PUFFIN BOOKS

THE CRETAN CHRONICLES : 3

RETURN OF THE WANDERER

Y 0 U a re Altheus, young warrior hero of Athens and

brother to the mighty Theseus, who was felled by a
treacherous blow in the deadly labyrinth of King
Minos. It was to avenge the death of Theseus that
you came to Crete and, after a terrible struggle,
d e feated the loathsome Minotaur, thereby ending
the scourge of Athens . You can now ·set sail for
Troezen a nd travel home in triumph.
But yo ur voyage will be long and dangerous. Beware
the storms and perils that will surely beset you - the
Clashing Rocks, d a rk dangers of the Underworld,
slavery and shipwreck - and still the fickle gods play
games w ith your destiny. The fulfilment of this epic
ques t is far from easy.
R etum of the Wanderer is the third and final part of The
Cretan Chronicles - an adventure featuring a new and
complex combat system involving the classic attri-
butes of Might, Protection, Honour and Shame,
which help create a world of unparalleled authen-
ticity and excite ment. As this thrilling epic reaches
its climax, only the most heroic and experienced
adve nture rs will win through!
JRJETURN
01FTHJE
'i\NDJERJER
THE CRETAN CHRONICLES: 3

John Butterfield, David Honigmann

and Philip Parker

//111strated by Dn11 Woods

PUFFIN BOOKS
 Puffin Books, Penguin Books Ltd, Ham,o ndswort h, J\•tidd lcsex, England
Viking Penguin Inc. , 40 West 23rd Street, New York, New York 10010, U.S.A .
Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, V1ctnria, AustTalia
Penguin Books c.,nada Limited, 28o1 John StTcct, Markham, Ontano, Ca nad.1 L )R 104
P~nguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Rood. Auckland 10, New Ze.iland

First published tc~86

Copyright © John Butterfi,•ld, David Honigmann, Philip Parker, 1986
Illustrations cop)'right © D.rn Wood s, 19 6
All rights r.-served

Made and printed in Great Britain by

Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading
Typeset in 10/ 12 pt Palatino by
Rowland Phototypeselling Ltd,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Except in the United States of America,

this book is sold subject to the condition
that ii shall not, by way of llade or otherwise,
be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated
without the publisher's prior consent in an)' form of
binding or cover other than that in which it i.s
published and without a similar condition
including this condibon being imposed
on the subsequent purchaser
To Mnrti11 /-/a111111ond
 CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9
BACKGROUND AND RULES 11
Might, Protection, Honour and Shame 12
Combat 13
Gods 18
Equipment 19
Taking a Hint 19
CHRONICLE SHEET 20

RETURN OF THE WANDERER 24

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to tha nk all those who helped, or hindered

entertainingly, during th e year a nd a half it has taken to
complete this project.
\/Ve a re particularly grateful to Geraldine Cooke, Suzanne
Ali, Robin Wate rfield and a ll at Penguin; Michae l Embden and
Dan Woods; Karen Naylor, Mike Reeve-Abbott and Jomsborg;
Lloy d Fa rrell, Stella 1 e ill, Ia n a nd Noel Scattergood; the
Compute r De pa rtme nt at Boots, New port, Isle of Wight; a ll
tho e w ho gene rously donated their characters; Exidy, the
m a nufacturers of Cos mic Spectar, the Arts Cinema, Omar's;
tutors, d irecto rs of studies, and s upe rvisors; a nd especially
pa re nts a nd families for s upport, know-how and advice freely
and copiously g iven.
Wordprocessed on CBM 64, Tatung Einstein and Sinclai.r
QL.
Writte n in Beaconsfield, Cobham, ewport, Austria,
Aegim1 and va riou s locations in the Mediterranean.
Philip Parker
John Butterfield
David Honigmann
1984-5

9
 BA CKGROUND AND RULES

Back o n lh e s hip, the captain g reets you with delight, as the

seven you ths and seven maidens, who have also escaped,
feared yo u slai n. You wink at the one who looks like your
mothe r a nd s h e smiles at yo u gladly . As the captain shows you
to a ca bin be low decks, the crew begins to row with lo ng,
powe rful strokes away from this accursed island. You take one
last look a t Cre te, to which yo u cam e a boy, but which you
leave a prince a nd husband, Altheus the Avenger. Yet on the
h o rizon the winds of strife are stirring.
ln this, the third book of the Cretan Chronicles, you are still
Altheus, a Greek hero with an awesome mission to accom-
plis h , s triving against wild b easts a nd men, and seeking to win
the favo ur of th e gods in your quest. The years ah ead will be
difficult, but it is you who will determi ne your destiny. The
book is la id out in paragraph format; at the end of each
parag raph you will be given a choice which w ill determine thr
numbe r of the paragraph to which you next turn. Th e para
graph s are set out in n umerical order; you should not read c.
paragra ph until you are sent to it from the one which you h ave
jus t read, or you will spoil the continu ity a nd enjoyability of
the adventure. If there is no destination given at the end of a
parag ra ph, you are dead . In this case, you may start again at
the beginning of Book 1 (Bloodfeud of Altheus), wi th a new
Althe us, all values at th eir initial level, weapons and equip-
ment as at the start, and all the gods' attitudes a t N eutral.
You will need pencil, pa per and dice to a p p reciate the travels
of A lth eus - your travels!

11
 Might, Protection, Honour and Shame
Before you set out, there are a number of things it is necessa ry
for you to know. Your mental state, your fi gh ting skills a nd
your relations with the supernatural and society are d escribed
in terms of four characteristics. These a.re Might, Protection,
Honour and Shame. Their values will change during the
course of the game, so they must be recorded . For this purpose
a blank Chronicle Sheet is provided (pp. 20-21), which may be
photocopied. Also marked on the Chronicle Sheet is a Wound
Record track. This begins at Healthy, and as Altheus suffers
injury it moves through Wounded and Seriou sly Wounded to
Dead . The Chronicle Sheet can also be used to record equip-
ment carried, artefacts acquired on the journey, and whether
Altheus is in Favour or Disfavou.r with the gods. In short, it
details everything important about Altheus' condition and his
relations with the outside world.
Altheus' Might value at a given time w ill nearly always be
made up of a combination of his natural ability and the value of
the strongest weapon he is carrying. This characteristic is u sed
to determine how likely Altheus is to hit an opponent, should
he find himself in combat. Altheus' natural Might is 4, but this
will be supplemented whenever he is carrying a weapon.
Protection is made up of a combination of Altheus' inborn
skill at dodging and the sum total of the armour he h appens to
be wearing. Altheus has inborn Protection of 10. Now sup pose
that he has greaves and a he lmet. The greaves give 1 point of
Protection, and the helmet 2. His total Protection value in this
case is 13 (10+ 2 + 1). Protection is used mainly in combat to
determine how difficult an opponent will find it to strike at
Altheus successfully.
Honour is all-important for Altheus. It determines his re-
lations both with his fellow men and with his patron god or
goddess. Without Honour he will find himself an outcast. His
patron deity will refuse to aid him when called on (not that this
aid is in any case automatic); men will despise hiln and seek to
do him ill. Altheus starts with the Honour value carried over

12
from the las t book, unless you have not played throu g h that, in
which case it will be assigned in the first few paragraphs . This
H onour may increase or d ecrease without restriction, but it
may n ever decrease b elow o. If it ever reaches o, it may not
increase again except through appeals to Zeus (see below) or
by m eans of a special item d escribed in the text. Honour is
gai ned by v ictory in co mbat; it may be used up in appeals to the
gods. Ho no ur m ay a lso be used to gain a te mporary increase in
M ight or Protection in combat.
Shame is a n oth er crucia l con cept in Bronze Age Greece, the
setting of th is adven ture. Sham e, w hich initia lly has a value
corresponding to its level a t the e nd of the last book (if this has
not been played , a value w ill be assigned), cannot be eradi-
cated once acqu ired , except under exceptional circumstances
(w h ich will be detailed in the text). [t is accumulated by such
cultw·a l fnux pns as slaying one's opponent after he has s urre n -
dered, retreating ig nominiously from a fa ir fight, or failing to
pe rform heroic deeds. Such g ross crimes as patricide, ma rry-
ing one's own mo the r o r failure satisfactorily to mainta in
o ne's armou r w ill be pe nalized by a grea ter increase in Sha me
points. If Alth eus' Shame ever rises above his Honour, he will
be overwhe lmed by th e burden of his h eroic conscience, and
h e will eith er disembowel h im self wi th a s hortsword , if one is
ava ila ble, or be struck d o wn by a thunde rbolt from Olympian
Zeus, fa ther o f th e gods, a nd his spirit will go whining through
the dark h a lls of H ades the life-destroyer. Resurrection is, in
this case, s p ecifically forb idde n . If Shame exceeds Honour in
the middle of a combat, no ac tion is taken until the battle is
comple te d . Th us the H o nour he ga ins from victory may save
him from this h orrible fa te.

Combat
Combat m ay occur in a ny e n counter with a man or animal who
is g iven combat a bilities. You should always note these down
o n a piece of paper, n o t only for convenience, but also because
you may well b e sent to another paragraph. You should also

13
keep a track of the Wound Record of an opponent. Co mba t is
fought in a series of rounds called thrusts and counter-thrusts.
Unless otherwise specified, Altheus will have the optio n of the
first strike. If he performs some other action, such as app ealing
to the gods or using a magical item, his opponent will gain this
initiative .
Altheus rolls two dice, and adds his natural Mig h t and the
value of his chosen weapon (note that if a weapo n is given no
Protection value or a piece of armour no Mig ht value, this
is because its value is o). lf this total equals or exceeds the
total Protection (natural ability + a rmour) of the opponent,
Altheus has scored a hit. The Wound Record of the opponent
is moved forward one stage. If Healthy, the oppone nt becomes
Wounded; if Wounded, Seriously Wounded; and if Seriously
Wounded, Dead, at whjch point the combat is over. On a dice
roll of 11 or 12, Altheus will auto matically hit h is oppone nt,
regardless of his Might or his opponent's Protection . Altheus
may 'get lucky' , even against the most formid able ad versary .
Conversely, on 2 or 3, he will automatically miss . His
opponents fight in exactly the same manner, except tha t
non-human opponents have no separate weapo ns o r a rmo ur
to be taken into consideration. If Altheus is fig hting more tha n
one opponent, the procedure is very slightly diffe re nt. Altheus
will fight them one by one, but each one' s Mig ht is increased
by 1 for each surviving companion. For example, if Altheus
fights three wolves (Might 2 , Protection 1 2), the first wolf has
effective Might 4, the second Might 3, and the last its own 2. In
such multiple combats an opponent drops out wh en Seriously
Wounded, and leaves the fight to his unwo u nded com-
panions, if any; if all are Seriously Wounded, the text w ill give
instructions as to what to do .
The fight continues until one side is dead o r has s urre n-
dered. Once either Altheus or his opponent is Seri o usly
Wounded, however, the injury will hamper fi ghting a bility .
Anyone suffering from such a wound will roll one die instead
of two during combat. In this situation, a roll of 1 is an
automatic miss, but a roll of 6 is not an automa tic hit. If
all participants in a combat are Seriously Wounded, the n, in
this case o nl y, they are allowed to roll two dice instead of one
un til the e nd of the combat. Once a protagonist is Seriously
Wounded, therefore, his ch~nces of survival are very much
less. Against a human o ppo ne nt, in this situation, Altheus has
the o ption of surre ndering. The o ppone nt will almost a lways
accep t this (the text w ill tell you w h e ther or not he d oes), strip
him of his strongest p iece of armou r and his strongest weapon
(calculated according to their Might or Protection - the best h as
the highest val u e), and th e n let h im go. Altheus must, h ow-
ever, take 1 Sh ame point fo r s uch action. If a n opponent
s urrenders, Alth eus must accept, o r e lse take 2 Shame points.
H e may then s trip the opponent of any a rmour or weapons he
wis h es, bearin g in mind that h e may n o t wear more than one of
a ny type of armour (a helmet, for example), althoug h he may
carry a spare. Again, the text w ill tell yo u whether or not a
g iven opponent will surre nd er.
If A ltheus is Healthy o r Wounded (but n ot Seriously), he
may attempt to retreat. Any attempt w ill cost 1 Honour point,
regardless of its outcome. A retreat is s u ccessful on a roll of
1-4, a nd fa ils on 5 or 6, unless s p ecified in the text. A successful
a ttempt will impose 1 point o f Shame, and send you to the
paragraph specified. Unsuccessful attempts rule out retreat for
the remainder of the combat: the fight must continue to the
death or surrender.
Honour, as already m ention ed, plays an important part in
combat. Altheus may, if it is his strike, use H onour points to
increase his Mjght te mpor arily. For example, if his Honour is
14, and h is Might 9 (na tu ral ability+ axe), he m ay increase his
Mig h t to, say, 11, for o n e roll only, by decreasing his Honour to
12. After the roll, the Might reverts to its former value, a nd the
Honour points are lost for ever. Sirrularly, when it is his
opponent's s trike, A ltheus may increase his Protection, for
on e ro!J on ly, by a corresponding reduction in Honour. He
may do this as often as h e likes, as lo ng as he does not run out
of Honour.
If Altheus is v ictorious in combat, he will receive Honour
points. The text will specLfy how many points Altheus will
receive as a result of a g iven combat. Ln addition, his Wound
Record should be set back to Healthy a t the end of any combat
he survives .

Examples of Co111bnt
Altheus, with a spear (Mig ht 3, Protectio n 1) a nd a helme t
(Protection 4), his Honour a t 10 and Sha me at o, meets a lion
(Might 5, Protection 15). Altheus' combat values a re Migh t 7
(4+ 3) and Protection 15 (10 + 4+ 1).
Altheus decides to take no non-combat actio n, s uch as
praying to the gods, and so strikes first. H e needs 8 to hit,
because his Might of 7, plus a clie roll of 8, is equal to the lion's
Protection of 15. He rolls 6 and misses.
The lion needs 10 to hit. He rolls 11 , so Altheus is Wo unded.
Altheus attacks again. This time he ro lls 9, w hich hits. T he lion
is Wounded.
The lion again needs 10 to hit. H e rolls 11, so Althe us is now
Seriously Wounded a nd rolls only one die in combat.
Altheus now needs 8 to hit, but this is impossible on o ne d ie .
He therefore decides to use some H o nour points . He tra nsfe rs
3 points to his Might, which is now at a temporary leve l of 10 .
He needs 5 to hit. He rolls 6; the lion is now Se rious ly
Wounded . It has no Honour, and so canno t hit Althe us a ny
longer. Altheus kills it in the nex t round, by using some more
Honour, and he receives 6 points of Honour for slayin g the
lion. His Wound Record is returned to Hea lthy.
Later in this adventure, Altheus meets two Cre tans, bo th
Might 7, Protection 14. They carry clubs and shields. Althe us'
values are as before: Might 7, Protection 15. He has acq uired 1
Shame point, but his Honour is now 12. The e ffective M ig h t of
the first Cretan is 8, because of his companio n . Althe us,
deciding the odds against him are too great, tries to re treat. H e
rolls 5 and fails, but still loses 1 point of Honour. The firs t
Cretan now strikes, as Altheus has lost the initia ti ve by
attempting to retreat. He needs 7 to hit, but rolls 3, which is in
any case an automatic miss.
Altheus rolls 9, which hits, as 9 plus his Might of 7 is greater
than 14, the Cretan's Protection. The Cre tan is Wo unded.
 The Cretan rol ls 5, a nd misses.
Altheus rolls and hits again . The Cretan is now Seriously
Wounded, and drops o ut, leaving his companion to fight on.
As he has no support, he fights at Might 7, Protection 14. He
a ttacks Altheus, needing a roll of 8 or more to hit. He rolls 11 ,
wounding Alt heus.
Altheus roll 5, missing the Creta n. H e need s 7 to hit.
T he Cretan rolls 3 a nd automatically misses.
Altheus would like to retrea t now, but cannot, as he failed
ea rlie r on. Ins tead, he uses 5 points of Honour to bring his
Might up to 12. He needs 2 or more to hit. He rolls 2 , but this is
an a utomatic miss . Two of his H onour points were was ted, asa
roll of 2 or 3 misses, no matter what. His Honour is now at 6,
and his Might back to 7.
The Cre tan rolls 4, a nd again misses.
A ltheus ro lls 1 2 , a n a utomatic hit. The Cretan is now
Wounded . The Cretan rolls 10. Added to his Might of 7, this
makes 17, g rea ter than Altheus' Pro tection, so he hits Altheus,
who is now S riously Wounded.
In desperation, Altheus uses 5 points of Honour to increase
his M ig h t to ·12 , so that he n eeds a roll of 2 on one die (only one,
as he is Seriously Wounded) to hit. He rolls 4, and hits. Both
C re tnn s are now Seriously Wounded.
At this point Althe us rejoices, thinking that both Cretan
will surre nder. By turning to the appropriate paragraph,
however, h e finds tha t they are fanatical defenders of the
labyrinth of Minos, a nd will never surrender. As neither side
can score a hit - the Cretans are using only one die and Altheus
fee ls he canno t use any Honour as it would fall below his
Sha m e, and if be failed to hit he would die - both sides are
permitted to roll two dice instead of one. Even if Altheus wins
this comba t, his low Honour will cause problems; perhaps he
will pray to Zeus . ..
 Gods
The gods are a crucial part of Altheus' life. A t th e start of th e
adventure h e must dedicate himself to o ne of Ares, A th ena,
Poseidon, Apollo, Aphrodite or H era, a nd h e m us t h·y to a void
ange ring any of the othe rs. Presiding, enigmatic, over th em all
is Zeus, fath e r of the gods, who wi ll aid Althe us o n ce in the
adventure. Be nea th this pantheon a re m an y lesser gods, god -
desses and spirits, whose ange r is still to be avoid ed . In the
case of a patron d eity (who w ill alread y h ave been ch osen by
those who h a ve played earlier books, or will be ch osen later by
those who have not), Althe us' s tanding is d eterm ined by h is
Honour. At certain points in the text, Alth eus will be o ffe red
help by a deity; if it is h is pa tron, he may expend the requ is ite
amount of Honour (sometimes a ra ndo m numbe r) and accept
the favour. If AJtheus does not have en o ug h Ho n o ur, h e w ill
be referred back to the p arag raph w h ere the ch o ice w as
offered, but will none the Jess lose 1 point of Hon o ur . O n ce a t
o, Honour cannot be regained, excep t by prayi n g to Ze us, o r by
use of certain artefacts.
In the case of deities who are not his patron, Althe us is either
in Favour (F), at Neutral (N), or in Disfavo u r (D). Initially, h is
standing with all of these gods will be just a s a t the end of the
last book, or as assigned for those who have n ot read tha t, but
the standing may change throughout the course of the ad ve n-
ture, as he performs actions which appease o r a nger the god s.
Altheus may pray to Zeus once during each ad ventur e . T his
will have one of a number of effects, at the read er's ch oice :
i. If he has been killed by any other means tha n Sh ame
overtaking Honour, h e m ay be resurrected , w ith a U equip-
ment, Shame of o and Honour of 1 , at the p aragra ph indicate d
in the text. When Zeus saves you in this ma nne r, d o not be
surprised if you find yourself moved to a nearby p oint in th e
same town or vicinity; this is simply divine Ze us' w ay o f
ensuring your safety.
2. He may simply gain 1-6 Honour points (roll one die).
3. If his Honour is at o, he may have it set back to 1 , and
regain the ability to acquire Honour.

18
 4. He may have the attitude of all the gods set back to
Neutra l, r ega rdless of w ha t they were.
Remember that the intervention of Olympian Zeus is very
rare indeed , a nd may never be used more than once in an
adventu re, unless it is specifically offered in the text.

