Edes, a nearly 19 year old youth, is hidden by a tall, slender, mysterious man from gamblers seeking revenge. Edes' hiding place is a Phoenician ship soon to depart from Tyre to trade for tin in the land of the Celts which is beyond the Pillars of Hercules. The crew is being recruited by Aythadis, the tall man.
Yanil, the cook's boy, is knocked out by a cloaked stranger for an unknown reason. Aythadis intervenes to give the stranger a strong warning, but also a token to be identified with when the time is right. Shortly afterwards the ship departs for its first port o'call, Epheses. Edes achieves acceptance as other than "Boy" by tricking Zeos during an arm wrestling contest. Bartuc's suspicions about Yanil are thwarted by Aythadis. Coronis meets Mereda at the Celsius Library.
Arriving at their next port, Piraeus, Zeos saves Edes from an assault in an Athenian bathhouse. Thanos joins the crew after rejection by his father. His sister is going to be betrothed to his cousin, whom she does not love. Thanos flees his family and betrays his feelings of responsibility. The ship departs for Syracuse only to be attacked by Silesian pirates. Yanil is wounded in the attack, but while recovering, is given a flute and crutch by Edes and the crew, respectively. Edes is certified a swordsman by Cerek.
At Carthage, Aythadis is driven by a sacrifice of children to Baal and crewmates of the ship to involve the gods of Olympus against Baal. Zeus distracts the priests and followers of Baal while Edes, Zeos and others free the children. Poseidon sinks three Carthaginian warships and drowns the priests and followers of Baal. Unfortunately, a zealot of Mars on the ship angers Poseidon, who vows to seek revenge on the ship and its crew.
The trip is uneventful until Cadir where Edes arranges for a celebration of Yanil's 16th birthday while Aythadis, Cerek and Thanos visit Tartessos. Yanil is consumed with jealousy over Edes and is then accosted by thugs, only to be rescued by Edes, Zeos, and Bartuc. When the ship sets sail from Cadir, Poseidon sees his opportunity and lets loose a violent storm. Then he sends the Kraken to destroy the vessel. Thanatos, a stowaway Ares-worshipper seeking Ares' red jewel, attacks the Kraken.
Aythadis uses secret powers to freeze time and negotiates with Poseidon an end to the storm. Poseidon demands that he be honored above Ares and devises a test in exchange for withdrawing the Kraken and saving the ship. Aythadis is cautioned to not intervene. The tall man agrees, then the sea god propels the ship through a maelstrom to a new and unknown land where the Phoenicians will be trapped and eventually destroyed until and unless they show they render proper honor to Poseidon despite the travails they will experience.
The Phoenicians meet the Olmecs and their leader, Burning Mirror. Edes and Yanil are marked by a panther and given the sign of the chosen. A subsequent attack by Aztecs sees Phoenicians and Olmecs captured then freed by a counterattack by Phoenicians and Olmecs. The sole remaining Aztec is given a warning by Aythadis to cease these attacks and to halt human sacrifice or risk the wrath of the gods from over the sea.
Meanwhile, the Phoenician vessel is stolen. Marabunta (army ants) invade the jungle and Thanatos and Three Monkey are called upon to climb the Fire Mountain and seek the assistance of the mountain's god. Lava engulfs the ants and destroys them. The search for the Phoenician vessel begins. [This message has been edited by Civis Romanus (edited 01-17-2001).]
Tyre - homeport
Ephesus - visit the library, pick up Thanos
Athens - see if Thanos stays
Syracuse (Sicily)
Carthage, where we sabotaged Baal's offering
Cartenna (Northen Africa)
Malaca (Malaga, Spain)
Cross the gates of Hercules
Cadir (play a bit with Tartessos)
Azores - Poseidon's Throne
Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica
Cadir (Cadiz) was a Phoenician port. It might be a nice place to visit just before the storm hits. They supposedly traded with a semi-mythical kingdom in Spain, named Tartessos. It lies where now lies Andalusia and had some 200 towns in the 7th to 4th Century BC. They ended up being conquered/destroyed by the Phoenicians, who started to settle Spain in the 7th Century.