A Problem in Emporion
Events in the seventh month of the eighteenth year of the reign of Pharaoh Ptolomy, son of Ptolomy.
Events in the seventh month of the eighteenth year of the reign of Pharaoh Ptolomy, son of Ptolomy.
From Sammus’s Boast:
The next morning, we found that Kallicrates was still in port. He had a quick contract to get some provisions and gear from up the coast to Tharras or Neapolis for the Carthaginians but we agreed to meet on his return.
Agripinus and arranged to convert four bars of silver into gold which came to 120gp. Toxoanassa and Amphius each kept a silver ingot. I put in 20gp for the gold wire bracelet as valued by Mago and we sold the tin torc and armrings for 30gp. Agripinus took the donkey and pony to the army and as he was able to vouch for us and we also had Sullo’s affidavit, we were given half value (40gp) for the pony, even though it was recognised as a military mount. We were also given 8gp for the donkey. Si'aspiqo took the scroll as his reward while the rest of us had one and a half ingots of silver (5lbs each) and expenses of 52gp.
Mago returned his donkey, sold his ingots and then helped me to find a goldsmith who made two coiled gold armrings. Each was made from a bar of 200gp of melted gold, bent into concentric coils. Along with my other jewelry I felt that this allowed me to cut an impressive figure. The two archers then bought arrows and the makings of some fire arrows and Amphius also bought a box to keep them in along with some headbands and a leather helmet he designed to help protect him from sunlight.
Si'aspiqo studied the scroll of healing sleep and tested the spell on a couple of the wounded Carthaginian soldiers and it seemed to work well. The scarab was very valuable, he thought, for it was a lovely piece of art aside from its magical properties. It had been stolen from a tomb so some people (Egyptians in particular he said) would immediately take offence against anyone wearing it. In any case he thought that it was not a good market here. It was a protection of soul or mind — but this was probably a side effect of its main purpose which was for a named person probably a dead pharaoh. It would probably be best to sell it in a big city where people had few principles.
He thought the dagger would bite on things that a normal dagger wouldn’t. He thought it was sky iron, and Mago agreed. He thought there might be something more about it that he hadn’t yet found. Myself, Agripinus and Toxoanassa thought it could be made into a Carthaginian stabbing spear, but not a hoplite heavy spear as it was too slender, and that it was probably best left as a dagger. We decided to let Si'aspiqo and Amphius hang on to the scarab and dagger respectively for now.
There were a lot of refugees in Caralis, who had fled their homes in the interior, bringing with them just what they could carry. The garrison was depleted here and there were less patrols in the city than normal and Amphius heard rumours of the increased opportunities for crime. There was a lot of speculation on how long it would take to put down the rebellion. Agripinus bought some jewelry from one of the refugees who was keen to convert it into cash.
Kallicrates returned after 2 weeks and started unloaded provisions. He had taken paying passengers to Tharras, the port on the north of Sardinia, who hoped to then find a ship onwards from there. He was happy to discuss with us what we wanted to do next. Odysseus of Athens, his pilot, a short scrawny man, recommended crossing the Blessed Sea to the northwest to Emporion, the largest Greek settlement near the mountains and the centre point of trade up to Gaul or along the coast. He had been to Gadir, beyond the pillars of Hercules he said. From Emporion we would be able to work our way along the coast to the Carthaginian settlements. We all agreed this sounded a good plan.
Kallicrates was delighted to welcome us all on board particularly with the addition of Mago with his experience in naval dockyards. He suggested that we each put in 50gp and he would match the total to buy a cargo for Emporion. He returned after a couple of days and told us he had found a cargo abandoned by another Greek and waiting shipment to Emporion. He had secured three blocks of fine marble ideal for carving for 600gp. He thought it should be worth double that or more in Emporion.
I had volunteered to watch the ship but I swapped duty with one of the sailors to help Si'aspiqo, who wished to make a sacrifice to Astarte. Agripinus was busy, but made sure the town watch went past the ship. Mago, Amphius, Toxoanassa and I accompanied the magician in a small fishing boat. We were dropped off on a long curving sandy beach near Caralis in the late afternoon. The fishermen agreed to come and collect us in the morning.
Si'aspiqo lit a small fire and prepared for a midnight ceremony and we enjoyed a picnic of wine and cheese. I noticed some driftwood and footprints but all seemed quiet now. Amphius noticed that there was sparkling in the ocean as it got darker — he pointed out faint phosphorescent lights glowing on the water. The stars came out on a warm evening.
Shortly before midnight, Si'aspiqo set up his statue, made a fire in front of it, and set a protected circle around it. He then sacrificed food and wine, and added charcoal and powders to the fire. He called to Astarte that she was remembered, told her where he was and what he had been doing and asked for her blessing on the next voyage. The offerings flared up brightly and he could smell hot sand, cedar and aromatic wood reminiscent of North Africa and could make out the faint outline of a face in the fire. He thought the ceremony had gone well. He tidied up and slept peacefully until dawn. The fishing boat eventually arrived, delayed by the calm weather, and ferried us back to the harbour late in the morning.
It took two days to prepare the ship. During this time, three large blocks of pale stone wrapped in cargo nets arrived on a cart, were hoisted on board and then stowed low down in the boat. Kallicrates also stored food and water. Amphius had a box full of arrows and Mago a sackful of pebbles for his sling. I made a contribution to Agripinus, who included it with his own ceremony asking Tanit for a successful journey. Before we set sail a number of Carthaginian officers and dignitaries came to say goodbye to Agripinus, who was obviously a man of some reputation in these parts.
We set sail at dawn with a light easterly wind and after rowing out of the harbour the sail was set and we headed west with the wind mainly behind us. Three days and nights passed without incident while the wind, though somewhat fitful, persisted from the east. We made good progress through the days and with Amphius keeping watch were able to sail on during the night.
In the late afternoon of the fourth day there was a cry of land ho and eventually land became clear through the clouds. Odysseus thought we should head North along the coast but had not confirmed where we were by the time darkness fell, so we drifted for the night. It was a starry night and Amphius spotted a dark shape in the water, which he thought was circling the ship. He woke and warned Kallicrates and then ourselves, but no-one else could see anything. Eventually the pre-dawn light arrived.
As it brightened Agripinus too saw a shape in the water — a large dark fish with a fin breaking the water. Odysseus thought it might be a shark and remarked that it was thought unlucky to be followed by one. Kallicrates ordered the sail raised as the wind veered more to the south and slightly west and strengthened. By mid-morning we could make out a bay with stone walls and buildings, and an island with a small fortress. The oars were put out, the crew rowed into harbour and Kallicrates announced we had arrived in Emporion.
Most of the town was south of the port, while to the north was an island with a fortress which was the old harbour and settlement. The walls and fortifications were probably bigger than Caralis and this was the first place since Carthage that was Greek. Looking around at the local populace they seemed worried and unhappy and seemed to be wondering who we were, which was not what I would have expected in a trading port.
Kallicrates spoke to the harbour master and reported that things had changed since last year. The City Council had voted to elect Platon as ruler for a limited period of time and things were not as free as previously and he wasn’t sure why. He thought it was probably best to stay on the boat while he worked out what was going unless we were Greek. We knew that Greeks and Carthage had clashed in Sicily but as far as we knew they were not at war and, although we had heard there might be trouble brewing, there was no news that this had developed into anything.