Equipment
You s tart the a dventure with those pieces of equipment
m arked on your Chronicle Sheet (carried over from the last
book or assig ne d to those w ho h ave not played it). During the
course of the adventure you will acquire other pieces of
equipment a nd should note these o n the Chronicle Sheet. You
may only carry one s pa re set of armour (in addition to any you
may be weari ng), a nd this will give yo u no extra Protection; but
there is no limit to the amount of small items you may carry.
This rule does not fo rbid the wearing of a breastplate, greaves,
helme t, etc., m e rely the wearing of two of any particular type
of armour.

Taking a Hint
At times during the adventure yo u may wish to perform
non-standard actions. These will not be offered in the text, as
this wou ld g ive you a degree of foreknowledge granted only to
the prescient. Instead, if you are at a paragraph with a number
in ita lic ty pe (i.e . 476 ra ther than 476), you may run the risk of
adding 20 to the paragraph number and turning to that num-
ber; this process is known for convenience as 'taking a hint' . If
there is no non-standa rd ac tion at tha t point which a Bronze
Age h ero would have thought of, you will pay a penalty in
either Honour or Shame, or both, for trying to be ahead of your
time.
No te tha t this option will never be explicitly offered in the
text; you mus t remember it and use it when you see fit.
You are about to set off. Turn to paragraph 1, and good luck!
 ALTHEUS CHRONICLE SH EET
N 11t11ml Be~ / Wc1111011

MIGHT 4
Nnt11m l
+
Am1011r
=D
PROTECTION 10 + + + + =D
HONOUR 7
SHAME 0

M p POSSESSIONS: Mother's Gem

CLUB 0

ALTHEUS CHRONICLE SHEET

Nnt11 rnl 8<'51 Wcn11,111

M IGHT .+
N nt11rnl
-i-
Am1011r
=[?]
PROTECTION 10 + 2 + 2 + + =G
H ONOUR 7
SHAME 0

Wcnpo11s & Arll/011r

I
M p POSSESS ION S: M other's Gem
f
I
CLUB 1 0
SH I ELD 0 2 NO H INT PENALTIES
I BREAST PLATE 0 2
SW ORD 3 0

20
 T/11• Goris

IPATRO
Fnl'o11r

\Vo1111d Record Track

HEALTH Y D D D D D D
WOUND ED D D D D D D
SERIOUS LY
WOUNDED
D D D D D 0
DEA D D D D D D D

T /1 c God~

I PATRON : Apollo J

DisfaP011r
Dion ysus Hera
Aph rodi te

Wo 1111rf Recorrf Track

HEALTH Y D D D D D D
WOUNDED D D D D D D
SERIOUSLY
WOUND ED
D D D D D 0
DEAD D D D D D D
LIGURIA

=-::ss
OGYG I A
_ Pl·I AROS
iJETURN
OJFTHJE
~NDJERJER
 -~
..

· - -· :!"' - ~· -
 1

1
An angry summer is descending into a sullen autumn, and you
are lying on the deck at the side of the ship, looking out to sea,
when the captain comes above decks to speak to you.
'We can make axos by mid-morning,' he tells you. His
voice is full of enthus ias m; h e is a bachelor. 'The priest in the
temple of Artemis is a friend : he will be glad to marry you to the
princess.'
You smile and clasp his hand for a moment, before staring
out to sea again .

The templ e of Artemis on Naxos is simple and bright. A

circular rin g of pillars s urrounds an inner sanctum where stark
fire burns and a bronze statue of the goddess stares un-
flinchin gly out over the virgin forest of the island. As you walk
up the hill towards the temple with Ariadne, the captain is
alread y talking to the old priest, and when you reach the
temple h e approaches you with a broad grin.
'When the sun reaches its zenith,' promises the captain,
'then you hall be married .'
Ariadne kisses you once and goes away with two of the
maidens of Athens to prepare for the ceremony. You watch her
as she walks away, her hair suddenly caught by a gust of wind.
Go to 148 .
 2
The ship has suddenly become becalmed and waits s tationary
beh-veen the rocks, just as the ha re freezes before the hunte r's
dogs and cannot escape into the green m ead ow. For a mo me nt
nothing seems to move, a nd then there is a great splin teri ng as
the ship is squeezed between the crags. The re are s ho uts of
agony, and the waves crashi ng over the ship's deck a re foam-
ing red . You run to one side of the vessel, trying frantically to
scrabble up the side of the rocks. Your last sight is of Viz hazid,
bloodied and battered, throwing a metal container into the sea.
Then the Symplegades snap shut their jaws. If you can still
pray to Zeus, go to 241.

3
The ship is ready to sai l, even though it is now close to dusk.
The captain explains that he does not wish to stay too lon g in
this ill-omened plate, for just as garments washed in the
battle-bloodied waters will take on that crimson hue, so his
vessel would be cursed by too long a stay in these ha tefu l
harbours. Vizhazid o rd~rs the rowers to begin their work, and
as the Tyrian stroke-master beats his drum, yo u pull o u t from
port. Go to 52.

4
Agnostes orders one of his handmaidens to find some new
clothes to replace your travel-worn rags. Soon you a re d ecked
out in a tunic of finest purple, as befits a king's son. You relate
your story to Agnostes, as he absently tugs at his long, brow n,
flowing locks. His brow creases at the news of Aegeus' dea th,
and he stands up, pacing around the room to give himself the
full advantage of his superior height. 'I must go now,' he says,
hardly aware that you have been here but a few hours. 'Oh, by
the way, the one who stayed in Troezen in my place has
returned. His name, what was it? Ah, yes, Paris.'
You are conducted to your bedchamber, which is sump-
tuously furnished with silk hangings and sheets with a pattern
of ships. You may sleep at once (turn to 402), or try to explore
the palace (turn to 65).
 5
In a flutte ring of a n eye lash , the goddess h e rself a ppea rs . She
s ta ys th e ha nd of the h ig h priest. 'Such a pity, don't yo u think,'
s h e murmurs in adm ira ti o n , a nd then, while the o th e r acolytes
a nd hie ra rch s fa ll down in obeisance and worship, s he mo-
tio ns wit h a d e lica te fli ck of the wrist that yo u s ho 1,1ld leave .
'Som e o th e r time,' s h e mouths.
Yo u do n o t pa use to ad mi re Aph rodite's aura, but m a ke
your escape swiftl y from h e r Paphian s hrine . You hear foot-
s te ps, but o n turnin g find the m to belong onl y to s ome slaves,
w ho have a lso es ca pe d , a nd w a nt you to lead the m to freedom.
Go to 84 .

6
T h e re is s ome money in the pouch . lts owner is p robably dead .
Roll a die and ad d one. T his is the numbe r of obols you have
fo und . In a n y case, ha ve 1 Shame point for your theft. Go to
311.

7
Your body seem s to become feather-light as the father of the
gods guides you gently to the ground. You suffer ·only a few
bruises a nd scratches. One of your sandals is flung off into
some bushes, and you are bitten by an insect as you retrieve it.
Sucking your thumb, you set off from Pelion. Go to 189.
 8
You strike once more, a nd the corn-creature crash es to the
ground. The scene seems to wa ver, and you stre tch o u t your
hand to grasp the remajn s of the beast. You take h old of a
wooden plaque; on it is inscribed an ear of corn, symbo l of th e
fruitfulness of the earth .
Restore your Honour points to the level they were at th e
start of the combat. lf this is the third beast you h ave foug ht
and defeated, then go to 346. Otherwise, you m us t d eal next
with the wate r (tum to LJ9), or with the fire (turn to 1 07).

9
The waves sweep you far out to sea, aw ay from the pa th th at
your shlp was plying. You float past the bleached a nd gn awed
bones of a long-dead mariner; p erhaps this w ill be your fate,
also. Agajn and again you are subme rged beneath the wa ters.
lf you wish to invoke your patron's aid, go to 286. Oth e rw ise,
go to123.

I.
111
ljy 4
'
/
(ff f
/
 10-13
10
lt is some days be fore the shores of Troy come in sight, and
only dimly can you make out the towers of that great city.
Oresa nde r informs you that the stay in Troy will be but two
days long, so you have little time for sightseeing. Go to 37.

11
You s tagger backwards, seeking to flee from the fatal fight, but
yo u come up again s t something hard. You turn round quickly,
only to see the giga ntic mandible of another Fire-ant poised
to cru sh you . The hea t emanating from the creature is
oppressive, preparing yo u for the fires of Hell.

12
Do you agree to travel back to Troezen with Vizhazid (turn to
443), or will you wait for another ship to come and take you
back to the lands of your forefathers (turn to 35)?

13
Lose any one item won during the first game, and return to 106
to roll again. If you have no items, lose one obol and return to
106. If you have no obols, go to 91 .
 14
Ro ll two dice. You ha ve wo n the following:
2 1 Ho no ur poin t fo r your good company
3-5 A coppe r ring
6 A sma ll piece of jad e
7 A sm a ll sa pph ire
8 An a mbe r comb
9 - 11 A carved ivory toad
12 A sword (Might 2, Protection l)
Ite ms 3 to 12 ca n be won o nly once. If you possess the item
a lread y, d o not roll again - you simply win nothing. Having
rolled , return to 401 .

15
The way is s teep at times, and your feet are soon blistered and
torn . Yo ur a rm begins to bleed and you rub the scratch with a
leaf plucked from a nearby tree . As though by divine will, the
bleedin g ceases . A s you proceed higher and higher up the
s lopes, yo u see tha t much of the once green land is blasted and
scorched , plagued by fire and pestilence. Thom-bushes choke
the trees o f Asclepius the healer and Pelion is overtaken by the
diseases of earth.
Ju st as you are about to give in and head back down the
mountainside, you hear a great, deep, rumbling voice crying
out in pain . The sound seems to emanate from a cave on a crag
above you. You could make the climb, but it would be difficult.
Do you inves tigate (turn to 301), or do you turn back (tum to
520)?
16-17
16
Out of the harbour the s hip ploughs a fast furrow throug h the
foaming waves, and is soon well under ·way. Yet on the
afternoon of the first day a huge storm blows up, tossing the
boat like a mere splinter of wood in Ocean's cruel curre nts.
Four days and nights the ship is battered in the S\·v e ll, a nd the n
at last it is driven aground. But you, Avenging Althe us, do not
reach land so easily, for you are swept off the deck. The last
sounds you hear are the cries of the sailors as they seek to save
you. Go to 167.

17
The journey across the Pagasaean Gulf takes several hou rs,
and all the passengers have to lend a ha nd bailing out water
from the craft. At times it seems the ferry will si nk, but its stern
steersman affects an air of unconce rn, muttering only various
curses against 'Easterners'. The other passengers are m ostl y
pilgrims from various parts of Thrace and Thessaly , on their
way to Delphi, and they keep to themselves.
At last you land, and there, waiting to sell the pilgrims ivory
statuettes of Apollo, is Markos the Phoenician merchant. You
groan, and try to get back on the ferry, but are pushed off.
'Greetings, son of Aegeus,' he shouts, oblivious of the pain
 18
the m entio n of your fa ther's name will cause you. He comes
closer a nd begins to h erd you away from the common press of
pilgrims. 'They' re o f Baal , in fact, a Tyrian god, ' he says,
pointing at his statues, ' but they wouldn't notice even if the
figurin es had fou r heads.'
You try d es perately to ge t away from Markos, but his grip is
vice-tight. ' Meet my friends,' he continues. 'They are
Achaia ns, but then yo u' d know that.' You have approached a
party of four men, w ho are heavily armed with swords and
spears; th ey have complete sets of armour, and horse-hair
plumes in the ir h elmets, wa ving in the wind.
Tm bo red,' says one of them. ' Let's play dice.' You realize
he is speaking to you .
'O h , yes,' agrees Markos enthusiastically. 'Let's see what
yo u' re made of.'
' What's the game?' you inquire without relish.
'Oh,' says Markos, patting his money-bag, 'it's called the
Golden Fleece.'
Will you dice with the Achaians (tum to 401), or will yoi.;
refuse the ir offer, either because you prefer to keep youi
money safe or !Jecau se you have no money (turn to 404)?

18
Out of the building you rush, knocking the acolytes over on
your way. But the m ass of citizens is still ahead of you, and you
a re unable to get throu g h . You turn round to face the tumble-
down te mple , a nd Arissia emerges at that very moment. Yet
s he seem s inspired by the goddess, her eyes glowing, her hair
almost aflame, a nd s h e does not recognize you. Go to 262.
w

19
You approach one of the passers-by and state: 'I am Allhe us,
take me to th e pa lace'; but tJ1e only reply is a fur tive, ' Do n' t
mention that name; Theseus h as forbidden it.'
'Wh at Theseus is this, for T h ese us is dead?' yo u cry.
'Ge neral Etekon's son. I-le rules now,' th e ma n a nswers and
then scuttles off, apparently fea rful les t he be caug ht ta lki ng to
such a madman .

Dirty, sea-stained, bearded and unrecogn ized , you wa lk

through the stre e ts of Ath en s , wrapping yo ur elf tightly in
your threadbare coat to keep o ut the wind a nd driving rain.
The passers-by avoid you as a begga r or lep e r. At le ng th yo u
stumble inside an inn. As you start to d ry off by th e fire, yo u
see the innkeep er coming towards you, evidently in tent on
throwing you out; but before he can d o so, you are g reeted by
a group of balding m e n a nd plump matrons, w h o drag you
to their table and ply yo u with wine and questions . Th e
innkeeper retreats, mollified, and you sip a t the s picy wine,
wondering who these p eo ple a re. Then you recog nize the m :
these are the youths and ma idens who accompanied yo u to
Knossos and whom you saved from the Minotaur.
But time has wrought its reven ges. The youth ful mu scles
have turned to fat, the bronzed flesh to paunches. The m en are
balding or greying, and the wo me n 's dimples have turn ed to
wrinkles. From what they say, yo u lea rn th a t the city has
ignored them . None of them received a hero's welco m e a nd
one of the youths has been stoned. Now they have s un k into
sullen reminisce nces about glorious d ays long ago; s eve n a nd a
half yea rs after coming home, the six survivin g yo uths a nd five
m aidens of Athens are still figt"iting the darkness of Knossos.
The girl who reminded you of your m o ther smile s, and
something in the toothless grin, or perhaps the wine, makes
you snap. Like a man who goes to greet his grandmother in the
morning, and finds her dead, you rise hurriedly a nd stumble
out into the street, retching . As quickly as you can, you leave
Athens, and take the road home to Troezen.
 20

Out o n th e hig h way the weather improves slightly, and you

s tride along confide ntly, y our s pirits lifting a s the memory of
A the ns fade . A farmer o n a s mall cart approaches you from
be hin d . Will yo u as k him for a lift (turn to 335), or wait for him
to pass (turn to 414)?

20
Seei ng th a t you inte nd to fight the m, the men step back and
brace themselves. As you close in for the attack, one of them
le ts o ut a hig h -pitch ed cry.
T h e men a re M ig ht 4, Protection 10, with spears (Might 2,
Protection 2). You may n o t retreat. If you surrender, go to 69. If
you d ie a n d are saved by Zeus, go to 214 . If you Seriously
W ound both of yo ur opponents, go to 541 .
21-22

21
'We're leaving Naxos no\v,' you tell the captain. He looks a t
you and the smi le dies o n his lips as he sees you a re seri o us .
'But . . . The Lady Ariadne .. .'
In a n insta nt your sword is out of its scabbard a nd at his
throat. 'Now, v illain, or you die.'
As the ship pulls away from Naxos with rese n tful strokes,
you collapse in your cabin and weep freely . The n the m esse n-
ger god is with yo u.
'Twice have 1 brought you news fro m H igh Olympu ,'
into nes Hermes, 'and nov,r, for the last time, l d o so aga in. You
have played you r part: now the vvanderer mus t re turn . But il is
a journey begu n with a betrayal, and in s h a m e mus t yo u
travel.'
'My lord Hermes, there was no a lternative.'
He rmes vanishes. 'That alters nothing,' he says, and is go ne
for ever.
If you have read the second book of the Cretan Chronicles,
At tlze Court of King Mi11os, go to 353. Otherwise, y ou must
choose a patron to aid you in you r journey h ome.
If you choose Aphrodite, goddess of love, go to 76.
If you choose Apollo, god of prophecy, go to 158.
If you choose Ares, god of war, go to 229 .
If you choose Athena, goddess of wisdom, go to 268.
If you choose Hera, queen of the gods, go to 413 .
If you choose Poseidon, god of the sea, go to 508.

22
When one of the fishermen leaves his ra ft to take a basket of
fish to the,shore, you and the other s laves rush on to the craft
and begin to row with desperate strokes away from the s ho re.
Out in the bay the wind picks up in the crud e sackcloth sai l and
you make more headway. Remembering your duty to the
others, you examine how well provisioned you a re, but the
only food aboard is fish, albeit in copious amounts and fresh;
the only other things the fisherman left aboard are some rope
and a small pot of beeswax.
 23-26
You explain tha t you mus t v isit Italy before you will be safe
and the slaves, su llen a nd confu sed , agree. But soon you are
drive n far to th e wes t by the winds, a nd you lose track of time
and yo ur position. About six weeks pass and your provisions
are all but exhausted . Co to 168.

23
If Aphrodite, goddess of love, is your patron , go to 118. If not,
go to 162.

24
Paris, son of Priam, was exposed as a youngster on Mount Ida
a nd broug ht up by some shephe rds . He discovered his real
origin, and having d efea ted the other s ons of Priam at games,
d eclared it, and was acknowledged. Clearly the other sons of
Priam we re a nnoyed a t this, and the Trojan king sent him on
an exch a nge with Ag nos tes, from which he is just returning.
Lose 1 Honour point, a nd return to 4.

25
You a re s tri pped o f a ll yo ur weapons and armour. You must in
effect attack yo urself fo ur times.
The co u rge is Mig ht 1; you attack your own Protection. You
may use H ono ur points to increase your Protection, but, as
n ormal, these mus t be committed before the dice are thrown . If
you are Serio usly Wounded, go to 220 . After four strokes, go to
66 .

26
The woma n looks at yo u wide-eyed, jabbers something ending
in 'sophists', a nd runs away, almos t tripping over a stall selling
fruit . You mus t ask the soldier. Co to 187.
' ') ..
 27
You mis yo ur handhold and for a moment sway precariously
above the precipice, but then you r senses return to you, and
you h aul yo urse lf sa fe ly to the s ide of the ledge. There you see
what manne r of creature has ca used the disturbance . ft is a
Centa ur, half-ho rse, bu t with its upper body human - a once
magnifice n t s pecime n o f its ty pe, but now o ld and enfeebled. It
gas ps o ut in ago ny, a nd yo u no tice fo r the first time a grea t
black w elt on it side fro m which pus and blood flow intermit-
tently to join a caked pool o f fluid o n the grou nd . A broke n
arro whead has bee n tossed to one side of the mouth of the
cave, and lea n ing aga ins t the e ntrance is a crude wooden
pear.
'Help m ,' \Nh eezes the pitiful creature, and his voice is as
the flowing of th e wa ters in a nearly dry stream-bed. 'For I am
Chiron, disciple of As clepiu . A Phoenician trader threw
poisoned d arts a t m e as a crue l game. He laughed and joked,
but one of the ba leful barbs struck me. His name was M .. .'
The crea ture fa lls into a coughing fit, and yellow bile trickles
from its lips. Its rhe umy eyes look at you in a desperate appeal.
Will yo u h elp th e Ce ntaur (turn to 188), take the spear, since
you are unarmed (turn to 166), or simply leave (turn to 80)?
-
28
You find the temple with ease. It is an austere g rey building,
somewhat dilapidated and overgrown with creeper . There is
no door and you pass through a colonnade into the precinct.
There stands the statue of the mistress of wisdom . 'Aid me,
Athena,' you pray.
The statue seems to stir and a clivine glow of life fi res its eyes.
'You will never weach home, son of Aegeus, before you
puwify yourself. You must seek out Circe, mistwess of ware
arts on the island of Aea. At that place you can be purged of
blood-guilt for Agnostes' death. O r if you' d wather, you could
go to the temple of Awes at Olbia, and the pwiests will
instwuct you in the wites of puwity .' With this the statue
falls silent, and will speak no more, d espite your consta nt
entreaties.
You rush down to the harbour a nd m a nage to gain pa sage
to Aea with a merchant captain of Markos' flee t. If yo u are in
Favour with Poseidon, or he is your patron, go to 1.09 . lf you
are in Disfavour with him, or he is 'eutra l to you, go to 169.

