiet, the wind died, and the stars came out.

We camped for the day on 6th April and our guides thought we were now halfway. Another four nights should get to the north reach and then another three or four more to Fort Boujje. We set off at dusk, with a light wind from the north and marched undisturbed until dawn. We camped for the day and then set off again at dusk on 7th April. Si'aspiqo cast various cantrips and suspected there were many darklings out there, but no Shedim, and the weather would be fine for the night. The weather prediction fitted the clear skies, but we were unconvinced that we were surrounded by darklings. Barsoom rode round and saw no tracks or signs of them. The night was again quiet, although the wind was rising from the southwest, bringing stinging sand as we camped at dawn.

The night of 8th into 9th April was also uneventful and the moon rose in the east, lighting our way for the last couple of hours until dawn. Our guides issued extra water as they believed one more night of travel should get us to the north reach. We set out again at dusk on 9th April and marched undisturbed until dawn but had still not reached our destination, Our guides suggested pushing on as it wasn’t far to the north reach and after a few hours on the morning of 10th April we saw a ridge of rocks off to the northeast with a gap and then reached an ancient kraal and camp and a hidden tunnel. The day was spent resting and the guides refilled the watersacks.

Si'aspiqo investigated the jade ring and bangle. He thought the jade ring similar to the one he wore and probably brought luck or protection. I agreed to wear the ring for the next while to see if I noticed any effect. He learnt nothing about the bracelet and Toxoanassa took it and put it on her arm.

At dusk on10th April Si'aspiqo again cast his cantrips and this time he thought bad weather was on the way. Baal-Shaq and the guides discussed his prediction, and the Kel Ayr shrugged and left the camels in the kraal when Baal-Shaq decided to stay for a day. The moon rose early and as it set with a red light, the wind suddenly rose, and a violent sandstorm rolled over our camp from the northwest. Baal-Shaq congratulated Si'aspiqo on his prediction. By dawn several feet of sand had blown around the side of the kraal. The 11th April was a blur of hot sand. Si'aspiqo investigated the ivory bangle further but found nothing new. Towards midnight the storm passed over the top of the camp and the hot wind veered to come from the south, spitting sand. The guides decided to wait the day and hope the weather improved. At least we had plenty of water.

At dusk on 12th April, the wind had dropped a little and it was possible to travel. The night passed quietly with moonlight until midnight at which point Agripinus provided the light of Tanit, and we continued uninterrupted until dawn on 13th April. During the day Si'aspiqo looked at bracelet again but had no new insights. Si'aspiqo thought the next night would be clear and fair and we set out at dusk on 13th April with the moon high above as the sun set. Amphius spotted two or three bats flittering around in the desert, soon after we set out. They were circling around us, but these were not the large bats we had encountered before and when Si'aspiqo cast a cantrip and felt for large bats, he felt none nearby.

Something flew just past Mago’s ear, and as he turned to follow its flight, something hit him in the back and bit him. I knocked the bat off, with the pommel of my shortsword and it fluttered away. The caravan paused but resumed after a brief halt. There was a rustle in the rocks and Amphius saw something low to the ground slither off to the east away from us. It was almost as large as a person. He watched its track as the caravan passed, and something swooped past his head as he waited. Once the caravan was past, he resumed his place a little ahead of it. An hour or so later something fluttered out of the darkness near Mago, he tried to duck and missed with a dagger as another medium sized bat went by. Dawn arrived without further attack on 14th April.

The day was hot and quiet, and we set out again at dusk. As we marched Amphius spoke to each of us and he told me that he had agreed to open a gate in the desert for Boujje using the magic key, in exchange for the “daylight” hat band he had been wearing since we had left Fort Boujje. I told him I would be happy to accompany him.

The night was quiet and at dawn on 15th April, we were travelling in deteriorating weather, but as a sandstorm arrived from south, we reached Fort Boujje safely.

From Sammus’s Boast:

174: E54 — One Ancient Evil Destroyed

Amphius lopped off the heads of the bodies of the Iwillmiden and they were buried in a separate pit, both dug by the Kel Ayr. The Kel Ayr were pleased as they thought it a great deed to wipe out the Iwillmiden for no loss. Agripinus healed me with a short ceremony but was unable to do the same for Barsoom as he was a follower of Baal. Mago massaged him to aid his recovery. We set out again for a couple of hours under a sliver of moonlight and then, as the sun started to rise, decided to continue for another 45 minutes before we made camp. It was a very warm day.

That evening we set out again at dusk on the last day of March. Barsoom thought a night’s travel would get us close to the halfway camp. Si'aspiqo fell off his camel, but otherwise the march was quiet until dawn. There was a bright dawn with a warm light wind from the south and after an hour or two a hill with a jagged arc of cliffs and a notch came into view. We continued with Barsoom a little ahead checking the trail and approached the notch around 9 in the morning. We saw the bowl which was our destination with the cliffs above and caves high up. Si'aspiqo was exhausted and Amphius felt faint. Agripinus healed Amphius and we had a short break.