After dusk Amphius went out and returned just before midnight. Kallicrates and the Greek members of the crew were still in a bar somewhere. Amphius had heard from a source that there had been a series of killings in the city around the full moon. The background to this appeared to be related to a prominent visitor called Jeremiah and his wife. She had been suspected of witchcraft and they had both been executed in turn around 18 months ago. Jeremiah had cursed the city — since then there had been multiple earthquakes. These had resulted in damage to the new temple, where building work had ceased and to the Agora. Finally in the necropolis a tomb had sunk into the ground leaving behind a large hole from which a gorgon issued forth each full moon, or so the rumours told. Platon, the Tyrant, had issued an invite to mighty heroes to take care of the problem, but none had arrived thus far. Already some priests had tried without success and had been slaughtered by the monster. It seemed the gorgon’s victims were torn apart. The next full moon was about four nights away.
Kallicrates returned a couple of hours later, looking surprisingly sober and rather concerned. with things on his mind. He confirmed that the new temple had been damaged by earthquake and construction had ceased, which would make it difficult to sell our cargo. Platon appeared to have instigated regular military exercises some of which were starting shortly. Kallicrates thought that we had two choices; either to leave immediately on the next tide and wonder what to do with cargo or stay here which would mean getting involved in the military exercises. He wondered what we felt of the second option, he added that he knew Platon was keen on experienced mercenaries and priests of power might have some defensive duties.
Si'aspiqo said that there was more to this than Kallicrates was letting on and we huddled closer around the Greek. He told us that there were certainly problems for the state that they were cautious not to spread as rumours would affect trade. The men on exercises were trying to keep it secret and if we got involved, we might be here for the duration he warned. Si'aspiqo pressed him to be clearer as this was beginning to smell of something and eventually after swearing us to secrecy he explained further.
There was a haunting of sorts with something from the Necropolis — some kind of spawn of titans or a foreign demon he thought, raised by the curse of sorcerers from the east. Everyone was conscripted into the military and given part of the city to defend. Platon had sent word for heroes to the Temples of Nemesis — the nearest was in Sicily but most were in Greece and there had been no response so far. If we were keen to get involved, he could try to introduce us as a mercenary company specialising in dealing with monsters he added.
After discussions we agreed that Kallicrates should introduce ourselves, but emphasize that we were not wall guards but an independent company of mercenaries. He thought we could walk into the Agora and town but we would attract attention so we waited while he had a nap and then left to get an introduction to Platon for us. He returned after a couple of hours having arranged an interview for the noble Agripinus and whoever he wanted to take with him.
We assembled and followed Kallicrates up the harbour steps and through the gate. We worked our way through a compact city with many stone buildings, and the damaged Agora and then beyond into a town hall. Here we were admitted into an antechamber by a guard. We waited half an hour or so before an underling showed us into a Greek hall with a dozen Greeks on guard.
Kallicrates told Platon that we were mercenaries on his ship, men and an Amazon who could keep a secret and might be able to help in his military situation. He would leave it for us to discuss as experts and specialists and he would return to his ship.
Agripinus introduced himself and the rest of our group and explained that we had heard of Emporion’s plight and sought to aid him. We had sworn an oath of secrecy and would like more information he added.
Platon looked like a grizzled army commander in his late forties. He was well muscled and in good shape with the scars of an experienced warrior. After we repeated our oath of secrecy the Tyrant explained that the city was being molested by a demon invoked by foreigners and which needed to be dealt with before confidence in trade failed. The creature issued forth at night near the full moon from the necropolis he added. His men had tried digging it out and blocking it in to no avail. Various priests had tried warding and banishing the demon but to no effect apart from leaving multiple vacancies at various temples. He hoped Tanit might prove more effective. He would provide free accommodation and free rein to investigate the necropolis. If we succeeded, he would be grateful and would provide citizenship and a reward. If we failed, we would be buried with full military honours.
Agripinus thanked him and told him that we needed to gather information, talk to the temple and any with experience related to the problem. We would then talk of requirements and rewards. Platon seemed happy with that and pulled out a carved wooden baton, a skeptron, and told Agripinus to show it to any priests or guards and they would co-operate. He mentioned the temples to Artemis, Zeus Serapis and in particular Asclepius, which was famed throughout the region, we would be provided healing if needed by the latter. The Tyrant reminded us that this was a secret mission within the walls of town. He did not want word spreading over the Blessed Sea. We agreed to return at sunset.
From Sammus’s Boast:
We agreed to investigate in three pairs, so while Amphius and Mago headed to the markets to find what rumours they could hear and Agripinus and Si'aspiqo went to visit the temples, Toxoannassa and I followed the main street south, towards the Temples. It was clear that Emporion was a compact city and its walls were strong, built of ancient stone with a parapet and guard-walk from one end to the other. Only two gates pierced the walls – the sea gate led down to the port, while the south gate led to the lands outside. Many shacks, sheds and dry-stone enclosures stretched out from the walls, while the necropolis covered a low hill a few hundred paces to the West. There was only light cover around, nothing to worry skirmishers or small bands of soldiers.
At the necropolis a funeral was taking place, watched over by two city guards. They questioned us in Greek, and we gave them a note that Si'aspiqo had lettered for us. They accepted that we were mercenaries, here by Platon’s authority and just asked to leave the mourners alone. There were no forbidden areas but they told us not to enter the pit as it wasn’t safe and grave goods were sacred. They wouldn’t discuss the gorgon as it was above their pay grade, but suggested we talk to their sergeant back at the gate. They added that they were on duty all day and that it was quiet as always.
The guards added that we had to be back inside the walls before dark as the gates would be locked then and no-one would be admitted as the curfew started when the cryer called out. Anyone outside after that would be arrested. One of them then noticed that Toxoanassa was an Amazon and he and his companion had an excited conversation in Greek as we left them and explored the necropolis.
The necropolis was empty, apart from the funeral party. Amidst the older stones, at the North end, was a deep pit, at least 20 feet deep. It looked like a sink-hole, with various excavations all around and clods of earth and stones scattered in all directions. If someone had tried filling it in, something had dug it out from below, with ease. A faint smell of burned leather came from the pit; the bottom was dark and lay in shadow, even by the light of day. There were numerous tombs nearby as the necropolis was a jumble of graves all packed together, many were weathered, and tilted with age, but there was nothing obvious to report.
We found find the sergeant. He said that the topic was not to be discussed openly, and called his captain from nearby. We were directed into a small room in the wall. The captain looked at our note. “Prudent. I am taking this at face value, as you would be in a lot of trouble if it was a lie. If Platon has let you in on the secret, I will comply with his orders on the matter. But I have not got any yet. So come back tomorrow.” Then he nodded politely, and left. After a minute, so did we as sunset was not so far away and we wanted to hear what our companions had found.
Amphius and Mago reported a number of rumours. The Celt Iberians were said to be on the warpath and might be at the city gates by winter. The wealthy widow Jubella was looking for a new lover. There was report of big stakes gambling dice game tonight and someone had claimed to have found the dice of Kyros lying in the gutter after a recent festival and was asking for a loan of 100gp to be repaid thrice over from his winnings. It was rumoured that Platon secretly worshiped Baal and was in league with the Carthaginians. Subscriptions for the next phase of the Zeus-Serapis Temple were available and now was thought to be a beneficial time to invest. They heard nothing of Gorgons, curfews or murders in the street, just a joke that hauntings would continue until morale improved. They also heard that the local coinage had a woman on one side and a winged horse on the other. Amphius knew that the winged horse, Pegasus was the offspring of Medusa. Zeus-Serapis was a reworking of Zeus building on the eastern Gods and it seemed to Amphius a little odd for this to be here in Emporion. He wondered if this was relevant to the eastern prophet or priest that had been executed.