29
There is a faint whiff of Tyrian incense, a nd the god Apollo
stands before you, dressed in a sumptuous pink tun ic, stained
badly down one sleeve by juice from oranges . Popping
another piece of fruit into his m o uth, he begins: 'l think you
should leave at once. Calypso's a bad thing, rea lly. At least I
think she is, or was once, or might be tomorrow . Something
terrible could happen H you don' t build yourself a raft a nd
escape. I can't help you there, practicality a nd immorta li ty just
don't mix.'
Then in a twist of orange peel the god is gone, back to his
scrolls and prophesyi ng. Go to 352.
 30
You uns trap o ne of the m e n's breastplates (Protection 2) and a
sword (Mig ht 2, Protection - 1), kick the fattest man once more
and turn, striding s traight a nd proud to the high-horned ship.
The ru ffians praise you fo r the saving of their lives, but you pay
them no h e ed and soon, as the drum bea ts time for the
oarsmen, y ou a re off once m o re towards g reat-•.valled Troy.
H ave 4 H onour points for yo ur victory. Co to 10.

31
As soo n as you come close, the natives seize you and hold you,
kicking and s tru ggling, w hile you are tied with vines. You
break aw ay for a brief m o m e nt, and kick one of the men in the
chest. H e doub les u p a nd cries out in his anguish . Your captors
are s tartle d , a nd a lmost let go of you, but a sharp blow to the
head sile n ces your s truggles, and you are unable to resist
furth e r. G o to 164.

32
You order you r fri e nds to row round the islands, but they seem
to be entranced . You s eize up the oar and paddle in the
opposite directio n, but they, with their hands, make five times
as much h eadway as you can manage. You are as a fly caught
in a s pider's w eb, which tries desperately to flee, while the
black, broodin g h a pe o f the predator grows ever nearer. Co to
242.
 33
Zeus will most certainly not save those who have died d efili ng
the temple of another of the divine ones . The laws of the divine
are immutable, and to break them would threaten h is po ition
as king of the gods. No mortal man is \North such a price, a nd
you least of all, Altheus the Avenger.

34
A searing pain strikes you in the chest. You try to clu tch the
place, but your hands are paralysed . The scene turns a rosy ti nt
of red, then the angry colour deepens. There is a buzzing in
your eyes, and you fall. Your heart has burst, swollen by the
anger of Ares.

35
You >vait for days and days, and search the island for sig ns of
people, but find none. The only evidence of habitatio n is the
manifest of a ship - a scroll describing a projected sea-voyage
to Troy. The ship was carrying pomegranate seeds . The re is no
indication, however, of Markos' stay. You pull d own som e
branches, and start to build yourself a raft. At last you s lum p
down, exhausted. Go to 500.
 36
For o ne so ha rdened by your journeying, Altheus the
Ave nge r, yo u s ho w cu riously little fai th in the god s; your
e n trea ties s mack o f pride and a rrogance, o r e lse d espai r, n o ne
of wh ich ar to be cu ltivated in a hero of yo ur s tature. Roll a
d ie. On 1-3, lose J Hono u r point. O n 4- 6, gain 1 Sha me point.
Go to 167.

37
With joy in yo u r hea rt you re me mbe r that, as is the custom
a mo ng noble fo lk of your land, your cous in Ag nostes is at the
Troja n court to be educated in a fit ting ma nne r, while the
Troja n king's so n a rrived atTroezen three d ays before you left.
Yo u admire the g reat colum ns of the city a nd its towering
temples, which you ca n see even fro m the ship . When the
vessel d ocks yo u ca n bare ly restra in you rse lf, and with ha rdly
a word o f fare w ell fo r the cap tain, you ta ke o ff towards Troy.
The peo ple he re w ho w a nd er benea th the walls seem happy
a nd s peak to o ne anothe r in a high s ing-son g d ia lect of G ree k,
w h ich you ca n fo llow o nl y with d ifficulty. Yo u pass throug h
the m assive ga tes unchalle nged by the g uards with their
brig ht a rm o ur a nd pa inted body-len g th s hields. Looking back
toward s the ha rbo ur, you see a w a rship disgorg ing its cargo of
troop s a nd p risone rs on to the sh o re, but this does not trouble
you, a n xio u s as you a re to see Ag n ostes. Will you walk
aro und, in the hope o f finding the pa lace (turn to 67), or will
you as k a passer-by (turn to 372)?
-

38
The black-sailed ship limps into har bou r. A t the other e nd of
the quay you can see the Dji11n besieged by a h ord e of Athe nian
merchants, haggling \·Vith Markos the trader for his ca rgo of
silk and ivory. As the ship is tied up, the Athenia n yo uths a nd
maidens jump on to the land and walk away uns teadily, but
happy to seek their parents and, in some ea es, loved ones.
You wonder why your father is n o t h e re to greet you as a
returning hero, but shrug it off.
Thanking the captain, you ga ther togeth e r your pos-
sessions, and set off to the palace of Aegeus. As you leave the
Piraeus, you look over your shoulder, a nd see th a t the capta in
and sailors have gathered thick sticks a nd a re h eading
determinedly along the quay, obviously intent on seizing
Markos the merchant, and wreaking a grave revenge on him
for his needless act of piracy. You hurry up to the city. Go to
538.

39
The land rises up from the sea and levels off into a low p la in
stretching as far as the horizon in a.11 directions away fro m th e
sea . There is no sign of habitation, but there are several d e er,
grazing peacefully to your right. You d ecide to h ead towards
them quietly, in the hope of catching some food . Suddenly the
earth gives way beneath you, and you fall into a la rge, man-
made pit. You have been caught in a deer-trap a nd are quite
unable to escape.
Many hours later, six dark-skinned warriors arrive, and find
you in their trap . They lift you out, and tie your hands be h ind
your back. Go to 424.
 40
Eager to be away from the place, you grab the bucket and pour
its con te nts on the flames . Yet the smoke which rises is damp,
choking a nd scalding ly hot. The men run back, and the other
folk on the quayside look ag hast. ' Fool!' cries one. 'No one can
put out the fl a m es of the fire-worker.' Then, just as the
brig h t-armed ba tta lio ns march in close formation, you see a
column of giga ntic bronze ants, fire streaming from their
mandibles. The quay is sudden ly empty, and you must face
alone the wrath of the god yo u have angered.
There are eight ants, each with Might 8, Protection 10.
Becau se o f the ir mechanical nature, they fight one at a time,
gaining no advan tage from their numbe rs. When one is hit, it
ceases to function, a nd the next takes over the fight.
You a re in Disfavour with Hephaestus. If you retreat, go to
11 . If you die, and pray to Zeus, go to 126. When you have hit
four crea tures, go to 83 .

41
Circe seems prepared for such a reaction. She mumbles a few
words, a nd in her ha nds she s uddenly bears a stout wooden
stave .
Circe is Might 5, Protection 22 . This latter value is high
because of he r sorcerous powers. The stave is Might 1.
You may not a ttempt to retreat: the clearing is too small. If
you s urrender, go to 92 . If you Seriously Wound Circe, go to
223 . If you are killed, go to 102. ·
--
42
'Certainly, ' you reply , 'for how else could I ha ve dared the
sanctuary?' The priestess nods in reply, and sig ns to two aged
acolytes, who sta nd to one side of the e ntra nce, to o pe n th e
doors. For a moment she seems vacant, a nd s ta res b lankly.
You have become involved unwittingly in the cere mony of a
foreign god. Have 1 Shame point for denying your patron
deity. Go to 184.

I,

I{( I

Ji.· ' 4
ilt ~ /(
/

. ' ,/

43
' What town is this?' you ask. To your surprise the m an w ho m
you have approached booms out, 'A stranger to Pap hos, e h?'
With this he leaps nimbly to one side and runs d own an
alleyway, stroking his long white beard. You look around fo r
the cause of his fright and see, standing at one end of the quay,
a group of black-robed men carrying cudgels. You are too weak
from your experiences to run .
You could fight them (turn to 285), or you could w ait to see
what they want (turn to 380).
 44 .
You pick up the bowl of corn, a nd at once the scene before you
changes. o longer do you stand before the crowds a t Scione,
but alone a mids t a seeming ly endless fie ld of waving corn. You
start to wa lk, caug ht in the trance, but the golden ears of the
plants prevent you from making progress. Jus t then there is a
dis turba nce, a nd the field seems to rise up into the shape of a
great gole m mad e of corn. It moves towards you me nacingly .
This is one of the beas ts tha t has caused famine to come upon
Scione. Yo u mus t fig ht it, but yo u are now unarmed a nd
without a rmou r or a n y other added protection.
This is Beast number 3 (note this down) . It has Might 4,
Protection 9. N o te down a lso yo ur current Honour point total.
You may not re h·eat or surrender. If you die, go to 68. If you
kill the corn crea ture, go to 8.

45
Wondering a t the ways of gamblers, you retire, beating out a
patch of smooth earth on which to rest. You wonder how long
it w ill be before you sleep once more in your own bed at
Troezen . You a re so wea ry . Your dreams are for once fairly
pleasant, with few of the nightmares that have plagued you
since the days in Crete, the days of dread, when you had to
fight for your ve ry life, a nd the lives of your countrymen. Go to
440.
I
 46
You a re jus t clea ring away the debrjs of rope a nd beeswax from
the decks, h o p in g to make for la nd at once to restock your
provis ions, wh e n a sce nt of putrefaction fills the air. Great
A res the w a r-b rin g er stands beside the mast, his massive bulk
almost fillin g th e w hole ra ft . He ba n gs his spear on the timbers
to gain atte ntio n , a ll but ca ps iz ing the craft as he does so, and
then beg ins.
'Altheus. P urge yourself. Now. No questioni; . Do it. Go to
Olbia, or, if y ou insist, C irce's is land of Aea. My temple is
be tte r. Real pries ts.' With this the lord of slaughter is gone,
leavi ng only a fa int bloodstain to m a rk his passing.
Will y o u make fo r land to reprovision (turn to 131)? Will you
s trike out for th e tem ple of Ares at Olbia (turn to 182)? Or will
you make fo r C irce's island, further up the Italia n coast (turn to
51)?

47
You step back a nd then rus h at the man. Clearly expecting
no thing of the s o r t, h e is, for the moment, nearly bowled over,
but then h e is as the rock-ridge that divides the valley in two,
when the w a te rs come rus hing at it; they do not prevail, even
at th e conflu e n ce o f their course. So now, despite your greatest
efforts, you a re unable to pus h past the man . He calls out to his
brothers in arms, b ut they are g lutted with eating, and do not
heed him . He s teps back s uddenly and you fall. You struggle
again and see the Trojan has his spear-point levelled at you;
you must fight.
He is Might 5, Protection 12, but with a spear (Might 2 ) and a
full-length s hie ld (Mig ht - 1 , Protection 5). If you surrender,
go to 71 . If you die and pray to Zeus, go to 225. If you retreat, go
to 324. lf yo u Serious ly Wound the guard, go to 421.
 48
You turn to run in the opposi te direction, but you a re sand-
wiched beh..,een two groups . Closer and closer they draw , a nd
yo u are una ble to ge t away. There is no point res is ting, as you
a re weak, and there are some twenty or more of them. If you
pray to your patron, go to 343. If no t, go to 164.

49
Fortune does not_smile upon you, but cas ts he r fickle g la nce
instead upon the me rchant. Lose any one ite m \"ro n du ring the
first ga me, a nd return to 106 to roll aga in . If you have no ite m,
lose one obol and retu rn to 106. If you have no obols, go lo 91 .

50
You scra mble back towards the raft, desperately try ing to
reach it, but it is no good. Once again you are the plaything of
the waters. This child d oes n ot choose to ca ress you, but
throws you petulantly again and aga in towards the wicked
rocks of the s hore . You only become awa re of these as one rips
your tunic into shreds. Half-naked and half-d ead, yo u a re
washed up on an unknown shore. You scra mble away from
the sea, and try to take a look at where you have land ed, but
sail and blood obscure your vis ion, and you collapse face down
in the muddy sand. Go to 195.
 51-53
51
It doe not ta ke yo u long to make headway a lo n g the coast and
soon the island o n which you are told Circe dwells looms into
sig ht. Woods wrea the th e s h ore line a nd yo u cannot see far
inland . Yet spiralling lazily above the island, as an eagle
searches for its prey be rore pouncing and taking the s ickly
lamb which lies below, is s moke from a hea rth or fire. If Hera is
your patron, go to 54. If Hera is Neutra l or Favourable to you,
go to 1.65 . If yo u are in Disfavour with He ra, go to 1.85.

52
You sail along the Thracia n coast and the n the ship plunges
south towards Troy. Yet just as the s hores of tha t high-walled
city come in sight, the vessel turns o nce more to the north.
'Captain,' yo u s h ou t, ' th is way lead s to the Symplegades, the
clas hing rocks. We s hall a ll be killed .'
'Not necessa rily,' replies Vizhazid, 'and if we do get
through, the prices a t C halcedon w ill be very hig h ... Not
m any m ake it, you know. Anyway there sh ould be time to
abandon s h ip.'
You feel a H the wi nter fros ts had chilled your heart, and
your mood grows grimme r as the ship approaches the rocks.
Go to 101.

53
You take the fruit from the man and s tart as if to bite into it, but
yo ur benefactor jus t leans forwards and seizes it back. Puzzled
by this, you decide to leave him, and seek someone more
rationa l, if indeed such a person exists on this forsaken isle. Go
to 1.43 ·
54
54
With a shimrnering of colour, and a faint dewy rai n, Jris,
messenger of the divine queen stands before yo u . ' I a m Iris,'
she says, 'and l have a message for you; it's very important
because Hera says that if you don't get it you'll run into all sorts
of trouble and might not get back home, a nd th en he'd lose
face before all the other gods, and that wouldn' t do at a ll,
because you need a sense of perspective o n these things, or a t
least s tability, because if you didn' t things \•v ould get o ut of
hand, your armour would get messy, you wouldn't fight o ur
enemies, and Hera wouldn't get all the glory, and after all we
don't want the world to be a dangerous place for our child ren
to grow up in, so we have to ignore the broader issu e , and
attend to specifics, such as that you should ch ew this
plant .. .' She hands you a strange-looking root and continues
to gabble: ' .. . which is called moly, but I don' t know w hy;
anyway it's very important, but I' ve run out of time, which is
another thing I had to tell you .. .'
With this the rainbow goddess disappears before s he fo und
her ending. Confused, but with the moly root in yo ur h and,
you order your crew to strike for shore. Go to 461 .
 55
'Spare us,' th e bearded men cry, each scrambling to grasp your
knees in s upplication, a nd as a result falling all over one
another. You drop the torch, which sputters and dies; you kick
o ne of the men in the ribs, and consider whether they deserve
life or eternity in the grim h a lls of Hades.
Will you s laughte r these enemies of the gods (turn to 521), or
will you respect the traditions of your ancestors (turn to 30)?

56
Thebes, in the su nset, is a m agnificent sight to behold, and yoi
wo nder at its hig h wa lls a nd strong gates, as the boat glides Uf;
to the ba nk. You are quickly ashore and inside the city, hoping
to find a resting-place before night throws its dark mantle over
the la nd . T he city is indeed mighty and you recognize the
wealth of the Egyptia ns as you walk amongst their buildings.
Go to 236.
 57
You back away, but your path is blocked by a wa ll of spec-
tators, who s h ove you back into th e fi g ht. Your opponent
capitalizes on your delay a nd inflicts a wound upon you . You
must con tinu e the fight. Jf you s urre nder, go to 331. If yo u
Seriously Wound him, go to 133. If yo u di e and are saved by
1 Zeus, go to 566.

58
You spend some mome nts in siJe nt praye r to Ath ena, protect-
ress of your city, and sudde nl y the goddess he rself stands
before you, clad in armour, bearing a shield of burnished
bronze.
'Altheus, you have done well. You h ave s ur vived th e p ewils
of Cwete and even now, your father Aegeus waits a nxio us ly,
scanning the howi zon for the w hite sails w h ich h ewald your
awwival, but feawing th e black sails which w ill weport your
death . Now huwwy back.'
With this the queen of knowledge is gon e, back to watch
over high- towe red Athens. You go up o n d eck, inspired by the
appearance o f your patron. Go to 252 .
I
I
I
I

I'
 59-60
59
On board the Dji1111 , a nd ou t at sea o nce more, you s tand o n the
deck, wondering if the seas wi ll s tay calm long e noug h for you
lo return to Athens. Markos emerges from his cabi n below and
strolls up besid e you .
'Th ere's been a s lig ht cha nge of plan , Altheus my friend. f
have to call in a l a s mall town o n the North African coast o n
som e business,' he says cry ptica lly. ' But it' ll onl y be for one
nig ht a nd the n w e can h ea d off to Ath ens aga in .' You curse
him ile ntl y, but yo u are powerle s, for you are twenty miles
off shore . 'Co m e n, w a tch this,' the m e rchant continues, as
he kneels o n the d eck.
H slips a gold e n ring off the middle finger of his left hand
and hold it in his pa lm . ' Have you go t a s m all object, an ything
lig h t?' h e as ks . You feel in yo ur pocket a nd produce the small
piece of jade from Egy pt. 'That's fine,' he says, taking it a nd
ho ld ing it in the o th e r palm . 'You consider yourself observant,
Altheus . We ll I' ll be t you that ring agai nst this jade that you
can't tell m e which hand the two objects are in .'
With that he flips his hands over very quickly, finally
slamming them pa lms d own on the d eck. The motion is too
rapid for you to tell w hich object wen t under which hand. Will
yo u tell him that both are unde r the left h and (turn to 233), both
are unde r the right h a nd (turn to 427), the ring is in the right,
the jade in the le ft hand (tu rn to 584), o r that the jade is in his
right ha n d, and the ring in his left ha nd (turn to 377)?

60
Yo u charge in yo ur o utrage at the source of the miss ile, but slip
and fa ll h eavily agai ns t a basket of ora nges; it bursts open and
you stumble a nd fa ll to the grou nd . You scrabble around on
the ground, h ind e red by a seeming sea of the s un-coloured
fruit. A s m a ll crowd laughs in uncontrolled mirth at your
plig ht, but whe n you do finally stand, the anger graven on
yo ur face is warning e n o u g h, and both they and the urchin
respons ible for your humiliation flee in mock terror. Lose 1
Honour point, and go to 3 .
 61-62
61
When you reach the palace, Aegeus has been laid in a cere-
monial litter for his jo urney to the underworld. He looks at you
weakly.
'Altheus, you have done well. But now . .. return home.
Tell your mother . . . tell your mother .. .'He breaks off.
'Tell her what, father?'
'lam sorry,' says Aegeus, and dies.
You choke back the tears, slide an obol under yo ur father's
tong ue so that he m ay pay the ferryman and cross the River
Styx to take his rightful place in the unde rwo rld, and gently
close his eyes.
General Etekon has entered, and stands behind .you. Now
he speaks.
'The people are a ngry,' he tells you. 'This is the worst sort of
omen for your homecoming. You must leave now, and seek a
way to purge the g uilt that has brought this to pass, or else I
shall not be answerable for the mood of the city.' Go to 215.

62
How ca n yo u expect the aid of the gods in such a situation; the
mys teries of Deme ter are hidden even from them . There are
things, therefore, that me re heroes such as you should not
seek to inquire into . Lose 1 Honour point, and return to 42.
 63
These men are probably pa rt of a press-ga ng. Perhaps th ey
wish to seize you and make you into a ga lley-slave, spending
your life toiling away on the un-scorch ed decks of ships that
ply their trade on the seas . Yet a life s uch as thi would be
better than the gloomy halls of Had es, and if you do not resist,
you may yet live. Go to 380.