We set out again, for the last stretch to the halfway camp, but Mago fell full length into soft sand, and almost disappeared from view. I knelt down at the edge of the trail and reached for him. His head and an arm reappeared, and I was able to drag him out. We soon joined the others in the cave, but Mago was exhausted. The Kel Ayr started to fill out watersacks, and we all drank extra water and rested.

Si'aspiqo used his fetishes and cast cantrips to feel for different creatures. He told us that there were jabba worms out in the sand and darklings high above us, but he felt nothing else. We were all very tired and Agripinus carried out a short healing ceremony on each of us, apart from the Kel Ayr, Baal-Shaq and Hannibal as they were followers of Baal. After a couple more hours we set out again in the early afternoon and headed back down to the trail led by Barsoom. We all had the feeling we were being watched. It was very bright, so it probably wasn’t darklings but something else.

We reached the trail without incident and followed it north. Three hours later we paused and discussed whether to take a break or continue. We decided to rest until dusk and then set out again. Si'aspiqo checked for darklings and Shedim with cantrips. He told us there were darklings to the south, but when he tried a second time, something went wrong, and his eyes rolled up and we could see the whites of his eyes and he muttered to himself but then recovered. The Shedim certainly knew we were here now, if they had not already known.

Mago and Amphius swapped places, so that Amphius joined me as rearguard. Amphius soon spotted two winged forms flitting about, one to the east and the other to the west, a little way off paralleling Amphius and I. Amphius saw the western one closing from the left and warned me. When it was 100 yards way, he warned the party. Agripinus uttered a short prayer and summoned his arcane weapon, with which he could strike at a distance. Si'aspiqo cast protection from evil on Toxoanassa. The Shedim veered to the south and kept about 50 yards away and then switched over the east and Amphius lost sight of the other.

There was a warning shout from Barsoom near the front and Mago felt a chill, but after calling on Baal, he shook off the feeling. Toxoanassa spotted the Shedim above and behind Si'aspiqo and loosed an arrow, which either glanced off or narrowly missed the target, but Agripinus was able to strike it with his arcane weapon and we heard a hiss from the Shedim as it passed overhead.

Amphius spotted a Shedim around 100 yards off to the east, low down ahead of the party, but then lost sight of it. The two Shedim were flitting around like giant bats, and were difficult to keep in sight, even for Amphius with his night vision. There were also bats flying around.

Toxoanassa spotted a flying figure coming from the west and called out. She loosed an arrow, which struck the Shedim solidly, but seemed to just bounce off. The Shedim veered off as it got close to the centre, maybe dissuaded by the protection from evil that Si'aspiqo had cast.

By now we had come to a halt and had formed up in a circle with the camels in the centre and the rest of us around them. Some of the camels were braying and we could see sparks as they spat. I could hear the Kel Ayr muttering, and I caught the word Baal; both Baal-Shaq and Hannibal were muttering prayers.

Amphius spotted something to the northeast and as it flew past, Agripinus missed with his arcane weapon. Soon after I spotted something incoming from the west and I shouted a warning. As it passed narrowly over me, I felt cold in my chest and limbs and felt some of my strength ebb away. I felt tired and cold. Amphius tried to loose an arrow but his string broke. Si'aspiqo heard a voice speaking Egyptian in the night and told us it was a curse.

Again, a Shedim passed over the party and Mago got a cold feeling that spread around his chest and limbs and he also felt weakened. Agripinus slashed again with his arcane weapon as it passed close by but missed once more.

Si'aspiqo cast protection from evil on Amphius and then lit a torch and stuck it into the ground next to Toxoanassa. Amphius came closer, holding his unstrung bow, and wincing. Unfortunately, he looked at the torch and was momentarily blinded. Toxoanassa spotted something in the air, lit an arrow and then loosed it. It struck, but it still seemed to have no effect, glancing off and fiery sparks landed somewhere in the desert. Baal-Shaq and Hannibal waved their weapons in the air at the Shedim. Agripinus was the target this time and he felt coldness wash over him as the Shedim chanted something, but he shrugged it off.