Si'aspiqo reported that he and Agripinus had gone to the temple district near the southern wall. Starting at the temple of Artemis, the huntress, associated with hunting, healing and childbirth, where the priestess Andromeda had read a bland statement that the temple supported Platon and stood on the wall with the citizens to defend the city. She said that they knew no more about Jeremiah than could be heard as gossip in the agora.
At the temple of Asclepius, Calix the Dominee was far more positive in attitude. He took them to see a guard, who was being treated, a survivor of one of the attacks. His squad were overrun and had no back up magical or priestly. He said the demon stank of something bad thrown on the fire. He waxed poetic, describing how the demon had come out of the darkness black as soot and as fast as a wild boar. It was as hard as stone and had smashed his shield, arm and helmet and knocked him out. His sergeant had been taken back over the wall and bits found of him in the necropolis area. He wished us good luck, adding that we would need it.
At the half-built temple of Zeus-Serapis, the senior surviving priest was Barack the Younger. He was not very friendly, seeming offended that foreigners and unbelievers should be coming to rescue them. He thought the populace was being punished for a lack of faith in Serapis.
The High Priest, Aeges had stood against the demon. He had made his preparations and gone to the tomb along with his guards but they had not succeeded and the priest had been torn to pieces. All that had been found of him was his hand still wearing a ring. They learnt a little of Jeremiah, who Barack really seemed to detest. He had been an eastern merchant and apothecary who had been around Emporion for several years. He was a respectable man who paid his taxes, but his wife, from Tyre, had attracted the ire of all and sundry. She might have been a priestess but was seen as a witch. Barack was careful, not to say her name aloud, although he spelt it out for them.
Barack thought that Jeremiah had been turned from his Hebraic faith by his wife. It was not clear how long she had been in Emporion. It was alleged that she had put curses on people and certainly some people had fallen sick. There had been a riot and her place had been turned over by a mob. She was found guilty by the judgment of the people and had been lynched. Jeremiah had tried to defend her and paid with his life. It seemed Jeremiah had been stoned to death and then her corpse had been burnt and scattered.
Si'aspiqo understood her name was “Isabel” which might be translated as “Vow of God”. Agripinus pointed out that it might be Ize-baal which would mean “Promised to Baal” or “Bride of Baal”. He wondered if perhaps this was no Greek Gorgon but an incarnation of the Vengeance for Baal for something which had occurred in the city. He hoped that as a priest of Tanit he might be better placed to deal with anything related to Baal that the other local priest had been.
Barack, when asked if anything had been left of the Fane of the sorceress, took great delight in explain the way that everything that could be burnt had been burnt, anything that could melted had been melted. Anything remaining had been thrown into the sea.
Returning to the temple of Asclepius there were strange rumours Imhotep and Asclepius had been linked in some way. Si'aspiqo gave a sleep of healing to the surviving guard they had interviewed, who immediately fell deeply unconscious.
We discussed what we had found and agreed that we would take this quest on. We agreed that Agripinus should ask for 2000gp to be shared between us and suggest that we watch from the walls tonight. After we had finished our discussions, it was time to meet Platon. As before we were met by guards and shown in, but his time Platon was dressed in full battle gear. He had impressive armour, with a finely made metal cuirass with bronze cast shapes, pteruges, greaves and a large helmet close at hand.
There was a hush from the guard as though waiting orders to deal with us, when Agripinus made his demand. Platon raised his eyebrows and said “A serious fee for a serious business.” However, if Agripinus swore to deal with the demon or die in the effort he agreed to pay us 2,000gp. In addition, he would give full logistical support, provide any healing and give us an honourable burial if we died. He doubted we would need citizenship if we had 2,000gp. Agripinus added that any spoils of any battle should also come to us and agreed to provide the head as proof.
Platon led us to the temple of Artemis and bashed on the door. We were quickly admitted into the courtyard, from whence Andromeda took us to the inner sanctum. Here Agripinus swore on our behalf to Tanit in the sight of Artemis to take on the Gorgon or die in the attempt. Platon swore to support us as valued mercenaries and to pay us 2,000gp if we killed the Gorgon.
We marched back to the administrative building and Platon invited us to an informal supper. He suggested we join the duty guard a couple of hours before midnight. Platon had a word with one of his officers and quarters were made ready for us in a wall barracks. At Agripinus’s request a small room was included for Toxoanassa.
A small feast was prepared, which was a mix of formal and informal like a military camp meal. There was a general conversation with the Greek soldiers, which mentioned the current military situation. There was a curfew and the gates were locked and guarded. We learnt that the Gorgon could scale the walls even though they were sheer. Sometimes it seemed to be a whisp of smoke, but at other times it was material with teeth and claws; it usually took any victims back over the wall to eat. Once it had eaten it did not usually reappear until the next new moon. It seemed to delight in eating priests and priests no longer held ceremonies by the pit. We asked if it broke into houses, but it seemed to take its victims from the streets hence the curfew. It was said that anyone who had died in a house had either left a door open or invited someone in.
We were shown our quarters and then let up on to the wall. The wall was higher than any of the buildings except maybe some of the temple roofs. There was an urban wall on the sea side with a cliff down to the sea and military walls for the rest. The whole of the western wall was about 250m to 300m long.
All was quiet until midnight, it was warm and dry, and very dark until the moon started to rise. The rest of the night was also uneventful and we return to our quarters when the sun came up to get some rest.
From Sammus’s Boast:
We slept for the morning and then after some refreshments went our separate ways until we reconvened later in the afternoon to take stock and make our plans for the night.
Amphius had bought some kantharos to hold holy water, while Mago had bought and whittled cork to make lids for them. Agripinus blessed one of them. He also had four earthenware pots of holy water, one was freshly blessed but the other three had travelled with us from Karalis and would need to be blessed again – he could do one a day. The priest had also procured some protective leather wrappings for my sword arm.
We discussed our plans and Amphius in particular was keen on setting up in the Agora to try to tempt the gorgon to attack us in the open there. If there were guards on the wall and patrolling the streets or if townspeople broke the curfew and were out in the streets, then the gorgon might attack them and return to its lair without us having a chance to intervene. Amphius would prefer that the guard and watch were kept inside. Otherwise, we would have to set up outside the wall; we all agreed that we would not want to fight against the gorgon on the walls which had a narrow walkway with a long drop on either side.
Agripinus went to Platon to outline our plan. He returned to inform us that the Tyrant was unwilling to leave the wall undefended. The curfew was always broken by someone and he also did not want the city to be defenceless. Agripinus had agreed that we would set up outside about 50 yards from the wall, and 100 yards from the pit. We made our way through the gate and found a suitable site where there was light cover from low walls and dykes, but a pretty clear view to the necropolis. The night passed uneventfully.