64
The sorceress seems to be smiling in a particul arly unpleasa nt
way, but Iris seemed to be confident in h er gift, so you comply.
Go to t40.

65
You creep out of your room, as the wa rrior who seeks to
infiltrate the camp of hjs enemies a nd burn the high-prowed
boats upon the beach. You h ea r a noise and d a rt silently in to a
room. The person soon passes, but as you turn to leave you see
some parchments on a ta ble . Do you investiga te them (turn to
t42), or do you return to your room to s leep (tu rn to 402)?
 66
The fin a l s tro ke is over, a nd the burden of guilt is lifted from
your brow . The priests com e a nd rub salt in the wounds as a
final pe na nce a nd you shriek o ut your protest at the punish-
ment. Ye t the gods will no lo nger seek you out for Agnostes'
death and you m ay trave l on towa rds Troezen . Your wounds
are bound by on e of the priests. They entrea t you to stay to live
with the m and learn th e rites o f Ares the man-slayer, but you
insistthat you m us t lea ve. Yo ur co mpanions, however, are not
so keen, and choose to stay o n the far-famed island. You set off
on your ra ft alo ne. Go to 344 .

67
You wa lk thro ug h s treets of rich houses. Atone point you see a
house g ua rd ed by a dog; it is held only by a length of chain.
Wary of s uch anima ls, you turn back and see another way.
Deeper a nd deepe r yo u go into the city, until you find you are
lost and mus t ask someone how to find Agnostes' residence.
Take 1 Sha m e point, a nd go to 372.
 .....
.......:"\',,.-
,,,.. . .

68
You are knocked backwards by a mig hty blow , a nd fa ll to your
knees, awaiting your inevitable death and the long journey
down to the gloom of Hades. Yet the baleful blow d oes no t fa ll,
and instead Arissia the priestess stands before yo u .
'You have failed us,' she cries, 'and the cu rse of the goddess
will follow you for the rest of your days on this a ffl icted ea rth.'
With this you rise, aching, your muscles crying out in ago ny;
the shouts and jeers of the crowd rin g in you r ears. Arissia
continues to intone a solemn curse upon you, a curse born of
the bitterness of people who know that no ra ins wi ll come a nd
their children will starve. You stumble, d azed, towa rds the
ship.
You are now in Disfavour with De m e ter. Your Honour
points are restored to the total you ha d before the comba t, but
you take Shame points equal to the numbe r of the Beas t yo u
last fought. Go to 3.

69
Have 2 Shame points for surrendering. You are seized roug hly
by the arms and led down into the cave. You offer no more
resistance. Go to 110.
 70
It may seem to you, Altheus the Avenger, that shipwreck was
the most commonly used form of rapid transport across large
distances in Bronze Age Greece. This was not in fact the case.
Have 1 Shame point, an d lose 1 Honour point. Go to :195 .

7:1
Have ·1 extra Sha m e point for being defeated in the land of the
Trojans; news o f · th is fight w ill bring no glory to you in
Troezen . Indeed , th e report of your ig nominy will cause great
grief to the people o f th e mainland, for although the two lands
are at peace at the moment, the re is an uneasy tension, and the
warriors of Greece w ill be incensed that, when a battle was
fought be tween Troy and Achaia, it was you, Altheus the
Avenger, who los t it . Go to :160.

72
You may pray to yo ur patron for aid . lf you choose to do so,
spend 1-6 Honour points (roll a die), and go to 22:1. If you
choose not to do so, or cannot afford the Honour points, then
lose 1 Ho n our point, and go to 2.
 73
The s hip i far from la nd now, but th e cloud o f death that
enveloped your mi sion in the city of you r fath er seems to
become tan g ibl , and fea r seizes your mind . The s to rm-clouds
twist like a w hirlpool, sendi ng o ut g reat bur ts of water from
its vo rte , lik a heaven-se nt H a rpy s natc hing up hapless
sailor from th e ocean's s urface. The blackness moves closer,
and the s hip is to sed fro m s ide to side by the wild waters. The
captain' brow is furrowed a nd a nxious, as the crew try
d e perate ly to rig ht their vesse l. You seek s h elte r, but it is too
la te; n g reCl t wave smashes through the ro tten timbers, and
sweep you crea ming into the d e pths of Ocean. If you are in
Favour with Pose idon, o r he is your patron, go to 385. Othe r-
wise, go to 9.

74
You go dow n under a savage blow fro m one of the sailors and
thi nk yourself doomed , but afte r a moment you come round to
see the captain looking at you. You clamber unsteadily to your
feet. Co to 348.

75
You wa it as the man approaches you, talons clicking on the
w ooden floo r. As he comes near you, you lash out with your
bound legs, a nd catch him in the midriff. He staggers back,
and drops a knife to the floor. It glitters silver in a shaft of
moonligh t that com es through a gap in the rafters. Will you try
to reach the knife (turn to 300), or try to trip the man over (turn
to 139)?
 76
Your Chronicle Sheet looks like this:
Might 5 Honour 18
Protection 11 Shame 8
You h ave no points of Intelligence.
Sw·ord: Might 3, Protection o
Shield: Might o, Protectio n 2
Queen Antiope's amulet
Hera - Disfavour
Athe na- Favour
Hecate - Disfavour
Others - Neutral
Note: You have Might 5, and not 4, and .Protectio n 11, not
10,beca use of the experience gained in victory aga inst the
Minota ur in Crete. Go to 217.

77
The path ascends rapidly; in some places you cannot walk, but
have to scramble up using your hands as well as your feet.
When you reach the top, you are confronted with very barren
countryside: rough heathland s tretches as far as the eye ca n
see, interrupted only by a clump of trees far off to yo ur right.
Will you move on along the path (turn to 416), or w ill yo u head
off towards the trees (turn to 553)?
 ,

/
4
ft
,I

78
You s tretch you r hands towards the chief with the palms open
in an a tte mpt to s how that you mean no harm. The king is
enthralled , a lmost e ntra nced by this gesture, and you start to
speak very slowly.
'I ... mean . .. no ill. ' It is useless, since he clearly does not
understand and ye t he s till stares at you strangely. You fall
silent and fo r a lo ng time the king does not move. Then he
barks out a corn ma nd to the warriors behind you and they lead
you away to a ba re hut, where you are left on your own. Will
you try to esca pe (turn to 536), or will you await further
developments (turn to 339)?

79
The horse a nd the cart on which you are fighting hurtle
headlo ng down a n increasingly steep and narrow road. The
farmer curses a nd tries to reach the reins. You can assist him in
regaining con tro l o f the cart (turn to 524), you can push him out
while he is distracted (turn to 430), or you can jump out (turn to
216).
 80-82
So
Down the mountainside you rush, almost re kl e s in your
abandon . Th e last cries o f the Centau r eem to echo in your
ears, like the s ho uts of the hig h-helmeted comra d e a ba ndo ned
al the breaking of the battalio ns; yet yo u ig no re the s ho uts of
th e wounded creature . They grow m o re and mo re an g u ished,
and at last they cease in one last s trangled cream. Have 2
Shame points, and go to 189.

l
81
The guard looks a little puzzled, but then motio ns for yo u to
follow him. Will you go with him (turn to 160), or do you re fu se
(turn to 362)?

82
You have not won anything on this roll; p erhaps your luck wi ll
be better next time. Re turn to 106, and roll again.
 83
The fourth <int grows s till beneath yo ur blows. Your hands are
bliste red from th e heat, and yo u turn to face the fifth of your
fea rsome fo s, but, like dogs ca lled back by the ir mas ter from a
boar that is too dangerous to a pproach, they retreat, and are
soon gone . T heir companio ns lie m otionless ·on the beach,
blacke n ed by the h eat fro m th e ir own bodies.
' Bewa re, d e fil er, a nd begone,' . you h ear a voice crying out,
a nd you run back to th e ship. Even Oresa nde r looks a little
conce rned , fo r the re was little time to take o n fresh provisions.
H a ve 6 H on o ur poi nts fo r your victory. Not too soon do you
leave the s h ores of H e phaestus th e m e tal-worker. Turn to 10.

84
You reach the h arbou r soon enough, but are perplexed as to
·what to do next. You co uld try to steal one of the fishermen' s
rafts moored at the h arbour (tu rn to 22), or yo u could try to get
passage o n a m e rchant s hip to Athens or some other port on
the mainland of Greece (turn to 540).
 85
The barking grows to a n almos t deafening volume, but you do
not rea lize that it is on ly one dog until its shape is revealed
in the fog. Only two ya rds away is the terrifying form of
Cerberu s, the g uard of the u nde rworld, his three heads bark-
ing and s napping in d efence of the realm of Hades. His tail is a
hissing serpent which w rithes hideously in the air. If you are
wearing a lionski n, go to 277. If not, go to 531.

86
Circe jus t looks a t you nonchalantly. 'You'll get no more from
me. Co now, yo ur precious moly won't save you from my
other spells. If you do want to stay, then I could think of
some thi ng creative for you; my mistress Hecate does not care
for t;he approval of the other gods, and you can be sure that you
would peris h una venged .' Have 1 Shame point for your futile
and unheroic persistence . Go to 207.

87
Perhaps Al theus the Avenger has reasqn to be afraid of dogs,
but that is no reason to show your fear among foreign folk.
Lose 1 H onour point, a nd go to 372.

88
You pull away from the mas t in your enthusiasm to hear the
song be tte r, but your strong bonds hold you back. You strain,
and your companions look at you, fear on their faces. Yet you
take no no tice o f the m, intent on the sound. The rope grows
slacker and s lacke r under the force · of your straining, and
eventually, with o ne last h eroic effort, you pull free . If Aphro-
dite is you r pa tro n, go to 118. If not, go to 162:

89
You make as if to walk away from the quay, but a band of
. villa inous-looking me n, who are carrying cudgels, bears down
towards you. You control the fear in your heart, which is
unfitting for a true hero, and face them. Go to 380.
 90
Zeus \·Vill n ot inte rfere in the rites of the love godd ess; he lea ves
h er shrines to her own tender care, a nd does n o t visit the m
save whe n fair-faced Aphrodite herself in vi tes him, a nd the n
only when H era is away from Olympus. A ltheus the Ave nger,
yo u die unavenged.

9'1
'Bad luck,' crows Markos, evidently d elig hted , if n o t exactly
surprised. 'Perhaps we can play again later. ' The Achaia ns nod
to each other sagely, their horsehair plumes wavi ng co mica Uy
in the breeze. Tired and disgruntled, you fa ll asleep, lea ning
on a sack of pomegranates which Markos h as le ft un g ua rd ed.
Go to 440. ·

92

I
'So then, drink my tea, peasant,' she crows. She dra gs you
unyielding into the house and forces the cup's contents d own
your throat. You are too surprised to resist her deadly drau g ht.

I
 93
Go to 144.

. 94
The sa ilor drops h is to rch a n d fa lls to his knees . You pause
briefly, a n d the n quick ly s too p lo retrieve the torch. Will y ou
spa re him, no w h e has surre nde red (turn to 426), or w ill you
kill him (turn lo 509)?

95
Your ho rse foll ows th e oth e rs alo n g the dus ty pa th by the
river, and you soon see a town ah ead, its white, fla t-roofed
buildings s himme ring in the heat. M an y boats are moored on
the river-ba n k beside the tow n, unloading their cargoes and
restocking th eir h o lds with n ew goods, chie fl y corn and
papyrus . The h orsem e n g reet several of the towns folk and you
guess tha t th is is th e ir h om e. Your conclusion is confirmed
when th ey ride into som e s ta bles, close to the edge of the
town . You dismount a nd tha nk them , a ltho ugh you are
still uncerta in whe the r they ca n understand Greek, before
making you r w ay d ow n to th e ri ver to see if any ships from
Greece are d ocked th ere. Go to 476 .

96
You mus t conti n ue th e fig ht agains t th ese two m en . If you kill
both o f the m , go to 458. If you surrender, go to 299. If you die,
and are saved by Zeus, go to 578.

97
ls Altheu s so foo lis h as to s ta nd in the baking sun, unable to
decid e which ro ute to ta ke? Sunburn can be the only result of
such a n action . H ave 1 Sh a m e point, and return to 77.
- 98-100

98
The old man will not accept your surrender, and you must
continue to fight. He has found new s h·ength, a nd is now
Might 6, Protection 12. If you retrea t, go to 453 . If yo u die and
are saved by Zeus, go to 557. If you Seriously W o und him, go
to 474·

99
You awaken, head pounding, in a darkened room . As your
eyes adjust to the gloom, you can tell tha t it is a kind of
storeroom, with some sacks around the walls. You are bound,
but manage to wriggle over to one side. One of the sacks has
split, and you see that it is grain that has spilled from it.
The door opens and one of the men in the bird-masks enters,
looking impossibly tall. When you notice his fee t, you fee l a
shiver run up your spine: both of his legs end in wicked-
Jooking talons. Will you attack the man (tUin to 75), or pre tend
to be unconscious (turn to 295)?

1.00
Down the mountainside you tumble, faster and fas ter. You
have time to pray to Zeus if you still can (turn to 7) . Oth erwise
your shattered body will be carrion for the crea tures w hich
crawl amidst the undergrowth.
 101-102

101
Closer and close r yo u com e to the clashing cliffs . Vizhazid is
barking out orders to his h elmsman, but you cannot hear what
they are, inte nt as you are o n the fate waiting ahead. How
inglorious s uch a death wo uld be, to die, your body splintered,
in the Symplegades. You yearn for th e massed formations of
men in combat. A sudde n shout brings you out of your reverie,
Altheu s the Avenger . Go to 2.

102
The last thing yo u re m ember is Circe pouring her drink down
your throat. It burns. S trange, you think that she should try to
revive you . But n o, for sh e strikes yo u in the face and cries,
'You swine!' You r sou l is snuffed out as your body transforms
in obedience to h e r w ill.
 "._/'
•/.
I (
 103
Yo u pus h thro ug h the cro w d o n ly to see tha t life 's spirit has
slipped away from you r co u s in . T he s p ecta to rs c rowd a bo ut
you, th eir voices like th e cla m o ur w hen s hieid s clas h , or the
angry bu zz ing of bees dis turbed from their n es ts w h e n a
great-roo ted tree is s tru ck d o w n by th e bronze axes a nd its
limbs are burn t, wood -smoke clouding the blue s umme r s ky .
Yo u tum yo ur eyes a \•v ay from th e ga ping wound w hich runs
from Ag no tes' foo t to his thig h . You mus t seek solace and
advice from th e d ivine o nes .
Do yo u look fo r th e S iby lline oracle re puted to b e n ear Troy
(turn to 407), o r d o yo u resor t to th e te mple of Athe na close to
the gates (turn to 28)?

104
Yo u wait bu t a little w h ile for your cou sin to appear; even so
you becom e impa tie nt, kee n afte r so many months to see a
frie ndly fa ce, to s pea k o f th e old times at Troezen . Agnostes
rus hes at le n g th into the room , and greets you cordially,
clea rly s urp rised a t y o ur coming, and eager to hear of your
adve ntures . You ta ke re lish in relating them . Go to 4.

105
Ca utio u s ly yo u o p e n your eyes, and at once close them; the
sun's brig ht lig ht is too s tro n g . At least, you think to yourself,
this is n o t H ad es . Yo u find, w hen you eventually summon
enough s tre ng th to look, tha t you have lost all your arms,
armour and p ossessions.
You could wait h ere and h o pe to signa l a passing ship (tum
to 340), o r you could m a ke your way up the mountain, to look
for help (turn to 15).
- 106-107
106
Markos briefly explains the rules to you, a nd you n od your
understanding and acceptance.
This dice game is handled by you, th e playe r. Ro ll o ne die for
you, and one for Markos. You may then choose one o f the rolls
and go to the corresponding paragra ph.
On i , go to 161.
On 2, go to 13.
On 3, go to 49.
On 4, go to 304.
On 5, go to 333·
On 6, go to 82.
When both rolls are ones or sixes, go to 208 .

. 107
You pass your hands over the brazier, a nd the heat fro m the
flames is unbearably hot. You close your eyes, a nd mutter a
prayer to your Olympian protector. Yet when you open them
again, it is no longer Scione that greets you , but a vast bu rning
plain. This must be the home of Helios, the s u n , you muse to
yourself. Strangely, the scorching tongues of fla m e do not
burn you, nor does the all-consuming fren zy of the fire ha rm
you . Just at that moment the flickering phantoms coalesce into
a near-human shape. This, you realize without need in g to be
told, is one of the fiends which inflict famine o n the fo lk of
Scione. You must fight.
You may neither retreat nor surrender. The Beast is number
l (note this down) . It has Might 6, Protection 13. ote down
also your Honour point total.
lf you die, go to 68 . If you finish off the flame-m a n, go to 209 .
 108-110
108
'No, most certainly not. I am the chosen one of .. .' Your
protestations are cut short by the butt of a spear in you r back.
You whirl around to see two elderly men, each of th em armed
wi th a spear. 'Then defend yourself, temple-defiler,' rasps one
of the men . ' Deme te r will see to yo ur death.'
The men a re Mig ht 3, Protection 1 0, but with spears (Might
2) and breastplates (Protectio n 2). Re membe r the rul es for
multiple com bat. If you Seriously Wound both men, go to 482.
If you surrender, go to 373. If you retrea t, go to 18. If you die
and are saved by Zeus, go to 33.

109

110
You are led, un y ieldin g, down into the depths of the earth.
The natives seem to possess an uncanny ability to see in the
dark, a you pass through hvisting tunnels and turning a fter
turning. All you can make o ut is that there a re further paint-
ings o n th e walls, but of w h at you cannot say.
At le ngth you come to a vast underground opening, arrayed
around the edges of w h ich a re the rest of the tribe. At the
cenh·e of the opening is the chief of the tribe, his body
completely covered in a ga rment woven of the feathers of a
thousdnd birds. You are pushed into the arena, just next to
where a brig htly burning fire blazes. The chief gestures to you
with a cle nched fist, and w h en you do not react, one of the
tribesmen rus h es fo rward, a nd pokes you with the butt of his
s pear. Clearly yo u are expected to respond to the chief.
Do you make a clenched fist gesture (turn to 363), a sunburst
gesture, with your fin gers spread out (turn to 145), o r a
flat-pa lm ges ture (turn to 556)?
111-112
111
If you are lashed to the mast of the raft, go to 88. If yo u are fre e
to m ove about the vessel, go to 23 .

112
You are tired almost beyond death when th e ship reaches the
small port of Chalcedon, and you are unable to leave th e ship .
In a m oment of rare gen erosity, Vizhazid buy you a helmet
(Protection 1), although it is rusty, and he clearly d oes not
expect you to live long e noug h to enjoy it very m uc h . You are
still g roaning at the effects of the last sea-voyage, w he n the
n ext begins . 'The rocks,' you cry out in agony , ' the rocks.' Yet
Vizhazid calms you, feeds you with a s ticky ora nge g ruel,
which he tells you is an Armenian d e lica cy, a n d a ssures you
that the rocks are now s tationary and ca n d o n o ha rm to ma n or
beast. You are not mollified . lt is late o n th e third d ay a fter
leaving Chalcedon that the look-out sig hts Troy. Even you,
Avenging Altheus, weak as you are, stagge r to th e sidP of the
shjp to gaze at the magnificent sigh t. Turn to 37.

,
I
"7
/
/(
.I
 n 3
Soon they re turn, ea ting hunks of bread, but they do not give
you a n y. You keep s ilent, despite your extreme hunger, and
you watch, betray ing no e m o tion. Eventually it grows dark,
and you h ear a g rea t commotion outside. When you are
brought out by your g uards, you a re amazed to find the whole
camp throngi ng wi th warriors, each carrying a torch. You are
led into a central ring w h e re the king stands brandishing an
ornately d ecorated s pear, ·which he raises above his head, to
the o bviou d e lig ht of the crowd. An enormous warrior
pushes through the s pectators into the ring, and the king
hands you the spea r. Will you fight (turn to 171), or will you
decline by ha nding the s pear back to the king (turn to 468)?