Si'aspiqo took out his Shedim token and tried to target a cantrip but failed. Agripinus warned that something was coming from the north and recast his arcane weapon. He struck home with it and the Shedim hissed. Hannibal said something in Punic to Baal-Shaq who replied to him and then in Arma said to the priest: “wait until I say, get ready”, Agripinus warned us to avert our eyes. Si'aspiqo cast protection from evil on me. I spotted something from the East, as Baal-Shaq shouted: “Now!”, and Agripinus revealed the light of Tanit. The Shedim shied from the light. Si'aspiqo tried his cantrip but failed again. Mago slung a stone, Toxoanassa loosed a fire arrow and Hannibal threw his spear. The sling and arrow seemed to have no impact, but the spear struck the Shedim in the head and it crashed to the sand to the west. Baal-Shaq and I rushed in that direction. We arrived in the darkness and heard the flapping of leathery wings. We each got a blow at it, but I merely scratched it, and Baal-Shaq missed as he stumbled in the desert. It started to fly up. Si'aspiqo managed to cast a cantrip of shock, but there was no visible effect. Hannibal arrived looking for his spear, but the Shedim was out of reach of our weapons. It chanted again and I felt a dash of cold but shrugged it off. Si'aspiqo tried a cantrip to focus his luck and we heard the Shedim flapping off to the west, into the darkness. It did seem a little slower. Hannibal gave an exclamation in Punic; he had found his spear. He, Baal-Shaq and I returned to the bright light and our defensive formation.

Amphius saw something flying in quickly from the north. Si'aspiqo pulled out a fire flute. Amphius gave Toxoanassa two fire arrows as he hadn’t yet managed to restring his bow. She lit one but missed. Mago struck with a slingshot, but it bounced off to no effect and Agripinus gave Mago some holy water to pour over his stones. Again though, Hannibal struck the Shedim in the head with his thrown spear and the demon tumbled out of the sky. Baal-Shaq and I chased after it, but I tripped in the dark. Si'aspiqo blew on his fire flute, and a puff of fire enveloped the flapping form. Baal-Shaq hacked at it and narrowly missed, and the Shedim clawed at him as it tried to ascend. Mago struck the demon in the head with a stone that had been doused in holy water, and it reeled, but continued to fly. As it flew out of range, it lashed at me with its tail as I missed my counterstrike. Mago missed with another slingshot.

Hannibal again found his spear and we regrouped. Toxoanassa went up to Mago to get some of the holy water. Things went quiet for a few minutes apart from the groans of Barsoom who seemed to have been cursed with sickness. Agripinus cured him and five minutes passed by. Amphius thought he saw something far away to the south, hovering high up. Agripinus covered his orb of light.

Baal-Shaq spotted something flying in and called for light; Agripinus uncovered the light of Tanit. Toxoanassa loosed an arrow dipped in holy water at the Shedim as it flew towards her and Si'aspiqo, striking the Shedim in the arm, and the demon hissed. Hannibal cast a spear and hit it in the guts as it grasped at Si'aspiqo, narrowly missing him, and then flapped close to Toxoanassa, who missed with a second arrow. Si'aspiqo collapsed groaning after miscasting a spell.

The Shedim grabbed Toxoanassa’s clothing, as I missed again. Mago missed with slingshot, and Toxoanassa stabbed to no effect. However, the Shedim fell back to the ground still having a grasp of Toxoanassa. I guessed trying to cross the barrier of Si'aspiqo’s protection had damaged it. I missed again but Baal-Shaq sheared off an arm and as it collapsed to the ground flapping, I thrust my shortsword deep into its middle and it did not rise again.

Baal-Shaq gave Si'aspiqo a flask of water and ten minutes went by. Amphius restrung his bow. After another 20 minutes Si'aspiqo had recuperated and could do cantrips but had no mana for any spells. Barsoom and Baal-Shaq had a brief discussion in the desert tongue and then Baal-Shaq suggested to us that we had a choice — either wait it out here or move on. We decide to wait for dawn.

Agripinus checked the corpse of the Shedim and found a jade ring, which was identical to the one Si'aspiqo wore, which had come from the last Shedim we had killed in Kaskator. He also found an ivory bangle, which was on the tail of the demon. Si'aspiqo thought they both had arcane virtue. The bangle was patinaed with age and had cuneiform carved in it.

Just before dawn Agripinus blessed some more water and gave it to the skirmishers for their missiles. As the light dawn arrived, we prepared to march on and Mago and I felt the chill cast by the Shedim lift from us and we recovered our strength. We propped the corpse up in the sun after opening it for easy access to scavengers and we headed north.

We travelled until noon by which time it was very hot, and the wind was blowing stinging sand. We decided to rest for the second half of the day and resume at dusk. Baal-Shaq suggested that in the future if Agripinus could shine a bright light when the Shedim was close, Hannibal could throw his spear. He had inspected the corpse and told us that there was a small amount of fire damage, but the most serious wounds were from the fighters’ swords and spear.

A Timeline

1. On Calendars

I set as the era the year of the accession of the Pharaoh Ptolemy II, son of Ptolemy, so we begin in the year 18 of that reign, and I use a simplified system of twelve months with no regard for the multiple systems of intercalary days, weeks, months or moons of our own various cultures nor those we have passed through. I shall use the month names used by the main story-teller, a Gaul, Sammus the Strong, but number them to disambiguate their order.

–Si'aspiqo

2. The Tale of Months