We ate on returning to our rooms and then slept until noon. We had refreshments and again arranged to reconvene later in the afternoon. Si'aspiqo gathered some torches and a modest amount of whale oil and requested some brimstone. He returned to the Temple of Asclepius and saw Urion, the wounded guardsman. Urion had slept for more than a day, and had awoken hungry but his head had healed well. The temple now accepted Si'aspiqo as a proven healer. The magician cast a less powerful version of his spell again on Urion who still had an arm injury.
Toxoanassa went to the temple of Artemis, where the priestess Andromeda said she had been forewarned of her coming, and told by the goddess what to do. Andromeda gave her a bowstring of hair, blessed by the Temple. Andromeda said that if she were to string this to her bow, and call thrice upon the goddess by moonlight, she would become her avatar. Tidings of dire import indeed, for those that walk for the gods are truly in peril. Yet Toxoanassa took the hair, and wore her fate lightly. Agripinus prayed to Tanit, asking for her help in dealing with the demon.
An hour before dusk we emerged from the city and made our way to the Necropolis. There were two guards nearby, but they knew who we were and did not disturb us. There were a lot of worn and tumbled gravestones scattered about the area. Around the large hole were clods of dried earth which looked as though they had been cast out from deep within the pit. The hole was at least 20 feet deep and the size of a house. The sides sloped down at 45 degrees or more. The hole was smaller at the bottom, maybe the size of a room. Mago, Si'aspiqo and I could detect a burnt smell from the pit, but there was no smoke and the others did not notice the smell. Si'aspiqo thought it smelt unnatural. I thought it looked a tricky climb down to the bottom of the pit in armour.
We set up 100 yards away from the pit in a yard outside a ruined hut. Agripinus cast a glyph of warding in the yard and marked it with stones. We lit a couple of torches at dusk but the moon came up brightly soon after and we did not really need them. It would be the full moon on the following day. Nothing had disturbed us by midnight and Si'aspiqo tried to sleep. He slept fitfully as though something was coming but it never arrived, and the night passed without incident.
We returned to the barracks again and slept until noon. At lunchtime a guardsman arrived and handed a small package to Si'aspiqo; it was the brimstone he had requested. The magician ground it into powder giving him several handfuls, which he put in a pouch. We then headed out of the city again to investigate the pit.
Looking into the bottom of the pit, we realised that no matter how high the sun, the bottom of the pit was always in shadow – the shadows seemed like those around Kaskator. Agripinus cast the light of Tanit and directed it into the pit; the shadow receded and now only covered a small plot in the corner.
Amphius climbed down and had a look around. Mago tried to follow him and slipped and fell heavily, cutting his head open. Mago climbed back up and Agripinus stitched and healed the wound. Meanwhile Amphius investigated and found a five feet long, stone-lined, slightly arched passageway about five feet high, which led from the corner of the pit. He headed into the passageway to investigate….
From Sammus’s Boast:
After a few minutes Amphius returned from the tunnel to report his findings. “Looking into the passage from outside it looks dark, very dark – like some of the narrower passages in Kaskator. Once entered the passage remains supernaturally dark, although there is enough light from outside to back-illuminate anyone entering, at least initially”.
He had sneaked forward to the full dark and found a continuing narrow, constrained passage with a number of 90 degree turns. At one turn he noted a small inscription high in one corner: “The Knossian Made This” which reminded him of pre-historic Cretan labyrinths he had been told of as a child. Continuing for some turns there was a smell of something burnt in the passage, but again all remained dark. Although he could see a little, he suspected that others might not be able to, even with torches. Supernatural positive light would, of course, be more effective at suppressing the present dark environment…
We discussed our options. The passage was very small for me and would prevent us from manoeuvring, so we decided the best option was to face the demon as it emerged from the tunnel. Si'aspiqo sent Mago into a short healing sleep, and after an hour he had completely recovered. Meanwhile Amphius went into the city and returned with a shovel, a pick and some rope and pegs. He set up two knotted ropes up the sides of the pit and pegged them in place, while Mago set to work constructing a set of steps. Once he had set up the ropes Amphius helped Mago with the steps.
Si'aspiqo prepared two fire flutes and Agripinus set up a glyph of warding where the passageway exited into the pit. The priest warned me to invoke Tanit if I crossed the area protected by the glyph of warding. Si'aspiqo also cast an area of protection there. The moon rose and we waited. Mago and Amphius continued with the steps. Agripinus and I stood guard in the pit and Si'aspiqo and Toxoanassa watched from the rim. Amphius would join myself and Agripinus in the pit and Mago would join the others around the rim as soon as anything happened or when they finished work on the steps.
The night passed uneventfully, so in the morning we headed through the gate back into the city. The gatekeeper said we must have kept the monster at bay, as the city had remained quiet, but we knew it would be the full moon tonight. Agripinus requested three spare shields and a squad of men to finish the steps. The captain of the watch organized some citizens and sent them out with the Necropolis guards and provided the requested shields. We rested for the morning.
Si'aspiqo recharged all his flutes and returned to the necropolis where one of the diggers reported the markings for Agripinus’s glyph of warding. The magician made his way to the pit and muttered over them and told the digger all was safe now but to keep away from the entranceway, which he was glad to comply with.
By dusk we were all in place back at the pit with two sets of steps having been completed. Agripinus checked his glyph and it was still active. Soon after dusk the full moon rose and Si'aspiqo recast his protection. We shared out six containers of holy water with the majority going to the skirmishers. Si'aspiqo ran through the rhyme for me to trigger my own protection from evil and then started to meditate. I set up one spare shield in the pit and the other two at the top of the steps.
After an hour or so Toxoanassa pointed and asked “what is that at the entrance?”. Amphius saw some mist or a whisp of smoke and threw a bottle of holy water at it. The bottle shattered on the ground or the side of the pit and spread holy water around. Agripinus started singing a hymn and we all felt emboldened. Amphius threw another bottle of holy water which didn’t seem to hit anything but smashed and scattered holy water around. Toxoanassa ran around the pit with her bow drawn.
Agripinus thought that his glyph had not been passed. He triggered his holy orb and gradually increased the light of Tanit that it cast. Amphius drew his bow and headed towards the steps. I heard Toxoanassa utter a prayer to Artemis and then her bow seemed to burst into yellow gold flames. In the increased light from Agripinus’s orb I saw the whisp of smoke disappearing out of the pit and I followed Amphius up the steps. Toxoanassa, her bow and an arrow were all limned in yellow gold flames and I saw a burning gold arrow arc towards the smoke and then strike sparks.
Toxoanassa fired another golden arrow and Mago followed her around the pit, while Si'aspiqo was startled out of his trance and leapt to his feet. Amphius reached the top of the steps and I was not far behind him. I could see a blot of darkness and then the flash of sparks from another of the Scythian’s arrows. I headed for the darkness as it closed on Amphius. He was clutching two kantharos of holy water. He threw the first just before the shadow reached him, but missed. The shadow seemed to move extremely quickly and Amphius tried to hit it with the second kantharos, but again missed. There was a discommoding smell from the darkness of smoke and something other worldly and the Greek was overcome and hurled himself into the pit in terror.
Mago threw a kantharos and hit the shadow. The kantharos shattered and scattered holy water; the demon let out a roar. Toxoanassa struck it with another flaming arrow and I came into contact and stabbed it with my shortsword. It was very quick and hit me on the leg and knocked me on to one knee. It seemed to be a beast with four legs but then it seemed to be on just two. It seemed to lash out with claws like a bear. I made out hair, claws and a horrible demonic beast face. The blackness dissipated and collapsed into small blots. Mago threw a second kantharos and it shattered on the ground.