114
The to rch sizzles o n the damp floor of the hold. You are
momentaril y blinde d. for being distracted from the higher
purpose which Fate h as set aside for you, have 1 Shame point.
Return to 94 .

115
The Nubians will not s urrender, and you must continue the
fight. If you kill the m, go to 386. If you surrender, go to 424. If
you die and are saved by Zeus, go to 269.
- 116
116
You seize the chief, twist a kni fe out of his hand and hold it to
his throat.
'Listen to m e well,' you cry out to the others, 'and if a ny of
you still understand a civilized tongue, hear th is. Lie down on
the floor, w ith your h ands on you r head s. I shall leave now,
and if I hea r any soLtnQ of you followi ng, your leader dies.'
There is no m ovem ent. You thrust the point of the dagger
upwa rds, and the lead e r jerks his h ead back. His followers see
the glint of fear in his eyes and obey you.
Still keeping the m an at knife-point, yo u back out of the barn
to the edge of the compound. There you snatch the m ask away
to reveal a cadaverous face with a receding hairline .
'Which way leads to the city?' you demand . He makes no
answer, but his eyes flick to a paU1 leading away to th e left. You
laugh, ' I see.'
Then you cut his throat, and leave him in the bushes,
walking along the path h e has indicated. There are no sounds
of pursuit, and you tuck the knife into a pouch in th e feat hered
cloak. After a while the forest thins, and you can see the road
ahead . The moon glints on a tripwire s tre tched across the path,
and you step over it carefully, hereafter watching out for more
traps. A rustle in ilie bushes betrays the presence of a sentry,
but he is fooled by your costume, and lets you pass unhin-
dered.

J --· · ~·~0:,~;:_;~;?:,~,~?,~·.~~ -·-.. .

p ,.., .
,. ~

.~

• .,,.... ej:H
 117
As you press along the road, it becomes Light. When you can
see that the road is e mpty a nd can spy Thebes ahead, you
unbuckle the talons, a nd dump them and the costume and
mask by the s ide of the road. You walk up to the gates of
Thebes. Have 1 Sham e point for yo ur murd erous act. Go to
598 .

117
As the wa ves crash h eavily into the ship, you stare back at
Naxos, receding o n the horizon. Then, to your horror, you see
a figure swimmi ng towards the vessel through the confused
waters. Perha ps one o f the crew has fallen overboard, you
think at firs t, but the n see that it is no mortal, but the god
Poseidon . H e climbs to the deck and speaks.
· 'T d o n' t know how you muddled through in Crete, when
Theseus failed . Still, you should get back to Athens now, and
forget this heroic nonsense; you're not cut out for it at all. Your
father is waiting for the black or white sails to signal your death
or success, a nd he is beginning to lose the faint hope that you
have won th rough . Knowing your incompetence, you'll prob-
ably put the wrong o n es up.'
So saying, the sea god dives back into the waves, leaving
you alone o n d eck. Go to 252 .
\
t ,1.' '
z,
'•\ /
l\
 :1 18-119
118
The boat bumps against one of the islands. Strangely, no one
else moves. Yet you are not to be denied a sight of the sweet
singers, a nd scramble up the rocks. For a moment you close
your eyes, a nd a t the summit of the slope open them again.
There, oblivious to a ll e lse, is Aphrodite, fairest of the god-
desses, singi ng as she co mbs her hair, with a blissful smile on
her face.
'Oh, Altheus,' s he chides, 'you could have waited a bit
longer. My hair is all tangled in the breeze, and I just must
straighten it out.' She goes to work again with the amber comb.
' Now,' she turns smiling towards you, 'tell me about your
adventures.'

When you reach the raft again, tired and scratched from
your climbing, some hours have passed, but the sailors do not
seem to h ave moved fro m their positions, awed at having
amongs t them an honoured one of the goddess . Go to 46.

119
You go down into the hold, which is dark and musty. Your
eyes search the gloom for the mutineer, but all you can make
out are empty crates stacked up to the deck above. You
advance slowly into the darkness, listening for any sound, but
all is quiet save for the creaking of timbers as the boat sails on.
You reach a large crate, which is blocking your path. Will you
go round to the left (turn to 526) or right (turn to 398)?
120-123
120
The wooden tiles fall to the ground, a nd a t once they are
suffused by a reddy-golden glow. You fee l a strange prickling
feeling in your left ha nd, a nd when you look, you see that you
I:iold a golden ear of corn instead of the corn-plaque. The
priestess walks unsteadily to you r sid e and addresses tl~e
crowd : 'Spring comes! Go now to your h o uses and prepare, fo r
Persephone may yet re turn.'
To you she whispers, 'I tha nk you, my friend . Normally
there would be feasting a nd dancing, but the town is poor. 1
hope you understand.' She motions to one of the acolytes,
who goes into the temple and returns wi th a d ove, h eld in a
cage of beaten bronze. Take this as token of o ur thanks. Scione
has seen better times, and may once more . Fa rewe ll .'
You take your leave of the pries tess Arissia and make your
way to the ship, cage clutched in you r ha nds. You a re now in
Favour with Demeter, and may have 3 Honour poin ts fo r
saving the folk of Scione from s tarvation . Go to 3.

1i1
Do you have a dove with you? 1f so, turn to 375. If not, tu rn
to 2 .

122
Again and again you are struck by this m ischievous bra t, who
takes delight in humiliating foreig ne rs. You try to s helte r, but
to no avail, and the missiles s till strike you. You dod ge fro m
side to side, yet your assailant throws w ith u nerring accu racy.
At last the barrage ceases, but the laugh ter of the o nlookers
lasts longer. Have 2 Shame points, a nd go to 3.

123
Tired, cold and without hope, yo u a re ca rried hithe r a nd
thither by the cruel ocean . Gradually your mome n ts of lucid ity
grow less, as the sea sucks o ut your spirit. Zeus will no t save
those who offend against his brother Poseido n.
 124
Hours seem Lo p ass, and again and again you bang at the door.
Shipwreck a nd imprisonment seem perenially to be your lot,
but a t las t yo u se ttle down to sleep. You are awakened by the
door crea kin g o p en. At once you are on your guard, in case a
black-cloa ked briga nd has come to torture you. Yet this is no
villain, it is yo ur cousin Agnostes. 'Sorry about the misunder-
standing, A ltheus,' he say s. 'It's all sorted out now, but I
suppose yo u have a lot more to tell me about how you come to
be in Troy.' Go to 4.

125
You li ft up the scourge with one last great effort. You strike
yoursel f, a nd the metal tips dig deep into your flesh. On your
left leg bo n e is exposed beiow the knee. The flies buzz around,
attracted by the s ticky blood. Pain throbs in your temples, and
it grows to a crescendo. One more stroke and you can take
no more . You fall to the ground and the dusty sand enters
your wounds. Your release from life and guilt is pleasant in
comparison to the torment that ended them .

126
Zeus has no business interfering in the sacred places of other
gods. After all, he would not tolerate such behaviour on high
Olympus. You must now put your talents to the test of
Tartarus and grim Hades.
 127
'You're in no position to ba rgain, so n o f Aegeus,' s he says . ' I
keep your crew; you get purged . Now, if you want d ivine
forgiveness for your Troja n misdeeds, you mu st drink the
potio n of herbs which I have m ade.'
Do you agree that you have no choice and return w ith he r to
the house (turn to 140), or do you attack he r (turn to 41)?

128
At last the North Africa n coast com es into view . Yo u p addle a
little way down it, seeking a place to land s o th at you ca n take
on new provisions. For a time, you see no s ig n of huma n
habitation, no curious onlookers gazin g at your s trange craft
from the shore, no huts of mud-brick o r bra nch es, no s mo ke or
fire. After a while, however, you come to q u ite a la rge is land,
on the beaches of which a g reat number of peo ple a re lo ung-
ing. They pluck fruit lazily from trees w hich s ta nd some way
from the water's ed ge, a nd in just such a carefree ma nner
consume them. If you are in Disfavour with Poseidon, go to
342. Otherwise, go to 132.
 129
The priest begins a monotonous chanting , while the female
acolytes dan ce a ro und him wit h slow convoluted steps. From
his belt he d raws a d agge r, w h ose blade is etched with s trange
twisting, tw ining sy mbo ls. He tests it against the sacred cone,
and then turns to you with a broad s mile on his face . Your arms
are seized and he ld be hind your back. You try to struggie, but
you a re as a la m e m a n seeking to make the long walk home.
The dagge r p lunges downwards, and there is a searing pain
betwee n your leg . Yo u cry out in ago ny, but then you die. If
you can still pray to Z e us , go to 90 .

130
You are o nl y jus t o ut of th e ha rbour, when a massive storm
begins to brew . The ca pta in and crew look gra ve and attempt
to tack back lo po rt, but the s hip is swiftly blown far from its
path, a nd soon the sa ilors can exert no control over its course
throug h the w h ite-foa ming wa ters. After some hours, there is
a crash, and you a re flu n g headlong into the sea. There is an
island in vie w , a nd yo u stri ke out towards it, desperation
buoying you up . You drag yourself up the beach, cursing
unde r you r breath th e fate that h as decreed tha t yet again you
do not find yourself safe ly on your road.
You turn your head to see tha t a few of the sailors have been
saved with you . Co to 186.

131
You a re driven on to the coast of Liguria, far from your
destination . In a s torm your companions are swept overboard
and you r a ttemp ts to rescue the m are in vain. The raft is brnken
up as it comes o n to the beach and you are forced to scramble
out of the ~1 reckage quickly and run hare-swift up the beach to
avoid the breake rs. On the beach stands a group of natives.
Do you make a n approach to them, trying to be friendly
(turn to 31), or d o yo u run away in the opposite direction (turn
to 48)?
 132-135
132
You approach o ne of th e m e n, who is reclining against a pile of
clothing, seem ing ly try ing to cons truct some edifice from small
pieces o f d riftwood . Eve ry so ofte n he turns ~nd plucks a fruit
from an ove rh a ng ing tree, ig n o ring the scratches he re ceives II
from th e p ri ckly bran ch es . Th e fruit is the colour of the sun,
and looks very much like a n ora n ge plum . You reach the man
and try to dis turb him fro m his m eal. His only reaction is to eat
another of the s u cculent fru its. At las t he seems to offe r you
I
I
one of them . Do you accept and eat the fruit (turn to 53), or do
you re fu se (turn to 143)?

133
The champion dro ps his s p ear and clamps his hands over a
gash in h is right leg, w hich is pumping blood to the ground in a
grotesque fou nta in. H e looks up, as you approach to make a
final thrus t with the delicate ly crafted spear, now specked with
Nubian gore. H is implo ring eyes s tare relentlessly into yours,
and you refrain fro m your blow momentarily, while you
decide w h e the r to fini s h o ff the black warrior or to spare him. If
you kill him, go to 273. If y ou do not, go to 593.

134
If you we re Seriou s ly Wo unded in the battle, go to 309. H you
were no t, go to 577 .

135
A few o f the yo u th a nd maide ns s how their support for you,
but the oth ers, cowardly and ungratefu l, or perhaps re-
membe ring you r dese rti o n o f Ariadne a nd the two maidens of
Athens on Naxos, sta nd s ile nt. The four wavering sailors need
no wea the rma n to te ll which w ay the wind blows, and join the
six mutineers. They seize hold of you again, wrenching the
weapon fro m your hands. Go to 175.
 136
Before you leave the costume, you retrieve the knife from it. As
you reach the ga tes, two thieves appea r as if fro m novvh ere and
stride towards yo u m e nacingly. One brings a club ro und to
swing at you r h ead , and yo u block the blow with you r left
forearm, while bringing the knife up with the other lo carve a
gash through his cheek and into the eye. He d rops the club and
runs off screaming; h is companion follO\·v s.
You tuck the knife away, and knock at th e ga tes. They are
opened by two birdmen. Go to 193 .

"137
You dismount and ha nd the reins of your h orse to the ma n al
the back of the g roup. You mutter you r thanks and walk down
to the water's edge where one of th e dh ows is just leaving.
Explaining that you ha ve no money, you try to board and cross
the great river. Luckily the capta in, who speaks your
language, is quite friendly, and h e explains that your best
chance of returning to Athens w o uld be to take a boat ma ny
hundreds of miles dow ns tream to Lower Egypt and the coast.
He will take you across the Nile a nd se t yo u d ow n at the far
side, if that is what you wa nt. If you wait for a boat trave lling
the length of the river, go to 589. If you cross, go to 446 .

138
The Nubian chief steps back alarmed, as yo u fall to the ground
in front of him. He nods to two warriors, who grab you by the
arms and haul you to your feet. They march you away to a
small hut, bind your hands behind your back, and leave you
there alone.
 139
It is ma ny h o urs before th ey return to drag y ou outsid e . lt is
night, but the w h o le camp is lit up by th o usands of to rches,
each held by a differe nt wa rrior. You recko n tha t these m e n
mus t form the tribes fo r miles arou nd . You a re broug ht into a
central ring w h e re lhe Nubian king s tands brandi s hing an
ornate ly d ecora te d spea r. He lifts the w ea po n a bove his h ead
sh owing.it to a ll the crowd , a nd th en he hands it to you . At th e
sa me time, o ne o f the bigges t w a rriors pushes his way into the
ring . Will yo u fig h t (tu rn to 171), o r will you decline by handing
the pear back to th e ki ng (turn to 468)?

1 39
Lea ving th e knife w he re it is, you throw your arms around one
of the man' legs . The rope th at ties your ha nds together snags
one of the talo ns a nd th e m a n s h akes his leg frantically, trying
to throw yo u off.
Then the o the r leg ca tches in a crack in the floor, and he
topples over backwa rds, jerking you halfway across the room.
Your bo nds sn a p on th e razo r-sh a rp edge of the talon, and you
drag yo urself backwards quickly.
The m a n h as b roke n his ankle; he is throwing himself all
ov er the room , screeching and rebGtmding off aU the walls,
until he falls to the floor a gain. Yo u have untied your feet, and
you go ove r to him a nd rem o v e the mask to reveal a face
bloodied by collis io ns with th e walls . You lift his head from
behind, a nd th e n p ull your hand away in horror, finding it
covered in blood a nd a m ilky-yellow fluid. The man's skull has
cracked : s u ch was the force of his self-destructive urge. He
looks up a t yo u wi th incredulity. 'But I am Cyron the
merchant,' h e s ays, a nd dies.
You have bee n s tripped of all your possessions, but you
reach d o wn and re trieve the knjfe which has fallen in the fight.
You tuck it into yo u r belt. Will you escape from this place as
quickly as you can (turn to 505), or look about outside (turn to
456)?
 140
Yo u take the cup from h er h ands a nd sta rt to drin k; the liquid
has a strange musty taste, but you continue . Th en a s trange
fee ling overcomes you. You s ta rt to ch oke, drop the cup and
fall do\>vn on to a ll fo urs. Oddly, yo u cailnot a rise . Bris ll es have
sprouted from you r a rms a nd legs, a nd yo ur fin ge rs a re fusing
together. Your ears have become long and fl o ppy, a nd your
nose elongated . Yo u try to protest, but can o nly squea l and
grunt as you are m etamorphosed into one of Circe's swine.
Your last human thought as you look down o n the p igskin rug
gives you no cause for comfort.

141
'Filthy cheat, ' they cry, clea rl y offended a t your g iving in w hile
you are ahead. You try to reason with them, but it is no good .
Markos approaches yo u . 'My friends,' h e s ays, 'd o n' t q uanel.
I'll play dice with Altheus, Phoenician rules. All right?' Th e
Phthians look somewhat mollified. Do you accept (turn to 106)
or refuse (turn to 502)?
 I
I

142
Quickly you pick up th e pa rchme nt rolls, but are only able to
. catch a fe w g limpses; they a re letters to Agnostes. One is from
the king of Ethiopia , agreeing that a cargo of pomegranates be
imported into Troy, a dangerous ven ture indeed . The other
concerns Pari s, who is appa rently to judge in a divine beauty
contest, invo lving Hera, A thena and Aphrodite.
Have 1 Sh ame point, a nd yo u a re in Disfavour with the
goddess Eris , w ho would rathe r these matters were kept a
secret. You retire to your roo m. Go to 245 .

143
You walk down the beach, taking care to avoid the prone
bodies scattered a ll a lon g the sh o re. No one you ask seems to
be willing o r able to s peak to you . Here one man is digging a
deep pit in the sa nd, there a woman is building a pyramid of
fruit. At lasl y o u see a figure standing in the distance waving at
you . As you come closer you recognize him. It is Markos the
Phoenician m erch a nt. Go to 202 .
 144
Yo u d esce nd o nce m o re to the cave o f Chi ro n , dislodgi ng the
s pea r from its res tin g-place as you jump d ow n to th e ledge in
front of the Centa ur's h o m e . Qu ickly you cru sh the delicate
p e tals a nd rub the m agai n s t th e fe s tering wound , hand iwork
of a n unknown m e rc ha n t. Ye t th e Centa ur igh s a nd breathes
h is las t, his eye s ro ll ro un d a nd are \•v h ite a n d blind. Yo u have
taken the wrong p la n t, a n d C hiron is n ovv d ead . Take 1 Sh a me
po int, and leave, eithe r w ith C hiro n's spea r, which is Might 2
(tum to 520), ar un a rmed (turn to 189).

145
You make the sign o f th e s unburst, and the ch ief moves his
hand forwa rd into you rs so that his fi s t is enclosed withi n your
outspread fingers . T he whole tribe ch eers, a nd yo u are h oisted
sho ulder-hig h and pa r ad ed a round th e cavern in trium ph.
Afterwards you are feted a nd give n gifts of foo d and jewellery.
It is with difficulty that y ou m a ke the isla n ders understand that
yo u must leave to return to you r h o m ela n d.
After some little time yo u s lee p, a nd w he n you rou se you
find yourself on the beach o nce m ore. You th ink tha t you have
dreamed it all, until you find tha t your raft is h ea ped with
provisions, a nd strapped to your belt is a jad e kni fe (Might 1).
H a ve 1 H o n o ur point. You d ecide in memory of th e occasion to
name the.is land Althenesos . Perha p s o ne d a y yo u w ill found a
colony h e re . Go to 214.
 /

/
4
/(
/

~~
.,"/
, (

1.46
Before your adversa ries can react, you push the spears aside
and make a das h for the beach . They stand stunned for a
mome n t, a nd the n follow you as fast as they can. But when
they see that yo u ha ve a boat, they halt their pursuit, and
confine th emselves to hurling insults at you in a tongue you
cannot understa nd. H ave 2 Shame points for your cowardice.
As yo u go, yo u d ecide to yourself that you will name this
island after yourself, AJthenesos . Go to 214.