Amphius followed Agripinus up the stairs comforted by the hymn the priest was still singing. Toxoanassa fired another arrow at the dissipating target and it stuck into the black mess right in front of me. I got to my feet as there was no target and tried to stab the mass, but there was nothing to stab, so I dropped a bottle of holy water on the blots and again it smashed and scattered more holy water. The remaining blots of darkness seemed to drift like heavy vapour. The vapour started to rise and as Agripinus stepped forward it seemed to shrink away from him and slithered back into the pit. Toxoanassa shot again but the arrow went straight through the mist.
Agripinus used priestly magic to summon an arcane weapon, with which he could strike from distance. Si'aspiqo cast protection from evil on Amphius. The Greek now recovered, stepped toward the shadow as it closed on the entrance to the passage. He tried to stab it with a magic dagger, but the blade just went through the shadow. Toxoanassa, still limed with golden flames shot again, but the arrow also passed through without seeming to cause any damage.
Agripinus missed with his arcane weapon. Guided by the light of Tanit from Agripinus’s orb, I headed back down the steps. Agripinus struck with his arcane weapon and the whisp of smoke shrank away. It avoided the ground where Agripinus’s glyph was still warding and disappeared into the tunnel, scuttling along almost like a smoky hand.
From Sammus’s Boast:
The shadowy form disappeared into the dark passage, with Amphius and Agripinus watching and I jogged down the steps to join them. Amphius and I indicated we were willing to follow but Agripinus thought we should wait out the night and then set up again tomorrow. If nothing happened for a few days then we could investigate.
Toxoanassa, still limned in a golden glow, ran down to join us, but did not hesitate, plunging straight into the low, narrow passage. Amphius followed her immediately, while I dropped my large shield and grabbed a smaller one and rushed after them. Agripinus and the others paused at the entrance and Si'aspiqo cast a protection from evil on Mago.
I had to jog almost bent double to try to keep up with my more lightly armed comrades and the disappearing golden glow, which gave the only illumination. As I went, I counted the turns in the passage: a left, four rights, three lefts. Here Toxoanassa paused and took a couple of breaths and I caught up. Two rights turns were followed by a longer stretch, three rights, two lefts, two rights, three lefts. The stretches between the turns shortened which slowed the Scythian and I was able to keep up.
Three more right turns and then Toxoanassa got to one knee as the inky shadow sprang out of the passage around a corner just ahead of her. The arrow struck the dark form, which emitted a horrible roaring noise and then leapt to attack the archer. Amphius shrank against the wall and I managed to squeeze past him.
Toxoanassa dodged back and drew an arrow. To her bow of burning gold. She fired and struck the demon, which looked like a huge, long-haired dog or perhaps a bear, with a hideous anthropomorphic face. She tried to stab the demon with an arrow and did some more damage and I stabbed at it over her as she dodged low. I hit it again as Toxoanassa collapsed to the ground and it cascaded into blots of darkness. I stabbed at it with my shortsword but it was like thrusting into a sack of rice and whatever it was just seemed to flow around my blade. The golden light around Toxoanassa faded and the passage was plunged into darkness.
Amphius moved forward and, in some strange Greek ritual, pissed on the blobs of darkness or powder before stabbing at them with his Egyptian dagger. Now all was totally black, but he told me he could see a mist starting to come off the remains. Just ahead was a corner where the passage turned to the right.
After what seemed an age in the blackness, but can hardly have been a minute, Amphius managed to spark my torch, but just as it caught light, we saw behind us the brilliant white illumination of the light of Tanit with Agripinus leading the rest of our comrades along the passage towards us.
Agripinus passed me and Amphius pointed out where the shadow had been. In the corner to the right there was a cloud of vapour wafting down the passage. The vapour was coalescing into a huge spidery hand. It slithered along the floor becoming more substantial as it went. Agripinus focused the light of Tanit and struck with his arcane weapon. The shadow seemed to shrink from the light and writhed along the passage. Ahead was a stone box, like an altar, in a ten-foot square chamber with no other exit. On the altar was smoke or vapour rising from a bowl on the altar. The priest used his light to force the smokey hand into a corner in the ceiling of the room and then smashed a flask of holy water into the bowl, which seemed to suppress the vapour.
There were carvings with the name of Baal on the altar he told us. It looked like a fane with a sacrificial fire which had now been extinguished. The light of Tanit continued to constrain the smoky hand and Amphius entered the chamber, crunching on some bones scattered on the floor. There were more behind the altar. He levered at the top which seemed to move. Agripinus poked at the hand with his arcane weapon and I helped Amphius with the top of altar and we slid it off the altar and it clunked down onto the floor. There was nothing but ashes inside.
Meanwhile Si'aspiqo checked that Toxoanassa was still breathing and then cast protection from evil on the Scythian himself. He noticed Toxoanassa’s bow had no bow string and burnt tips.
I tried to smash the lid, but was enveloped by the smoky hand which had briefly escaped the light of Tanit. Si'aspiqo’s protection from evil still worked and I shrugged it off and Agripinus forced it back into the corner of the ceiling with the light of Tanit. Mago tipped holy water into the box to soak the ashes within.
After a few attempts I managed to lift up and smash down the lid of the altar and it cracked and a piece broke off. It took quite a few more attempts before I finally managed to get a better grip and dashed it onto the rest of the altar and the lid broke into two. The vapour and smoke dissipated and the light of Tanit burnt even more brightly. There were numerous skulls and cracked bones scattered around the chamber.
Agripinus checked Toxoanassa, and saw just superficial scratches. She was profoundly unconscious but there was no sign of a wound. He cast cure light wounds and made her comfortable, while Amphius looked for concealed spaces and Si'aspiqo checked for any magic. Neither of them found anything. The magician said the lid of the altar had a carved inscription in Phoenician and then scrawlings in an obscure eastern language. He started to take careful notes. Mago spotted a glint of metal in the soggy ash and fished out two pieces of silver linked together on a silver chain – a star interlinked with a Phoenician or Carthaginian symbol.
We set off back up the passage with Si'aspiqo and Mago carrying Toxoanassa and me with one half of the altar lid under each arm. We emerged safely into the cool air and moonlight and made our way to the gatehouse.
Agripinus spoke to the watch and told them to open up as we had dealt with the demon and had an injured comrade. The gate was opened and a runner was sent to Platon. We took Toxoanassa to the temple of Artemis and then went to report to the Tyrant.
We were met by Platon in full armour and his guards. Agripinus told him we had dealt with the demon and related how we had followed it to its lair and broken the tablet which was the lid of the altar and described how the vapour had then dissipated. He said he would investigate the tablet by the light of day and consult with his priests. If it was as we said we would have fulfilled our mission. He told us we should return to the necropolis to ensure we had completed our task as we believed. He would give thought to what we had told him and meet with us again. We returned to the Necropolis and completed our watch, which was undisturbed.
In the morning we enquired of Toxoanassa at the Temple of Artemis and were told that she was awake but exhausted, and could be visited at noon.
We rested for the morning and then returned to the Temple to speak with Toxoanassa. She lay in bed, still weak from her exertions, and told us that it seemed Artemis had taken a forceful hand and she had had little say in what had happened in the Labyrinth. As was foretold, those that walk for the gods are truly in peril. We discussed what should be done next and decided we should collect the remaining ashes and maybe drop them in sea. The ceremonial fire in the bowl must have been started by someone but it could have been left burning for a very long time. Agripinus thought he perform a ceremony to ensure nothing could easily be summoned there again.
We went to see Platon again and Agripinus looked at the tablet. He saw there were two scripts, one to Baal in Phoenician, carved into the rock, and then another scribbled in a different script maybe Persian or Hebrew, perhaps Syrian or another Palestinian language. The latter was in dark ink which might be a mixture of blood and something else and had been added within a generation; the original lettering looked fairly old, maybe two or three hundred years old, within a few hundred years of Carthage’s founding.
Agripinus and Si'aspiqo looked at the silver jewelry. There was a female form dedicated to Baal interlinked with an odd star which the magician said was a star of David. It was an amulet to go round the neck. They wondered how old the labyrinth was – maybe there were records. They also wondered what or who had been burned there. Platon told them that no-one had worshipped Baal round here for years, but thought that Barak the younger from the Temple of Zeus Serapis might have an idea. Agripinus said that the fane was now no longer active and would need to be rededicated by a priest of Baal.
Platon said that he could provide any labour required but Agripinus would be ideal for dealing with any remaining threat from the demon of Baal. We could seal up the fane or cause it to collapse, then seal up the outside and fill in the hole. If we stayed until the next full moon and all remained quiet then we could then sail away with our reward.
From Sammus’s Boast:
Amphius returned to the labyrinth and completed a search of the stone box with the ashes. He returned with eight more pieces of silver jewelry, similar to what Mago found, but all were individually made and varied from piece to piece.
About 2 o’clock in the afternoon Platon sent a message to Agripinus requesting that the priest took him to the altar in the labyrinth. He arrived soon after accompanied by Gate-Captain Orthon and six grizzled veterans. Toxoanassa stayed resting under the attention of the priestess Andromeda, but the rest of us accompanied them to the pit.
Amphius entered the passage ahead in the darkness and Agripinus provided the light of Tanit for the rest of us. We followed the same turns as before and reached the chamber with the altar. Amphius picked up the stone bowl that had held the flame. Platon had a good look around as Agripinus explained again to Platon exactly what had happened and where.
After a few minutes we retraced our steps to the outside. He explained that the entrance was now forbidden, although Agripinus could return to carry out a formal ceremony to ensure that the altar could not be reused. The tyrant invited us to a private dinner that night to outline his plans. We marched back to the city with Platon but some of the guards remained on watch at the pit.
That night we went to the tyrant’s residence where we ate with Platon. There were a few guards outside the hall, but apart from servers no-one else joined us. Platon explained that tomorrow he would call a meeting of the citizens to explain the recent events. He then told us what he planned to say:
“Last night foreign mercenaries penetrated a secret temple to Baal under the necropolis and drove the Gorgon back underground by the holy light of Tanit. Our patron goddess Artemis then took a hand and using the Amazon as her weapon slew the Gorgon with holy fire. I have seen with my own eyes the altar under the necropolis where this all took place. The Amazon was sorely wounded by the Gorgon but is now recovering under the care of the Temple of Artemis. Agripinus and his band of warriors will help destroy forever the altar and once that is done, we can be sure the Gorgon has been eliminated. There will be a festival in four weeks to celebrate and then I will return my skeptron and hand over power to the council. Four seats on the council that are now vacant – Barak will take over the chair of Aeges, and elections will be held for the three others. Those that fled the city abandoned their seats.”
He told us that it was important that we all stuck to the same tale and thought it would be best if Toxoanassa was not exhausted by questioning. He hoped that electioneering would quieten any unrest but was concerned that rumours might be spread. He wanted to keep the temples on our side. He thought this would not be a problem for the other temples, but he was worried about Barak. He urged us to do our best to keep things on an even keel.
Agripinus asked if he was expecting trouble. Platon replied that it was possible, but the populace would be keen to get back to normal. “Times of great change are times of peril”. He didn’t wish to extend his post as tyrant, but he was concerned that Barak or someone else might try to rouse the mob. He wanted no rumours of foreigner worshippers raising Baal and calls to expel them, or rumours that this had been devised by foreigners to make a profit leading to reprisals.
Agripinus wondered if Platon could buy our stone for the Temple of Zeus Serapis. The tyrant replied that he was intending condemning some of the existing buildings in the old acropolis so that the stone could be used for this purpose. If we donated our marble, it would be a very generous gift he added. Finally, he told us we should be ready to sail straight after the celebrations.
I asked what I should say if I was asked who had been worshipping Baal and Si'aspiqo suggested I should say that as far as I knew it was just the witch and her husband. The rest of the dinner passed quietly. Platon agreed to supply logistical help with closing up the tunnel and filling in the pit.
The next day as Toxoanassa continued her recuperation, the rest of us returned to the pit. Agripinus spent a few hours on a ceremony to cleanse the altar while Amphius and Si'aspiqo mapped out the labyrinth and took measurements, and Mago and I looked at how best to seal up the place. Mago thought it would be easier to brick up the entrance, rather than break down the passageways as it was very well made. Amphius and Si'aspiqo thought the labyrinth covered an area probably 100 feet or less square. The walls were one brick thick. Stone and lime were ferried by a work party and made ready to fill in the passageway. Supervised by Mago over a couple of days, the last ten feet of the passage, all the way to the ceiling was filled with stone and mortar. After that we left the gravediggers and an army work party to the long task of filling in the pit.
Amphius went and fetched Kallicrates who had listened to Platon’s speech, which had been as he had described to us. Kallicrates was interested to hear our story and was glad to hear that Toxoanassa was recovering well as he had noticed her absence. Agripinus and Amphius explained to him Platon’s fears of Barak’s rabble rousing against foreigners and profiteers. We discussed what to do with the blocks of marble and agreed it would be politic to donate a block to Barak and then sell the other two.
Kallicrates and Agripinus went to Barak and donated a block as agreed. They then sold the other two blocks to the priest for just enough to cover our costs. Kallicrates was disappointed but philosophical about the politics involved. We each donated 10gp to the Greek merchant to compensate him for the loss of his expected profit. He was a little surprised but was happy as this would pay for food for the crew.
We agreed to stay in the town rather than in the more isolated Acropolis and Amphius and Kallicrates went to look for a modest town house. They met Lander a local merchant who supplied a small property which he was more than happy to donate for free for as long as the heroes of the hour needed it. He plied the two men with wine. We did not see them until they crawled back the next morning looking very hungover.
The house was on the maritime side of city, and we found that Lander was one of the merchants standing for election to the council, which was why he had been keen to loan us the town house. We visited the Temple of Artemis again to find Toxoanassa was recovering but still strained as though recovering from an illness.
From Sammus’s Boast:
As the moon waned, Emporion buzzed anew with gossip and social activity. With the Gorgon slain and sealed in its underground labyrinth, colour and life began to return to the streets. The gates were still closed at dusk, and the curfew bell rung late in the evening, but the faces of the people no longer showed the strain and fear of the week before.
Agripinus, Amphius, Mago and I took up the generous offer of accommodation made by the merchant Lander, leaving Si'aspiqo to study in peace in our former quarters in the city wall. I approached Orthon the gate captain asking him to recommend a tutor to teach me some Greek and he pointed out a side street and I met the teacher cleaning the courtyard as a group of young men swarmed out into the street. He told me he could come to our quarters each evening for a gold piece per session and I agreed.