1.47
Do yo u have a ny moly root? If so, go to 423. If not, return to
1.27.
I
!
 148
Two rivers in s pate run down from the high hills and throw
together at their meeti ng the full weig ht of their water, like two
armies clash ing in th e d aw n light. Far off in the .mountains the
shepherds h ea r the thunder and s tand in awe, wondering a t
the sound .
You stand, Altheus the Aven ge r, at the meeting-point of the
rivers, and le t the wa ters' violent union buffet you and cleanse
you from the dus t a nd cares of the journey and escape from
Crete. Then you step out of the water, dry in the sun and dress
again, s ha king your hair like a d og.
Back at th e temple, the ca ptain waits to give away Ariadne,
and th e priest h overs expectantly . The fourteen youths and
maidens o f At h e ns have formed into a semicircle in front of
them, facin g inwards to wa tch a nd app laud . Behind them are
most of the crew; o nly a few h ave s tayed behind to guard the
ship. You walk th ro u g h to Ariadne and the captain, who stand
benea th th e sta tue of Artemis, and take Ariadne's hand in
yours as the. priest begins to chant the words of the ceremony.
You take very little of this in; you are gazing intently at
Ariadne, and waiti ng fo r the m oment when you can say 'I do'
and the princess will be yours.
' [ do,' says A riadne, a nd turns to .face you. You repeat her
words and ho ld her tigh t in your arms.
With a screaming like a million rats drowning in the h old of a
sinking cargo s hip full of grain, the guests turn into a cloud of
bats w hich flies, s hrieking, into th e heavy sky. Snakes begin to
push out throug h A riad n e' s sca lp a nd you.hurl her away from
· you in h orror. She collides with a pi llar and crouches against it
w hile leathe rn wi n gs bud from her back, rip through the silken
gown, h arde n and beg in to beat, lifting her a few feet into the
air. You s too p to exami ne Ariadne's long blonde hair, the
re ma ins of which lie at yo ur feet, but freeze halfway, when you
see that th e sa me transformation has overtake n the ~aptain
and th e pries t as well .
All three Furies join together and then launch themselves at
you, the ir claws scratching at your body as you back away.
' You have slain your brother, Altheus,'" hisses Alecto, her
149
spittle burning into your face like acid. You realize that, by
marry ing Ariadne, you have made those m embe rs of the
Cretan royal family you have killed into your relatives, a nd the
Minotaur as well; and the Furies drive mad and torment th ose
who kill their kin .
You look ro und and for a brief instant see the g uests as they
were, and Ariadne and the captain gazing at you imploringly,
astounded at your behaviour. Then the cliff edge o n wh ich you
are standing gives way, and you fall into space, dropping to
your death on the wave-lashed rocks below. Not even Zeus
/I
will save th ose who des troy the m selves.

149
The scene b e fore yo u wavers and shifts. No longer do you
stand at the temple of Scione, but at the ce ntre of a vast area of
water, to w hich you can spy no end. The sea seems tranq uil,
and you realize, to your astonishment, that you are floating
some six inches from the surface. Hardly have you observed
this when the surface parts, and from the d ee ps of the wine-
dark waters a great man made entirely of wa te r emerges. He,
you at once kn'ow, is one of the creatures w ho ca use Scio ne's
famine . You must fight.
You 'may n e ither retreat nor surrender. This is Beast number
2 (note this down). He has Might 5, Protection 11. No te down
also your current Honour total.
If you die, turn to 68. If you vanquish your foe, go to 558.
 150
You may take comfort in the fact-that Markos the Phoenician
trader has los t a cargo. You also take 1 Shame point. Co to 186.

151
The gu ard accepts yo ur rus ty helmet and examines it, puzzle-
ment clear o n his face. At le ngth he has an idea and motions for
you to fo llow him . You do so . Co to 160.

152
You face the king a nd throw the spear to the ground, to his
alarm . Soon, however, he is m aster of the situation once more,
and ba rks o u t an order to a tall, skinny warrior, who steps
towards you. H is build looks too weak for a fighter, but he
holds the o the r tribesmen in terror, as you can readily see from
the way they a ll edge back. It is the royal interpreter; he will
transla te you r words from Greek into the Nubian tongue, so
that the king m ay unders tand. Turn to 330.

153
Terror grips yo ur limbs as you recall the year of captivity, from
which yo u h ave so recently escaped. You do not know why
you should fea r the hateful Nubians now, when you are safe
on board an Egy ptian trading boat, but perhaps they will
recog nize yo u a nd demand your return. Perhaps these
Egyptia ns mea n to sell you for a few more skins. But surely
your imagin a tion is just turning to paranoi.a? Are you not
safest with this good captain, who speaks your language so
well?
You mus t d ecide whether you will stay on board and meet
the Nubia ns (turn to 490), or whether you will entrust your life
to the Nile, a nd jump over the side into the turbulent water
below the fall (turn to 595).
154
1 54
You look forward , and the scene is as it was before: a circle of
g rey figures. You blink, and everything goes ye llow, w ith no
va riation s in sh ade o r texture: all you can see is a wa ll of
yellov..1. You blink again , a nd the yellow wall starts to ooze a
brown fluid which runs down it in drops and little rivulets.
You blink again, and unleash a tream of images, each one
lasting o nly for a fra ction of a second, barely long enough fo r
you to register it. Your fat her and m other al th e moment of
your con ception . . . A bead of sweat on you r father's fore-
head , magnified a my riad times ... A flower, fading, de-
caying, w ithering and falling apart ... A chicke n' s neck
wrung by a fa rmer . . . A skull ... A leaf caught in its descent,
turning . . . An eastern soldier, twisting a long, curved sword
in his hands .. . A sev1er flowing through the h ea rt of the
w orld, carrying filth into the ocea ns, to be spread veryw here
... A small boy's face, crying out in pain a h i drunken father
breaks his back .. . Ariadne's bloodied body lying on a hillside
in Naxos, whe re she has died giving birth .. . Markos the
Phoenician, throat slit, lyi n g dead in a weat- tained bed in
North Africa .. . The Minotaur, first a nd last of its kind, dead
in the ruins of Knossos .. . Wrinkles preading on your
mother's face, speeded up a million times .. . A city being put
to the sword . .. Horsem e n burning the huts of peasa nts in the
north .
You realize how everything is connected . Death is the only
reality; life is only a time of d e lusion before a ll are unite d in the
dust and we all rot with ou r kind, rulers a nd ruled a like. T he
world belongs to the worms. Even the vast halls of Hades are a
lie, told by poets to m ake men quiet. After death there will be
nothing a t a ll.
You feel yo urself fa lling throu g h space, in blackness, and
halfway through a cry of terror your life ends, a neatly as iJ
som eone h ad pinched out a candle a nd said , 'No more.'
The Phy ta lidae see you fall back out of the circle a nd lie
unmoving o n the floor, face twisted in agony, and are sad.
 I

155
You grow wea k under the powerful sun, and begin to have
difficul ty wa lking. The birds fly towards you and circle ex-
pecta ntly in the a ir. There is no water anywhere in sight, and
you slump in the g rass to wait for the cool of the night. But it is
only midd ay, a nd the s un is a t its highest point. You grow
delirio us and the vulture above seem to become larger and
larger, even with your eyes firmJy shut. As the afternoon
begins, you fall unconscious, and never revive. Zeus will not
save those who bring death upon themselves.

156
Zeus heals your wounds a nd delays the sailor's next blow long
enoug h for yo u to s p ring back to your feet. You must continue.
If you surre nder, turn to 249. If you Seriously Wound the
mutineer, turn to 94.
 157
You wande r into th e to wn, and all the people seem to be
walking in th e sa m e direction. A t las t you a re ca rried alo ng by
the press, past great decayed buildings and collapsed temples.
All the people seem to be disfi g ured by some sort of rash. You
struggle to escape th is unhe althy atmosphere, but cannot. At
last the pr ssure ceases, a nd you can escape into a little
building, with an ear of co rn inscribed on the door.
Do you pus h through a nd try to get into th e building (t urn to
560), o r d o yo u s ta y and risk being carried on once more (turn
to 322)?

158
Your C h roni le Sheet looks like this:
Mig ht 5 Honour 20
Pro tection 11 Sha me 7
You have n o Jn te ll igen ce points.
Axe: Migh l 5, Protection 3
Breas tplate: Might o, Protection 2
Hera - Disfavour
Furies - Di favo ur
Athe na - Favou r
Othe rs - eu tra l
lote th at as a clien t of Apollo, you may igno re any Sha me o r
Hono ur penalties th at accrue as a direct resu lt of taking hints.
You have M ig ht 5, ins tead of 4, and Protection 11, instead
of 1 0, to accou n t fo r the ex pe rience gained defeating the
Minotaur. Co to 354.

1 59
You e xa mine the corpse . T he talons are no t part of the body,
but a re cas t in iron a nd a ttached to the feet by straps, giving the
wearer a n xtra foot or so of h eight. Will you now esca pe (turn
to 505), o r ex p lore outside (turn to 522)?
 160
You are led down a series of corridors the ha Us of which d epict
various Trojan exploits of the past, including the building of
the walls by Poseidon the earth-shaker. You are s lightly
curious at a large blank patch of wall which is bein g pre pared
by a craftsman for a new series of paintings.
The guard pushes you into a room, bare except for a s tool,
and slams the door behind you. You test the d oor, but it is
locked. Go to 124.

161
Markos is too skilful for you . Lose any one item won during the
first game, and return to 106 to roll again . If you h a ve no item,
lose one obol, and return to 106. If you ha ve no obols go to 91 .

162
As you draw closer and closer to the rocks, the singing
becomes more ecstatic than ever. At last the raft is beach ed , but
a wave lifts it off and smashes it agai11st the foot of the cliff. You
are thrown off and your legs are crushed by the life-sa pping
stones. Yet still the singing. continues. The sea seems to
become as green as a meadow, and you would wa lk on it, if
you could walk at all. The pain of your injury is eased by the
rapturous sounds . Orange lights s tart to glow and bob from
side to side overhead. There is a scratching, but this too m erges
into the heavenly symphony . Your last m e mory is of the talons
of the Sirens tearing lyrically into your limbs.
 163
Away sa ils the s hip from A thenian shores, from the Piraeus,
that once bustling port, n ow strangely silent and decaying.
The holds of the vessel a re e mpty of cargo, for trade from
Athens has virtua lly ceased with the prospect of political
upheaval. Ye t little of this tro ubles you, just as the man on the
moun tain top k nows or cares little about the plague-ridden
people be low . You grieve for your father and, as you gaze at
the gloom-black sails, tears fill your eyes. Go to 73 .

164
You are led pas t the huts of the na tives into a central area. A
man dressed in a strange array of plumage holds something up
to your nose. You sniff it; it smells of oranges, but makes you
drowsy. Then, carried between two of these primitives, you
are woken to full consciousness as spears are thrust into both
your a rms. By m ea ns of these, you are held high by your
captors, who ignore your agonized squealing and kicking. You
are moved ove r to a fire which has been kindled in the centre of
the village, and lowered into it. As your body roasts and
blisters, you bem oan a nd ·curse the gods who have punished
you for your disobedience. Before you can bear the torment no
longer, and you r agonized life sinks to the depths of Hades,
you brie fl y hope tha t your flesh will sear their stomachs.
 165
With a hint of dia phanous colouring, Iris, messenger of Hera,
stands before you on the raft, her robe all the colours of the
rainbow. She takes a deep breath and begin s . 'I am Iris, and a
very important woman, because I am messe nger of H e ra, who
has entrus ted me to give a message to you, which is in turn
very important, because it's all abou t your futu re welfare,
about w hich we're all terribly concerned on hig h Oly mpus, as
we w ouldn't want your journey to com e to a n end h e re, seeing
as we've all been so inte rested in it, a nd e nthralled , a nd it has
stopped the business of divine decadence for days a t a ti me, so
that if it ended it really would be a disappoin tment, and
anyhow we don' t like Circe that much, because sh e's a schem-
ing, black-hearted, conniving bitch, w hich is of course a ll right
if you like that sort of thing, but most of us don' t, actua lly we
find it quite offensive, and it's hard f.or gods to get offended,
we're mostly meek-mannered 'folk, w hatever your teachers
told you, and I hear they' re not that good in Troezen, and
when we do get offended, thunderbolts fly, and everyon e gets
upset, which is why I have to give you a message. ' She nearly
pauses, remembers something, a nd the n takes an odd roo t out
of her pocket. 'This is moly; ea t it and yo u'll be sa fe, w hy
I don't know, but Hera thought it importa nt, and if it's
important to her, of course ... '
With this Iris is interrupte d and vai:iish es, without ever
having come to an end. Somewha t dazed by this o utpouring,
you push the moly into your belt, and your companions row
enthusiastically for shore. Go to 461 .

166
Pushing past the near-lifeless 'form, you seize the spear and
begin the hazardous climb back to the sea-shore. As the
Centaur's tortured form vanishes from view, you h ear him cry
out in his death agony: 'May the curse of Asclepius the h ealer
go with you, and may you never see the lig ht of your ho me
back in Troezen again.' You are now in Disfavour with
Asclepius, and are in a permanently Wounded s ta te, until
you are prepared to pay 4 Honour points to remove this
penalty. The spear is Might 2, Protection o. Go to 189.
 167
You open yo ur eyes a nd clea r away the grime of the salt sea.
This is n ot Hades, but a civilized land that you have been
washed up on . Crowds of p eo ple gather around a ship, and
you n otice tha t the cargo being brought in is of figs . Perhaps
these p eople could he lp you, perhaps you could find some
heroic employm en t to win your passage to the lands you must
visit to atone for Ag nos tes' death. You notice, however, with
some disgust, that the figs are rotten, and you gaze again at the
harbour; it is as tho ug h a film has been lifted from your eyes.
Ships' timbers are rotting, the buildings have weeds growing
from cracks in th e wa lls. A ll the people walk with a pro-
nounced s toop, while m o unds of rubbish accumulate at the
quayside.
You could ask one of these folk for aid (turn to 43), or you
could try to find a more prosperous area of the harbour (turn to
89) .

168
You are tired and th oroug hly miserable; the raft is driven by
the blasts of th e racking wind along the barren coast of Italy.
The sh oreline seems to ha ve become the battlefield in some
cosmic confl ict of the gods; it is scorched and blackened .
There a re som e is la nds ahead, and you instruct your com-
panions to row a ro und the m, but just then, you seem to hear a
no ise e m an a ting fro m one of the m . You decide to approach
closer. Go lo 303.

169
If you have a n even number of Shame points, go to 130. If you
ha ve an odd number of Shame points, go to 16.

170
You follow the Centaur's instructions and there, just as he
described , is the bush. You hesitate for a moment before
picking som e of the flowers, for they are of various types, and
the wrong sort might not be so efficacious. Do you pick those
with two p e ta ls·(turn to 144), four (turn to 205), or si.x (turn to
93)?
 171
You gra p the spear firmly a nd s tep forward to battle with the
Nubian; the rest o f the tribes men draw in closer to watch the
fight. Your oppone nt crouch es low, one hand tou ching the
ground fo r bal a nce, and a ll eyes focus on you. Bewildered, you
crouch down in the same fas hion and then, with a cry, the
champion lea ps fo rwa rd . The contest is beg un.
You fig ht using th e n o rmal comb a t rules. He has Might 4,
Protection 12. Yo u both h ave spears (Might 2 ), a nd n o armour.
If you re treat, go to 57. If yo u s urrender, go to 331. If yo u
Serious ly Y\f o und him, g o to 133. ff yo u die and are saved by
Zeus, go to 566.

:1.72
You waken to find y o ur head cradled by a young woman
dressed in g rey. You sta rt to rise, but she holds you back,
smiling. Yo u look a round, and see you are in a bare tent, with a
rug on th e fl oor. You rest.
After a m o ment, an o lde r worn.an and a man enter, also
dressed in plain g rey. 'We a re the elders,' says the woman .
'We know of the reason fo r your coming. You wish to be
purified o f your b lood -guilt. We may do this for you: the
ceremony i be ing prepa red now.'
The man now s peaks: ' But be wary, young hero. We may
only save those who are n o t ashamed of themselves. Be alone
now, a nd b s ure that this is what you want.' All three leave,
and you a re alon e . Go to 519.

173
Zeus heals yo u and se ts yo u down at the harbour, back in
Egypt. You offe r prayers in thanks. Turn to 544 .
 174
You examine it care full y, but it ap pea rs to be an ordina ry gold·
ring. You wonde r if you ca n really h ave wo n som e th ing from
Markos the m e rcha nt for no th ing; may be the ring is cursed,
but it is jus t possible tha t his luck has fin a lly cha nged. You
shoo t a gla nce a t the Phoen ician to see if his face will revea l the
truth , but, a s e ver, his expressio n ca rries no cl u e to his
thou g hts . You rise and walk over to the s id e of the s h ip, gazing
out over the w ine-dark sea tha t has so o ften p rove d your
adversary in this long s truggle to reach your hom e land. For a
moment you a re alone w ith yo ur thoug h ts, but then you hear
the m e rd1 a nt a pproach . Go to 239.

175
You are tied up and tossed over th e side of the black-sailed s hip
into the foaming wa te rs be low . As you open your mouth to cry
o ut in protest at this m on stro us injustice, y ou h it the sea; the
brine stings your eyes a nd the impact kn ocks th e breath fro m
your body.
As you flounder around, you feel the ropes tig hte n around
your limbs. After a frantic s h·uggle, w hich a t first o nl y ma kes
the matter worse, you m a nage to free you rself.
You s wim for hours, un til the w eathe r clea rs. Yo u a re a lone
in what seem s like an endless ocea n, over w h ich no bird s fly,
and in which no ships sail . Then, fa r away in the d is ta nce, you
see a high wa terspout, as of som e giant sea-crea tu re which h as
lain dormant on the sea-bed for aeons, a nd rises brie fl y to the
s urface to draw breath before seeking the d e pths o n ce mo re .
Will y ou swim towa rds th e wa terspout (turn to 4:10) o r a way
(turn to 255)?
 276
As you walk to the river-bank, a ll the shades move out of your
way, sensing that yo u a re a living, corporeal person.
There is a rickety old jetty, cra mmed with hopeful s hades,
but they mak room as yo u push to the front to view the river.
A filth y, ragged old man, wi th a flowing unkempt white beard
and a ripped piece of cloth h a nging from his shou lde rs as a
cloak, punts a s titched coracle back to the bank. This is Charon
the fe rryman , warden of the Styx.
'Obol,' he s ho uts, holding out his hand expectantly. To your
embarrassment yo u rea lize tha t you have none. Have 1 Shame
point. Go to 395.

1 77
The two men pass close by as you lie in the grass, unseen and
unheard, until they are o ut of sight agai n . It is still afternoon;
your throat is parched, but you have no water, and there is no
prospect of finding it in this grassland plain which seems to
stretch for ever. You pray to your patron to send rain or
produce a n oasis s pring, but your pleas fall on deaf ears. The
gods will not he lp those who reject the help of other men. As
you grow more and more feverish in the heat, visions of your
mother s pring to mind. Then your mother's face transforms
into the leopard's, a nd that of the leo pard into the Minotaur's.
Faces flash through yo ur mind until you pass out. The vultures
will get you after all.

178
The men are shocked by your sudden onslaught, but readily
raise the ir daggers in reply. They are each Might 3, Protection
10. The dagge rs are Might 1. If you retreat, go to 511; if you
surrender, go to 308; if you Seriously Wound them both, go to
415; if you die and are saved by .z~us, go to 173.
 179
You exa mine the holy book. It is titled Tile Bnt llefielrl of tile Birds
and purports to ha ve been written by the birdme n's leader,
who calls himself the Buzzard. You look at it. Jn form it is an
epic poem, a dull a nd iJliterate pastiche of the great wo rks of
Athens. You are suddenly weary. The men of Thebe were
a lways unwelcoming, but now they h a ve become foo ls.
You drop the book in a sewer and head out of the city. As
you reach the ga tes, you catch a passing re m ark : ' ... the
Phytalidae. They're camped about twenty miles no rth of here.'
The hair on the back of your neck prickles: at la t, you are
within reach of yo ur goal. Go to 551.

180
You throw the stool at the door. One of the legs breaks off, and
now you do not even have anything on w hich to rest your
weary limbs. Have 1 Shame point for destroy ing the furniture
of a host, even one so forgetful of his manners. Go to 124.

181
Seeing you drawing the sword, the guard thinks you a re abou t
to attack him . Go to 362.
 182
You are almos t s ta rving by the time you make landfall on
Sardinia; the pan gs of hunger pierce you li.ke spears. The
priests of Ares a wait you at the quayside, dressed in robes of
blood-red. They know what must be done. Strange, you think
to yourself, th at a ll th e people you pass have ugly welts
covering their faces. The houses are all topped by battlements.
Go to 290.

183
'l haven' t got time to a rg ue with you,' he says, spitting out his
lotus fruit, 'but I' m s ure you'd have been happier if you'd
taken my present. I wo uld offer you a lift on my trireme, but
I'm afraid I' m goin g in the opposite direction to Troezen.' With
this he skips ligh tly down the beach, scooping up a handful of
lotus fruit as h e goes. Go to 405.