The Greek schoolteacher, spent time each evening with me and Mago joined me in the lessons, he complained of my accent and the fact that I could not read, but I did start to make progress. I went to a few parties and accepted a few amorous invitations but managed to keep out of trouble. Mago also attended some of the parties and missed the curfew after one but managed to get home safely at dawn.
Kallicrates made his ship and crew available to assist Platon in his transfer of stone and timber from the acropolis to the construction plot surrounding the Temple of Zeus-Serapis. Every day the ship ferried stone to the harbour, and parties of citizen-soldiers dragged carts through the city. Kallicrates was always involved in the deliveries of stone to the Temple, and publicly praised the pious work of the citizens. Mago and I often helped with the work.
Platon dismantled several buildings in the old acropolis and kept the stone and timber moving every day for a fortnight. Soon the Temple was surrounded by new mounds of materials as the masons and joiners there were overwhelmed by the volume arriving. In pride of place were set out three blocks of imported white marble ready for carving into statues. Even the irascible Barak the Younger seemed satisfied with progress and pleased with the involvement of so many citizens and even some foreigners in this worthy work.
After a week or so, Toxoanassa slipped out of the temple of Artemis just before the curfew bell sounded and made her way to the quarters in the wall occupied by Si'Aspiqo. She remained there quietly, but within a few days rumours spread through the streets and a small crowd gathered outside hoping to catch a glimpse of Artemis walking the earth in the guise of a naked Amazon. One enterprising citizen even brought a beautiful white horse to the door in the hope of enticing her to ride through the streets unclothed. The disappointment of the crowd was palpable when all they saw of the goddess was a small fist connecting with the ear of her supplicant.
Amphius went to many more parties than Mago or I and as he spoke Greek had many more interactions with Greek citizens. He built up some contacts and learnt a little of who was standing in the elections and their platforms particularly about Lander but did not follow the finer points of the campaign. He and I continued to train, and he made good progress. However, I was still unable to throw the javelin with much accuracy, although on occasion I could throw it a long way.
Si'aspiqo spent his time ensconced in the barracks poring over scrolls and such like. When we saw him, he was enthusiastic about some scrolls he was reading concerning the story of a Greek called Agamemnon and his wife. Toxoanassa had joined him after her convalescence at the Temple of Artemis. She seemed more contemplative than before, and I noticed a streak of grey in her hair.
Strips of coloured rags began to adorn the alleyways as local politics gathered momentum and the elections drew ever closer. Platon or his gate-captains attended most rallies with a few guardsmen to prevent things becoming too heated. Even so, the Greeks seemed inclined to do a great deal of shouting, jeering, and clapping in their philosophical debates, and some of the finer points of rhetoric involved pugilistic scuffling. Still, no actual riots broke out, and the various manifestos advanced did not include the incarceration, expulsion or execution of any sect or race of foreigners. Instead debate seemed to revolve around money: duties due, property taxes, qualifications for voting, how much should be spent on public festivals, and whose image should feature on the next issue of silver coin from the city mint.
At last, Emporion was covered in bunting with the elections only a few days away when a large black bireme rows into harbour, with a black banner streaming from the masthead. This news raced through the streets as only rumour can… for at last the temple of Nemesis had sent its Heroes to save Emporion from the Gorgon.
On hearing the news Agripinus started putting on his parade armour, suggested we all we all got dressed up in our best but with belt weapons only. He sent word to Si'aspiqo and Toxoanassa to join us. Agripinus led us all towards Platon’s headquarters at the administration centre of Emporion and we took position on the street nearby to await the arrival of the Heroes of Nemesis.
After a short while 24 hoplites in two files came into view. Each wore a bronze, plumed helmet, a black linothorax and carried a shield with the same device. All were tall and sunburnt with spears gleaming in the sunlight as they marched in step without the aid of music or drums. They were led by a man, or was it a woman? He ordered them to halt in front of the administration building and was greeted by Platon. The leader removed his helmet revealing long blonde curly hair; all the same he was clearly male. He introduced himself in Greek, but despite my lessons I wasn’t entirely sure what he said. Platon nodded at Agripinus and indicated that he was to follow and the rest of us accompanied him.
We entered the same reception room as before, but this time it was packed – all twenty-four warriors were already inside and had piled their shields and spears in a corner. Most of the men stood at attention around the room. The curly haired man spoke to Platon, and I learned he was Boreas of the Sacred Band of Nemesis and claimed to be the foster son of the Goddess Nike.
Boreas explained that he and his men had come from Rhamnous in Attica at Platon’s request. They had had a long and arduous journey via Syracuse, where they had been forced to circle around the island of Sikelia as the straits of Messina had been closed due to war, then avoiding Sardinia for the same reason, taking on water in Kyrnos and then Massalia. They had arrived at last in Emporion after a three-month journey through storm and drought to find their quest had already been completed by foreigners. “These are strange times” Boreas concluded.
“Well met comrades, we are all brothers in arms”, he continued. “Wine!”, he called, “Let’s talk of old enemies and new friends!”. Agripinus and Platon were evidently relieved, they had been concerned what the reaction from this Greek hero would be, to find his arduous journey had been in vain.
Boreas introduced an old blind man named Apollidon – a blind seer. Our tale was repeated and again Agripinus told how he had driven the Gorgon below aided by Tanit and then Artemis had taken a hand in the form of the Scythian to destroy it. Apollidon asked to touch the Amazon’s face and she let him. The seer said that today she was but a woman, yet there was still a trace of the unseen, something strange about her. She was not Aphrodite but the real deal he added, to much laughter.
Boreas explained that he had gone to Delphi and spoken to the Pythia to ask his fate. He claimed to have been told that he would die in battle, but no mortal man could kill him. He had thought this would be an animal but now he realised that an Amazon might also fit the words.
Boreas was a slim, handsome man, fearless and intelligent with dazzling charisma and also narcissistic. He was all I would have expected in a Greek commander of heroes and more. He asked Agripinus what we were going to do now. He explained that with the Italians landing in Sicily there was going to be a major war with lots of work for the likes of us for years. He was going to head there he thought and asked us to join him. He would not want to work for Italians as he disliked the Romans but there would be much demand for mercenaries.
Agripinus declined and Boreas again asked him what our plans were. Toxoanassa indicated that Agripinus could reveal where we were headed and so the priest explained we were headed for the Pillars of Hercules. Apollidon joked that he would be a rich man if he had a gold piece for every time he had been offered a grey and a red rock from either side of the Pillars. He explained that there was an old tale of such rocks having power.
Boreas asked if we any fancy treasures to trade? He claimed to have a couple of Pyrrhus’s swords. When an old woman had knocked the King’s head off with a roof tile one had gone to Atogonas Gonates as loot and the other was from Alexander’s campaign he said. He told us he would be happy to trade and chat if we had anything.
Si'aspiqo said that we travelled light, while Amphius showed him his dagger. Apollidon felt the blade. The seer asked what had happened to his eyes and Amphius admitted that it had been due to his greed. Apollidon explained that he had lost his sight to disease. The seer said that the blade was old and cold and then put it to his tongue. He added that it had been long underground and asked Amphius how he had got it. Amphius told the seer that we had been delivering a man to his final resting place and something tried to prevent us. When the seer asked if it had been alive the Greek replied that it had once been alive and was certainly now dead. The seer passed the dagger on to Boreas saying that it was very old, but Boreas said a dagger was worth only half a sword. I decided not to mention my own blade.