184
The priestess s ta nds a t the open door, holds up her hand to
calm the people a nd speaks once more, seemingly herself
again: 'Citizens o f Scione, worshippers of Demeter, as is the
goddess's will, it is one of the common people who officiates at
the spring-time rite o f corn, water and flame, the symbols of
rebirth . Let this be a n auspicious moment; for the past five
years the goddess has not smiled on us and the harvest failed.
Let the rites begin .'
She turns to you; you must somehow complete the cere-
mony. Do yo u d eal w ith the corn first (turn to 44), water (turn
to 149) or with the fire (turn to 107)?

185
You mus t spe nd 1- 6 Honour points (roll a die) to gain Hera's
help, since you have a ngered her. If you choose to do so, go to
165. If not, lose 1 Honour point, and go to 461.
 186
Up the beach you wa nder, dazed and confused . You are still
more bewilde red to find m e n and women playing happily
amongs t the trees. Seeing a s hip has been wrecked, one runs
off toward a hut si tuated som e way away in a clearing. A
woman emerges from the building and beams at you. To judge
by her bu ild, he is no t mortal, but a nymph, clad in a
tree-green sh immering robe and a necklace of sea-shells. 'I am
Calypso,' s he says, 'a nd this is my island of Ogygia . Y.o u are
welcome to stay as long as yo u wa nt.'
Feeling a peculiar sense that you cannot refuse the invi-
tation, yo u begin to circula te among the men and women,
and soon, strangely, yo u are filled with euphoria and joy,
and await Calypso' every move with a feeling of eager anti-
cipation, like a s lave waiting for his mas ter's commands after
the warrior has been away to the wars for ten years. Go to 306.

187
The ma n looks a t yo u askance as you jabber on, attempting to
make yourself understood. He mops his brow briefly, for the
heat in his a rmour is oppressive. 'Agnostes?' he asks. You
nod, and the man points to a building with an elaborate
portico, whose roof is supported by columns carved in the
shape of Atlas s upporting the heavens.
You thank the soldier and approach the building. There is,
however, a g ua rd at the door. As you come close, he bars your
way with his stra ig ht-s hafted spear. Do you say your name is
Altheus (turn to 81)? Do you mention Agnostes' name (turn to
460)? Do yo u try to offer him something to let you in (turn to
305)? Or do you simply charge past him (turn to 47)?
 188
You kneel down and attempt to comfort th e g reat bea s t. The
Centaur begins to speak aga in. 'I v.iiJl die,' gasps Chi ron,
'unless my wounds are bathed in the juices of a pa rticular
plant. Climb a little higher, to where a bus h \Nith w hite flow ers
grows. Pick the flow ers with .. . f.. .' Once agai n th e half-
man falls into a fit, and seems for a m om e nt to be d ead, before
the ragged rising and falling o f his ribs resume o nce more. Do
you follow the Centa ur's instructio ns (turn to 170), o r d o you
choose to leave now (turn to 80)?

189
Down past the margins of the mountain you w alk, a nd the
malai se seems here to be no milder. Plants are wi the red , trees
are without leaves, cattle are sick a nd listless. As you walk
down the path to where you know the re to be a fe rry at
Demetrias, from where you can get to Phthia, a nd th ence
home again to Troezen, you notice a small p o uch ly ing dis-
carded on the ground . Do you investigate (turn to 6), or leave
well alone (turn to 311)?

190
For two days, you lie in the hut, unable to move o n acco unt of
your terrible leg wound . The gash swells up and tu rns com-
pletely black; it is badly infected, and you becom e feve ris h . For
two more days, you fight the raging delirium a nd in the end
you pull through. The Nubians give you only a li ttle food , to
keep you in your weakened state, and you ca n no t build up
your strength. Your leg is still painful, but gradu all y you
exercise until you can walk again. No chance of e scape exists
while you are unable to run and so, for months, you are forced
to lead a life 'Of servitude, waiting on the king. Slowly yo ur
fitness returns and at last you can begin to think aga in of
freedom. You await your opportunity . Go to 591. .
 191
You are thankful that it is night a nd that the air is relatively
cool, althoug h yo u are s till very h ot. Nevertheless you decide
to travel as for as you can now and to rest in the shade during
the blistering m orning a nd early afternoon . You have no shoes
and your feet ache from the hard ground, but it is not until just
after dawn that you find a group of leafy trees, which afford
pleasant shade . Yo ur wound throbs with pain, as you lie in the
long grass, but yo u are h appy to have escaped from the
Nubians. Yo u fall into lo ng awaited sleep. Turn to 327.

192
You pray to Almigh ty Zeus, father of the gods . If you have
already used y our prayer to Zeus, go to 291. If not, go to 497.

193
The birdme n do not a ppear to recognize you, and you pass by
them into the city . The streets are empty, and much cleaner
than when you passed through here seven and a half years
ago. The streets soo n fill with citizens, and you mingle with
them, arriving at th e market-place. You sit by a fountain,
resting yo ur feet, a nd watch the world go by.
There a re birdmen a mong the passing Thebans; they stand
head and sh o ulde rs above the crowd because of the talons
strapped to their feet. Their masked heads dart here and there
to look for any sign of trouble.
A city official comes and sits next to you. 'A stranger?' he
asks . Will you te ll him of your encounter with the birdmen
(turn to 495) or not (turn to 545)?
T 1 94
It is, of course, a p erfectly normal gold ring, neither cursed nor
blessed with bene ficial powe rs. Markos' luck ha s indeed run
out, as may yours very soon . I-lave 1 Shame point a nd return to
174.

195
You rise from the sand a nd brush yourself off, with n ew -fo und
determination , in th e face of the h os tility of th e god s, to re turn
home. Shipwrecked again, you vow to build you rself a nother
boa t, and battle across the sea towards Troeze n, ending only in
success or death. Adversity serves to fire you r h ea rt more
strongly with resolve . Fi.rst, however, you must sea rch this
land for wood an d other m aterials for a c raft to lTave l the seas
and to withstand the buffe tin g of wind s a nd w aves. Wi ll you
go inland (turn to 39)? Or w ill yo u search the sh ore (tum lo
533)?

196
You m ay h ave a n obol. Jf so, do n ot take 1 Sham e p o int, but go
to 270. If you do not have an obol, lose 1 Honour point and take
the Shame point from the last paragraph, before going to 395 .
 197
The tunnel is very cold a nd seem s to stre tch on as far as you can
see. At first it is la rge a nd cylind rical w ith s m oo th .w alls, but
then as you progress furthe r, it becomes s ma lle r a nd roug her.
You also nohce tha t it begins to s lo pe dow n, so tha t you soo n
fi nd you rself a lmost running d own it. Yo u have to check
yourself and take s low, d e liberate steps. The floor becomes
slippe ry a nd, g lanci ng down, yo u see tha t you a re walking on
pol is hed marble. The slope now increases, u nhl it is a real
effort to prevent yourself from sliding. Yo u s tead y yo urself by
pressing your hands again s t the rough wa lls and thus ma nage
to advance a few m ore steps . Ahead there is a n opening off the
tun nel to the left. Will you con h nue straight (turn to 535), or
will you turn to the left (turn to 567)?

198
Ariadne comes ou t of the cave, looki ng exactly as she did
before .
'All righ t, you can come in now I'm d ressed ,' s he tells you
sullenly. You and your guid e e n ter the sma ll, undecorated
cave. You have n ot h ing to say.
'I've made it look quite nice,' ve ntures Aria dne, pointing a t
the cav . You sti ll say nothing . ·
'So wha t are you doing, Althe us?'
Tm trying to go home .'
'Oh I see . A nd h e' - she points a t your g uide - 'insisted you
came to see me firs t, as a . . . as some kind of a pe nance. I see.'
You remember, seven years o n, w hy yo u d eserted Ariadne on
Naxos. She carrie on. 'So it' s home to a h ero's welco me from a
gratefu l family and fr ien ds? Do you have a ny friends,
Altheus?'
'I'm g lad to see the o ld Minoa n charm still preva ils.'
Her face b uckles up. 'Get ou t of here, Altheus. Go a way.'
Your guide lead s you away . On the way back to the pa th,
you pa s a woman re turn ing fro m ba thing, but she fails to
recognize yo u. Go to 279.
 199
The farm er reels towa rds the front of the cart, and you manage
to kick his fe t away from h \m. He falls under the wheels, and
is dragged alo ng for a moment, tangled in the underside of the
cart; then h e seem s to be spat o ut at the back, and he lies
unmoving in th e road.
The cart and h orse accele rate down the hill. You reach for
the reins, but they a re dragging along the road. The horse has
the bit between its tee th a nd is ca ntering down the winding
path . You s tru ggle to s tay on top of the jolting platform, its
wheels singing maniacally.
Several ch oices present themselves. You can s tay with the
cart and try to regain control of it (turn to 494). You can jump
out of the cart now (turn to 356). Or you can try to cut the cart
free from th e horse (tu rn to 445).

200
The w ood en carvings clatter to the ground and there is a tense
and expectant sile nce for a moment, but nothing happens.
Then expres ions of puzzlement turn to fury.
'Stone h im, ' an e lderly matron with a deformed hand cries.
'Rhaphanidosis!' urges another. 'Hang him!' 'Behead him!'
'Drown him !' ' Burn him!' The s ugges tions seem to go on for
hour , becoming more and more explicit, for the people of
Scione are nothing if not renowned as torturers. Yet no one
moves; the o nly s tone cast hits the temple and dislodges a
piece of d ecaying m asonry. You take your chance and dash off
through th e disheartened crowd.
You lose 3 Honour points, and if you were in Favour with
Deme ter, sh e is now Neutral; if she was Neutral to you, you
are now in Disfavour; and if you v,1ere in Disfavour, you take a
Shame point. Go to 3.
201-204
201
You awake to find yourself in a brig htly pai n ted room, some
type of ante-chambe r, decorated with cenes of Aphrodi te,
goddess of love. A s lave-girl is holding a red pop py up to your
nose to revive you, but you toss it as ide as you rega in the use of
your arms. 'Where am I?' you as k.
'This is Aphrodite's temple at Pa phos,' s he murm u rs . 'You
have been chosen to become a n acolyte. If you serve the
goddess well, you may become a priest one day.'
You feel for your weapons, but find tha t they have al l been
taken away, and have been replaced by imi tations made of a
soft, yielding material. Go to 550.

202
'Hello, Altheus,' he s houts, and slaps you o n the back in a
peculiarly irritating manner. 'This is the las t p lace r expected to
see you. Came here trying to shift some po megrana tes, but all
these people are interested in is lotus frui t. They eat nothing
else. Here, try one, they're quite good, really.' With this he
nimbly rushes over to the nearest of the inhabitants of the isle,
seizes a fruit from her hand, and one from a pile beside her
foot, and offers one to you. Seeing you h esita tin g, he po ps one
into his mouth and begins to munch . Do you accept the fruit
(turn to 266), or refuse it (turn to 183)?

203
Away from the well you run, pursued by the brigands. 'May
your days be ever darkened,' one cries, flin g ing a sword
towards you. The Achaians, especially Oresander, la ugh at
your discomfort as you step aboard . Take 1 extra Sha me point.
Ignoring the jeers o_f the men of Lemnos, the oarsmen soon set
the ship under way once more. Go to 10 .

204
'Good game,' cry the Achaians. 'Troezenites are n' t tha t bad
after all. You can come to Phthja any time.' If yo u have won
any item, go to 400. If not, go to 45.
 205
You ru sh down th e lopes back to whe re the Centaur lies,
fearful lest yo u a re too late . You crumple the petals between
your fin gers and rub them around the point where the Phoeni-
cian's a rrow entered . Soon, to your astonis hme nt, the creature
stirs o nce more. ' I thank yo u, Altheus the Avenger,' h e w his-
pers, and you wo nder at his knowing you r name. 'And I ask
you lo leave m e now, with Asclepius' blessing, for n ow [will
be able to tend lo myself. Take the rest of the white flower, for
it will se rve you well w he n you are wounded . Go n ow, a nd
may you ever prosper.'
So it is that you bid fa rewell to C hiron and set off down the
scorched slopes of Pel ion, wond eri ng at the malaise that seems
to affl ict the place.
If, at th e beginning of a comba t, you place the petals in your
mouth and chew them, the n it wi ll take three hits to move you
from Seriously Wounded to Dead (and not one as normal).
Note that this will work o nce only, and will involve giving up
your first s trike. Go to 189.

206
Go to 132 .

207
You paddl away from the shi p, happy both to be free of the
burde n which has beset yo u si.nce those fateful games so long
ago a t Troy, and a l having eluded the trickster sorceress. A
·little sadnes tinges yo ur e uphoria, however, for your com-
rades of so many weeks will doubtless soon die, and be
consumed as C irce's cooking. Still, a t least the gods look after
you. In your reverie, yo u almost do not notice that all your
arms and arm o ur have been le ft behind on the beach. You are
208-210

. 208
Markos looks annoyed and flings the dice into a corner.
'Another time,' he says, with an obvious lack of grace. The
Achaians look amazed that you h ave survived withou t losing
everything, regarding you as the p eople d o a man w h o has
survived being trampled by a boar a nd gored by its death-
dealing tu sks. The exp e rience h as tired yo u out: you slump
against a tree-trunk and sleep. Go to 440 .

209
The fire-fiend falls beneath your frantic blow , and m e rges
back into the flames . You begin to feel the heat from the
burning, and your skin begins to blis te r. You cry out in pain,
for surely these mus t be the fires of H ad es, a n d you are dead.
Yet just as suddenly as it manifested itsel f, the land of fea r and
flame is gone and you are back in the gloom of godforsa ken
Scione. Clutched in y our hand is a s mall wood en tile, on w hich
is engraved a flame-sy mbol.
If this is the third opponent you have d estroyed, turn to 346.
Otherwise, you mus t confront the problem of the corn (turn to
44), or the water (turn to 149).

210
The Egyptian is a friendly man, and his com mand of your
language is surprisingly good; he explains tha t h e has just been
up the Nile to exchange gems and weapons for a n im a l s kins
with the Nubians. At the name of the tribe, you s hudder
involuntarily, and are forced to explain h ow you h ave just'
escaped from a year's captivity .
'It's just as well you didn' t come with us before. They might
have wanted you back,' he says joking ly, but it is not a s ubject
in which you can find any humour. The ca pta in explains that
the animal skins are worth much more in Lowe r Egyp t, and he
will be sailing the whole of the way up th e Nile. Go to 579.
 211-213
211
·The vultures fly overhead, but you are intent on getting away
from these inau picious birds. The hot sun beats relentlessly
down, but you find extra s trength to keep going, and you are
relieved to se e the birds make one last, low swoop before flying
off in search of more certa in food . Encouraged by this omen,
you pause and s it in the long grass, resting in the most extreme
heat of the a fte rnoon . Fortu na tely, there is a light breeze,
which ruffles yo ur hair, cools your sweating forehead and
causes the g rass to s way gently, ripples moving across it like
waves on a turbulent lake. In one place it forms into a long
furrow tha t seems to float straight towards you, and it is with a
jolt of terror that you see that it is not the wind ploughing
through the g rass, but a sleek leopard.
Will yo u s it motionless, in the hope that it will leave you
alone (turn to 512)? Will you run (turn to 390)? Or will you
prepare to fi g ht it (turn to 472)?

2'.12
You stumble into the woods, seeking to evade the pursuit
which h as just sta rted behind you. The deeper you penetrate,
the harder it becomes to see, and soon you are merely
th rashing blindly through the undergrowth.
Suddenly you run into a ne t, which is suspended between
two trees, and only wrap yourse lf deeper in it by struggling to
get free . Then the birdmen catch up with you; one delicately
covers yo ur head with a talon, and presses and twists it. The
razor-sharp edges cut into your h ead, and you die, screaming
as you r life flows away into the forest floor.

213
The men have Might 4, Protection 11 and the knives are Might
1 . Remember the bonuses for multiple opponents. If you
retrea t, go to 568. If you surre nder, go to 555. If you die, and
are saved by Zeus, go to 39'.l. If you Seriously Wound all three,
go to 462 .

/
----
 214

214
You paddle fu rious ly a w ay from Althe nesos. The re is no wind,
and as d a rkn ess fa lls, even the moon, n e w-born this eve ning,
cas ts no lig h t. Yo u think a b o ut your journey, which has
broug ht you, now ragged a nd half-star ved, to these shores.
Yet soon it will be o ve r a nd y ou will hear the hoofs of the
fast-runn ing ho rs es a t T roezen a nd see the s hining helms of
your fathe r's troops. In your dream y s tate, you drop the oar
into the wa ters, a nd ca nno t re trieve it, so you drift, helpless at
the me rcy o f the curre nts o f Pose idon's deep.
Just at tha t m o m e nt, th ere is a fl a pping of wings, and you are
s tru ck a painful b lo w across the te mples with a whip. You look
up a nd, h ove rin g a roun d your craft, are the Furies, winged
wo men w ith n a kes in s tead of hai.r, w hich hiss furiously . They
are a rm ed with w h ips a nd torches, and proceed to set about
you w ith a w il l. Yo u ca nno t escape; yo u are too far from land .
'I a m Ti ipho n e,' croaks o ne, 'and we, the Furies, divine
age nts of jus tice, accuse you, Oedipus, of marrying your
mothe r.'
' I am n o t O ed ipu ,'you cry out. ' I am Altheus the Avenger,
son of A~ge u s, a nd Ae thra is my mother. I have not married
her.'
' No m a tte r, wre tch, ' hisses another Fury. 'Alecto never
makes m is takes. A lthe us, w e accuse you of marrying your
mothe r. You r tor m e n t a t our hands will be long and un-
pleasa nt.'
'I h ave n o t ma rried m y mother,' you insist.
'Some bod y h as ,' cries out the thjrd Fury, striking you in the
belly with h e r lash . 'I, Meg aera, observed it.'
'My fath er Aege us married my mother,' you protest incor-
rectly . ' Yo u ' re being p erverse.'
 21.5
' On th e contra ry, v ile wre tch , we're be in g co rrect,' s no rts
Tisipho n e, w ith a n in creasing n ote of glee.
'Agen ts of divi n e jus tice w e a re,' th ey all th ree s tart in a n
unho ly ch o rus . ' We a re th e Furies, a n d we ca n do wha teve r the
H ad es we like. '
W ith o n e last fl u rry of fl age llatio n, th e fearsom e Fu ri es lake
off, lea \ ing you bloodied a nd bea te n . Ye t their reve nge fo r
yo ur esca p in g th eir v.rra th d oes no t e nd h e re, fo r Alecto ta kes
h old of yo ur raft a n d u pturns it, tossing yo u in lo th e wa te r. Go
to 50 .

,
4
/
~
'1
/

215
Yo u slump on to a too l, wh ile the g eneral g ives pe re m p tory
orders to som e subordina tes . Whe n h e returns, he asks
sea rching questi o n s ·a bo ut your ex pe rie nces in Cr te. You
a n swer as full y as y o u ca n : have 2 I lo n o ur points fo r every
point of Inte lligence yo u ga the red in C re te (if yo u p layed
thro u g h the previou s ad ven tu re) .
A t le ng th all is read y, a·n d yo u are b un d led out o f the pa lace
in disg uise a nd esco rted to th e Pira e u s, w her e a s hi p awa its
y ou. G o to 449 .

I
I
 ,,
216-218
216
You leap out o f the back of the cart, land awkwardly and sprain
an ankle; but yo u get up in time to see horse, cart and farmer
plunge o ver a cli ff. Only a hunk of cheese, with the farmer's
knife s till stuck in it, re m a ins to be ar witness to the fact that you
did no t imag ine h is passing. You tuck the knife into your belt
and discard th e cheese a fte r o ne bite . You limp towards
Thebes. Go to 259 .