Boreas showed a Greek blade in his belt, which had been made in Chersonisos in the Crimea near Scythia. He had another which was being rehafted back at their camp, it had come from India during Alexander’s campaign. All his men had Nemesis spears, which had been forged near the Temple of Nemesis and quenched in blood. They had planned to kill the Gorgon with these. Amphius told him of the Labyrinth.
Si'aspiqo sidled over to Apollidon and introduced himself as a Kushite and asked his opinion of the twisted green ring that had come from the Shedim’s lair. The seer thought it a token of protection. He touched Si'aspiqo’s face and asked if he were a seer too, to which Si'aspiqo replied, “In my dreams”.
“A dreamer from Kush, well we would have much to talk about. Are you here long?”. Si'aspiqo told the seer he would certainly be here for a few days. Boreas seemed friendly and seemed keen to make contact with Agripinus in particular.
Boreas and his men were given quarters in the Acropolis. They could be ferried across from there for the elections and the festival of celebration after confirmation of the Gorgon’s defeat.
The next day we accompanied Boreas as he inspected what was left of the hole in the Necropolis. He was joined by Apollidon, who had a black cat on his shoulder. The seer put the cat down and wandered the Necropolis muttering a few prayers. Boreas and his men stood guard with the watch at night, and I joined them, but the full moon came and went without interruption.
Si'aspiqo checked the silver jewelry we had found at the altar in the labyrinth for magic or power. He thought they were ritual tokens and might be usable for certain types of magic. He did not have access to these types of magic, but he thought they were probably worth keeping hold of to study further. Si'aspiqo spent some time in conversation with Apollidon.
We discussed our next destination with Kallicrates. He knew we were bound for the Pillars of Hercules and thought that it would be best to go straight to the next colony, Hemeroskopeion. It was a fading colony and might be abandoned, but it was the last Greek colony, just a day or so along coast. He thought of buying Greek pottery or ceramics or something from the market but concluded that anything available here would be probably available all along the coast. We could check out what was at Hemere Propion or maybe just pick up passengers there.
Kallicrates was glad to have Agripinus to lead us into Carthaginian territory. There had been many wars over the last 450 years between Greeks and Carthaginians. With Rome now involved this was no longer the case, but he still felt the ship would be more welcome at Carthaginian settlements further along the coast with the priest on board. Kallicrates bought supplies and made the ship ready to depart.
The local elections passed without incident and Lander came first on the poll. A celebration was held, and we were paid our fee of two talents of gold, which came in two heavy boxes of fine silver coins fresh from the Emporion mint, each bearing the face of Artems on one side, with a winged horse on the reverse.
From Sammus’s Boast:
Kallicrates had already bought supplies and so we set sail soon after the coins were carried on board. Agripinus shared out the coins – 300gp in silver minted coins to each of us and then gave 200gp worth to Kallicrates to pay for the ship and crew for the next period. There were 10 of these Emporion silver coins to a Carthaginian gold coin, rather than 20 as there would have been in Carthage as they were double the weight.
We left in fine weather and the wind strengthened from north on the second day, which was a good direction to sail along the coast and we drifted each night. On the afternoon of the third day there was a shout from the lookout as he spotted the watch tower that gave Hemeroskopeion its name. Odysseus yelled Port ho! and as the afternoon wore on, we rounded the point where the watch tower stood and then rowed northeast to enter the harbour late in the afternoon.
Everything was very quiet as we approached the harbour, and we could just hear the screeches of gulls and the lapping of waves on the shore. Despite our hails there was no response. There were fragments of boats up on the beach and posts pushed into the sand as a landing point, but everything seemed deserted, and the harbour was eerily silent. Everyone felt that something must be wrong.
The harbour was formed by a spit of sand made up of small islets with rock piled in between. To the right or south as we approached the shore, was the watch tower, which was well over 50 feet tall and to the left or North was the settlement, which had a palisade but no sign of any fires burning within. Kallicrates knew that the colony had been struggling, but had no knowledge that it had fallen so it seemed very strange that no-one seemed to be here. Agripinus gave an authoritative shout of “Show yourselves!” in Greek, which echoed around us, but no-one responded.
Kallicrates pulled the ship in close to shore and my comrades and I leapt into the surf and waded ashore. Once we were on land, the Greek kept the ship close by, but ready to leave. Amphius and Toxoanassa headed to the right to investigate the watch tower and I followed them, while Agripinus led Mago and Si'aspiqo to investigate the settlement.
It took a little time for me to catch up to the two lightly armed skirmishers by the watch tower. When I arrived, Amphius reported that there was no sign of any occupants, and more surprisingly there was no entrance and if there were any windows, they must have been very high up. The tower was perhaps 80 or 90 feet high with some sort of roof at the top, just above the battlements. It might be a shelter from the rain or maybe it housed some sort of engine to raise supplies and people to the top. There were signs of digging around the base but whoever had dug seemed to have found nothing. Amphius had seen similar towers used as a harbour light in Alexandria and one or two other large harbours in the eastern Mediterranean, but this seemed too large for such a small settlement.
We headed north towards the settlement to rejoin the others. There was an entrance through the palisade, but the gates were broken and once I went through, I could see burnt buildings within. There were weeds and some bleached bones which Si'aspiqo was examining. Obviously Hemeroskopeion had fallen but what had caused this was not evident.
Four of us searched the town for a short while before dusk fell while Agripinus and Si'aspiqo stood watch. The small town had been sacked and burnt quickly. There were corpses, some suggesting death by violence, but not that many compared to the size of the town. This had evidently happened some months ago but well within the last year. We found lots of dressed stone and roof tiles and a bronze fitting and thought that a thorough search would find much more. There were the ruins of a temple in the centre of the settlement, but it was not clear to which God the temple was dedicated. There was a second gate on the far side, which was much less damaged but had been left open. Both sets of gates had metal fittings. Far away across the fields of the settlement Amphius spotted movement. He saw maybe one or two people disappearing into an overgrown orchard a couple of hundred yards away.
The sun was now starting to set, and we headed back to the ship to report our findings to Kallicrates. We thought the settlement had probably been attacked from the sea and the inhabitants had been killed or had fled or maybe been taken to sell as slaves. This was a daughter settlement to Emporion but no-one there seemed to know of the fall. It seemed strange that report had not reached Emporion of events here.
Kallicrates decided to move the away from the shore and anchor for the night in slightly deeper water, but before then Amphius slipped back over the side and headed ashore to scout out the area in the darkness.
He returned to the shore at dawn and Kallicrates beached the once more. Amphius clambered aboard to report. He had seen evidence of lots of dead adults. He had found a variety of bronze and iron artifacts from which Mago could fashion a couple of dozen spikes to aid in climbing the tower. He had perhaps 8 pounds of bronze and 3½ pounds of iron from a burnt spearhead, cleaver, and shovel.
Si'aspiqo said that this was a place of unquiet spirits which had been unpleasant enough to keep him awake during the night. Amphius agreed that the place had indeed seemed quite spooky but nothing particular had disturbed him. At the mention of the bodies, Kallicrates suggested that we should dig a mass grave for them and Agripinus added that he would say a few words over the victim.