217
You s ta nd o n th e exp osed d eck, sheltering from the winds,
wh en sudd e nly the w hi te-a rmed goddess, your patron
Aph rodi te, rises ra dian t fro m th e w a ters and perches herself
delica tely on the wood e n rail which runs around the ship's
perimete r.
'Althe us,' sh coos, ' it's been a long time s ince our last
encou nte r, but l ra ther e njoyed your little escapades in Crete.
low you must ge t back to yo ur mother and your poor old
father in Athens, w h o wa its every moment for your s hip to
return w ith the white sa ils of success, but worries terribly in
case he sees th o se nasty black one s . I've just got to rush now,
but I' d love to r e turn later a nd lea rn about a ll your exploits.'
With thi the goddes is gone, leaving o nly a small vial of
orange-scen ted per fume. Go to 252.

218
The bea rd ed m atelot fal ls to his knees in supplication, drop-
ping his wea p o n. You s tand over him with the torch, breathing
heavily. H ave 1 oth e r point. Will you spare him now he has
surre nde red (turn to 366) or ki ll him (turn to 509)?
 219
lt is hard to keep your balance on the s way ing cart, but you
steady yourself until yo u can leap o n to the horse's back . O nce
astride the a nimal, you grip with your knees a nd cover the
horse' s eyes \·v ith your h a nds.
lt comes to a halt. Getting hold of the reins, you dis mount
and unbuckle th e cart. Then you dimb back on to th e horse,
_a nd cautiously urge it on down the hill towards T h ebes. Go to
537. ./

220
Ares imbu es your limbs with a s tre n g th born of fury. Again
and again yo u strike you rself. Blood drips fro m your batte red
body. You s tagger a nd almost fa ll, punis h ing yo urself for
Agnostes' death, but you do not die, you d o n ot flag.
You s till roll two dice, despite being Seriou s ly Wounded. If
you die, and pray to Zeus, go to 382. If yo u di e, a nd ca nno t
pray to Zeus, go to 125 . After four (or three for those w ith A res
as patron) strokes, go to 66.

221
You hea.r a gentle whispering in your ear: ' Follo w th e eagle's
path, and you will prospe r. ' Ahead you see a hu ge, grea t-
beaked eagle, flyin g towards the r ocks .
'See that bird?' you s hout to Yizhazid. 'Tell th e he lms man to
follow its path precisely.'
The captain shrugs his shoulders n oncha la ntly, but d oes as
you ask.
The looming rocks draw near; as you watch, th ere is a grea t
deep g rinding sound, like the noise of the a pp roach o f Talos,
bronze man of Crete, death to sailors and ma rin e rs . You gaze
on fearfully as the earth shudders and great waves buffe t the
ship. The very cliffs are moving together. Yet th e captain does
not blanch, and the helmsman steers true to th e co urse of the
bird which beats out your path.
As you move into the channel of the rocks, you grow ever
more afraid, until you pass out. You awaken to find to your
surprise you have survived the Symplegades . H ave 1 Shame
point for failing to witness so great a feat. Go to n2.

.I
 222-225
222
The fruit of the lotus is clearly addictive. If you were to eat it,
you would end up like all the others on this island. You take
the lotus from Markos, put it in your mouth, but then, when he
goes off for a moment, you spit it out. The taste was sickly-
sweet and cloying, but you were almost tempted to succumb to
it. Have 1 Shame point for your disgusting demeanour, and go
to 345 ·

223
Circe laug hs. 'You thought you defeated me. Fool, for I am
invincible.' Circe is now unwounded, through the force of
her m ys tical enchantments . Return to 41 and continue the
combat.

224
You a pproach the well, eager to talk with anyone but the dull
Achaians. Yet when you do, one of the men seizes your arms
and holds you tight. You struggle, but cannot get away. There
are three of them, all bearded and wearing blackened tunics.
'You w ill do,' one says. He offers you a metal bucket full of
water. 'Pour this on our fire,' he continues, pointing to a
stone-built hearth. Beside it stands a small figurine of a man,
its head broken off beneath the boot of a passer-by. You
wonder at the request. Will you agree to do as they say (turn to
40), or will you refuse (turn to 381)?

225
Zeus gives life back to you, but you are drained of strength,
and as a reed which has been broken no longer pipes in the
wind, you are forced to surrender to the guard. Go to 160.
 226-227

226
For te n d ays, you trave l on h orseback w ith the men, pa using
each day fo r o nl y a few hours of sleep, u n til you reach a m ighty
river, unbridgeable a nd unforda ble . Small dh ows work from
ban k to ba n k, ca rry in g m en , grain, horses and m a ny othe r
cargoes, includi ng potte ry, pa py rus a n d pom eg ra na tes; la rger
boats ply u p a nd dow n the river, trading betwee n the towns I
and cities alo ng th e ba nks. The h orsem en turn d owns tream j
a nd rid e a long the bank . W ill yo u stay w ith them (turn to 95), I
or w ill you try to go by boa t (turn to 137)?

227
The ha rbo ur is stra n gely q uiet; Vi zhazid's ship seems to be the
only o ne be rthe d tod a y . You s tride to and fro across the
quaysid e. S udde n ly yo u are h it by an orange flung from a pile a
few yards a way . Do yo u ign o re this a ffront (turn to 122)? Do
you thro w th e o ra nge back (turn to 281)? Or d o you charge at
the pi le of o ra n ges in a n a ttempt to catch the culprit (turn to
60)?
228
228
The ship sails on. Around dawn the n ext d ay, w h e n yo u go up
on deck to greet the morning, you see another hip in the
distance, which h as pi.led on all sa il to make th g reatest
possible headway. As time wears o n, with o nl y the occasional
s m all island to relieve the monotony of endless sea, the other
ship gains on you .
The capta in walks back to talk to you, and you poin t a t the
pursu ing vessel.
'Pira tes?' you ask.
H e squints, s h ading his le ft eye with hi h and to cul ou t the
sunlight.
'No,' h e judges finally. 'A m ercha ntman, I'd say. Phoeni-
cian, by her hull.'
But you are not convinced, and continue lo watch the o ther
ship. As it grows closer, you can distinguish the characteristic
two-oar rudd er a t th e stern . Th e captain come aft again.
'Why's sh e m aking such speed ?'
' Better desig n,' h e replies glumly.
'No, 1 mea n, for what purpose?'
'The master m ay h ave a pe ris hable ca rgo. In fact, he prob-
ably thinks we do too, a nd that's w hy h e's chasing u s. Look!'
At that m oment, two things happen at once. In a confused
babble of voices, the look-out sh outs a sighting of Cape
Sounion, and h ence h o m e . And the Phoe n icia n vessel moves
up behind you, neatly taking the w ind o u t of yo ur sails. Go to
389.
 229
Your C h ro nicle S h e · t looks li ke th is :
Might 5 (+2) H o n o u r 25
Protectio n 11 Sh a m 1 4
You have n o lntell1g e n ce points.
Axe: Mig h t 5, Protectio n - 3
Shield : Mig ht - 1 , Pro tectio n 3
Corn-ear brooch
Hera - Dis favo ur
Poseido n - Fa vo ur
Dionys u - Fa vou r
Apollo - Fa vo ur
Othe rs - Neutra l
No te: As a cl ie nt of A res, y o u a re e ntitled to +2 ~ight bonus
(as s hown in brackets). Yo u have Mig ht 5, Protection 11 , as a
resul t o f th e ex p erie nce in killing the Mino ta ur. Go to 532.

230
For th ree d ays, yo u la bo ur in th e h o t s un, moving timber dow n
to the beach , cons tru ctin g yo ur raft. The work is hard, but you
are o n ly too eager to see it co mple ted , a nd be away from
Phar os . At las t th e ra ft is read y, a nd you slide it into the \vater.
Go to 351 .

231
You sw a ll o \~ d e eply of th e drink, and carefully replace the
carved bea ke r o n th e fl oor of the ca ve. You grip your ne igh-
bours' ha n d s ag a in. N o thing seem s to be happening. Then the
knife in you r be lt begins to g low red-hot, burning your clo thes
and bra nding its m ark o n your s kin. You break away from the
circle a nd s tag ger o u ts ide into the s now. You seek to pluck the
knife trom your belt, but it is too h o t to touch. You feel the heat
reach th e bo n e of yo ur leg, a nd, crying out in agony, you hurl
yourselfover a p recipice to your d eath . You have failed utterly.
232
232
The first stage of your journey is taken by boat a nd you soon
settle down to the lack of space on board. Indeed you find the
riverboat life of relaxing on deck iJ1 the sun, while the boat is
sailing on calm \"later, most ag reeable, altho u g h the priest,
more accustomed to indoo r life, find s the journey very try ing.
You watch the green waters of the Nile flow past for h ours on
end, their strange tranquillity disturbed only by the occasional
crocodile moving effortlessly in the river.
On the fourth day your boat has almost reach ed H ermo-
polis, where you are due to d ock, whe n a s tro ng w ind blows
up from the east. It is clear that there is too much sail up, but
sand swirls in the air, bringing th e d eck into con fusion.
'She's going on to the bank,' cries the captain d es perately.
He hands you a knife. 'Quick, lad, cut th e main h alyard. Get
the sail down!'
You rush forward and saw a t the rop e un ti l with a sharp
retort the warp parts. The sail crash es to the d eck, a n d knocks
you into the water. Immediately a crocod ile fro m the n ea r bank
slides into the river and swims towards you. G rip ping the
knife tightly you prepare for its attack.
It has Might 4, Protection 13. You have the kni fe (Mig ht l) . If
you die and are saved by Zeus, go to 574. If you kill the
crocodile, go to 527 .

-
. ... ,,.. .. .
~~
 233-234
I
I

2 33
The Phoenician merchant raises both hands from the table
very slowly. To yo ur delig ht a nd amazement, both the ring
and the piece of jad e are under his left hand . Reluctantly, he
slides them across towards you and you snatch them up
eagerly. You replace the piece of jade in your pocket, but stare
at the gold ring a little lo nger. Roll one die. If the die comes up
1 , go to 569 . If the res ult is 2 o r 3, go to 174. If the roll is 4, 5 or 6,
turn to 475.

2 34
As you turn to descend, a tremendous roar breaks the tran-
quillity. You w h eel rou nd , a nd are confronted by a mountain
lion . You freeze for a moment, s tartled , just as two lovers stand
motionless when urprised by a nothe r, '"' hose approach has
passed unn o ticed. Ju st so has this lion crept up behind you,
and no'"' it leaps forwa rd, its huge paws stretched out to maul
you. It is M ig h t 6, Protecti o n 13, and, since it has surprised
you, it has first s trike. If you kill it, go to 298. ff it kills you , but
Zeus intervenes, go to 590.
 2 35
The shepherd is sea ted with his back to you, a nd does not
seem to hear you making your way th roug h the meadow
towa rds him . Now that you are closer, you ca n see that he is
drinking from a waterskin, and is clutching a piece of bread in
his free hand .
'Wh a t country friend, is this?' you begin, not wis hing to
alarm him.
'This is llyww ia, lad,' comes the reply, and the s hepherd
turns to face you. It is no boy, b ut a fair-skinned girl. 'Ah,
Altheus, you still d o not wecognjze me. I am Athena, goddess
of wisdom, a nd pwotector of the ci ty over which you wightly
wule. You have been told pwev iously that it i your duty to
twa vel to the underworld and see the events which Gweece
has undergone, and som e s till yet to come. J ow go back to
the steps and weturn once more to the tunnels below the
gwound.' So saying, _the goddess wanders away with the
sh eep, and you wa lk back to the m a rsh y ring at the top of the
steps.
Have 2 Sha me points for forcing the gods to remind you of
your destiny. Go to 530.

236
Night is falling fast, and the Egyptians now retire to their
houses, leaving the streets to the beggar s and th e homeless.
You a re anxious not to spend the night o utside, at the m ercy of
thieves and robbers, so you hurry into the centre of th e city to
find somewhere to stay. A number of ideas spring to mind:
you could announce yourself at the palace of the pha raoh,
since you are the rightful king of Athens (tu rn to 374), you
could seek sanctuary a t the temple of Ammon (turn to 464), or
you cou ld search for a tavern (turn to 552).
 i
I

237
Before you can open y o ur mouth to ask w ha t land this is, one
of the men shouts o ut: 'Stranger, w hat business d o you ha ve in
this land? W hy d o y ou frighte n our childre n and drink our
water?'
You s tamme r a fr ie ndly rep ly, but the men still look angry
and h os tile. Oth er come o :.it to join th e m.
' It's th e one they wa rned us of,' cries one of the men . He and
several of the o the rs look to o ne a noth er fo r s upport, a nd then
start to adva n ce to wa rds you . Will you w ait (turn to 299), or
run away (turn to 316)?

238
You ki ck the b ill hoo k away from the man, and back him
agains t a wall. T h e n yo u call for the captain. He and some
Athenia ns com e belovv into the hold and seize the sailor,
taking him to cas t into the sea as a sacrifice to Poseidon. Order
is restored . Turn to 228.
 I
I

2 39
'You'll enjoy this next leg : we're going between Scylla and
Charybdis,' begi ns Markos, and a chill of fear runs up your
I
spine at th e m e n tio n of th ese twin terrors. 'I'll take the helm
myself to go thro u g h . Yo u have to get the line just right,
othenvise o n e or o ther of th e m will have you for certain. I lost
six men o n th e fi rst two occa sio ns I took her through, but last
month I lost o nly two. '
You a re s h ocke d b y the Phoenician's disregard for the lives of
his crew, bu t are even m ore concerned about the peril you are.
about to fa ce. Th e h elms man s tands aside for Markos, and you
see ahead th e w hir lpool Charybdis. It sucks down water into a
vortex and then d isgorges it with a deafening gurgling noise,
throwing it hig h into th e air. The monster Scylla, however, is
nowhere to be s een , a nd y ou think, as Markos steers clear of
the whirlpool, tha t you have escaped . Then the six-headed
mons ter e m erg es fro m her cave high up on the cliff-face and
lashes o ut tow ard s y ou . If you have fewer than 25 Shame
points, go to 388. If yo u ha ve 25 or more Shame points, go to
418.

240
Ca utious ly yo u push th rou g h the undergrowth, until you can
see a cam pfire. A gro up of fi g ures is seated there, all seemingly
intent o n a gam e, pe rha ps dice . Suddenly one gets up, mum-
bling , "I'll ge t you o n e day,' and storms away towards you. Just
before the m a n disso lves into a dia phanous display of fireflies,
you recog ni ze him, to yo ur s urprise, as Hermes, god of good
fortun e.
Anothe r of th e co mpany s tands and turns to regard you.
That wicke d g rin is unmis ta kable . It is Markos, the Phoenician
merchant.
'We ll, Althe us, ' h e s mirks, 'what a surprise. Come, join us.'
Do yo u accept (turn to 246), or refuse and look for more
acce pta ble compa ny (turn to 459)?
 241
Zeus would spend many months matching the pieces of your
shattered body. He has no time for such trifles. You w ill spend
the rest of eternity in Hades.

242
As the islands come nig h, the singing seems ever sweeter, a
distillation of all the happiness which you have ever known,
and yet more. Your body becomes light, a nd you feel that you
could float across the waters to join whichever heavenly
goddesses are singing their song. The bea uty of these crea-
tures must surpass all races of women; you are eager to meet
them and perhaps join in their eternal hy mn in praise of life.
'Altheus!' you seem to hear them cry over and over again . But
somewhere within the depths of your mind, your will yet
resists and you know that these are the Sirens of the tales, who
lure men on to their rocks by the unsurpassing sweetness of
their songs, only to devour them later. Go to 480.

2 43
Roll two dice. Your losses are as follows:
2-4 Take 1 Shame point, for yo ur ungainly and unheroic
conduct in attempting to cheat
5 A copper ring
6 A small piece of jade
7 A small sapphire
8 An amber comb
9 A carved ivory toad
10-12 Lose 1 Honour point for your uncompa nionable
remarks while you are losing, not worthy of the upbringing
your mother Aethra gave you
If you roll 5-9, and do not possess that item, then roll ~gain.
Go to 401.
 /

244
You pray to yo ur patron for aid Jose I Honour point). You are
filled with divine s trength and by this mystic power are able to
escape from the man's grip. You knock him over and run for
the sh ip, closely pursued by the gang of ruffians. You reach the
ship and Oresander casts off. Go to 10.

245
Agnostes wakes you early . H e is dressed in a splendid short
tunic of sky-blue, which s hows off his legs to best advantage.
'Come quickly, A ltheus,' he says. 'It was a bit short notice, bu 1
I've managed to e nter yo u in the boat-race and the discus.' You
dress quickly and follow your e nthusiastic cousin out of the
house a nd through the streets of Troy. No one is in the city, it
seems, and w h e n yo u reach an open space some way from the
walls, you see the reason why. All the citizens are gathered in a
vast semicircle, while in the middle the Trojans engage in the
contests. At the moment the javelin-throwers are competing.
One burly, bearded man, clad only in a white loincloth, hefts
his projectile almost twice as far as the thrower before, and the
crowd breaks into enthusiastic applause. ·
'I could do be tter myself . .. with practice,' Agnostes boasts.
'But come over here; this is the starting-point for the boat-race.'
Before you can object your inexperience, your cousin has
introduced you to the crew . 'This is Altheus, your helmsman,
and a good one, too .' You are h elped aboard, a little unstead-
ily, and begin to inspect your vessel. Turn to 435.
246
246
'Come, eat with us,' invites Markos, still g rinning, with the
look of a hyena addressing its next m eal. He offers a ha ndful of
a sticky g reen substance, which you accept. 'Ground mag-
gots,' h e confides. 'A Phoenician d e licacy .' Ma rkos puts away
the dice in his tunic and inquires as to your d e tination . 'That's
lucky,' h e exclaims. 'Captain Yizhazid is g oing to Troezen
himself. I' m sure h e'd give you a ride.' A gaunt man sta nds up
and offers you his hand . You do not take it, suspicious o f these
Phoenician h abits and you stand for an awkward mome nt,
staring at each other, before Vizhazid drops his hand once
more to his side.
'Well,' chatters Markos, ' that's se ttled. The s hip leaves
tomorrow.'
'What's the charge?' you inquire.
'Oh, no charge,' murmurs Markos, a nd winks, but to no one
in particular. Go to 12.
 247
You wait. Another o range is thrown. You catch it deftly, and
begin to p eel off the s kin. 'Many thanks to Scione's people,'
you cry . ' For it is a lo ng time s ince I have tasted 'such a
succule nt fruit. Alt heus the Avenger compliments you.' Have
1 Honour p o int, a nd go to 3.

248
Your g uid e leads the way through the thick fog, until you come
to a collectio n of s h ades. One man in particular stands out: he
is tied by his hand s a nd fee l lo a g iant wheel which rolls over
and over, turnin g the m a n first this way, and now the other.
' Ixio n,' your g uide ex plains. 'He tried to seduce Hera, and
Zeus has punish ed him thus .' His tone is impatient, and he
hurries yo u away. Fo r a m o ment you think you see your
father, but Dea n is well ahead , a nd will not stop. You call out,
but you ha ve lost s ight o f your father's shade amongst all the
others. Go to 279.

2 49
The mutinee r las hes o ut as you fall to your knees, and his boot
catches you full in the face . There is a sharp crack of breaking
bone and then a n oth er kick flies into the side of your head. You
black out a nd do not fe e l yourself carried to the side of the deck
and thrown into the sea to float with the res t of the rubbish that
litters the M edite rranean . The dolphins sadly find you dead,
when they com e to your aid.
 250
Before you e mbark, you offer prayers to Po eid n, and he
sh o w s his acce ptance w ith a gen tle b reeze from the sou th-east.
G o to 254.

25"1
You r fi s t co mes d own h a rd o n th e s nake, and its body is
trapped b e n eath your h a nd. As you look, how vcr, it tu rns
black a nd g la ncing up, you see that you are m e rely p re sing
the p a w of a black panth er into the g round . The s leek cat
swipes a t you w ith its o ther fro nt paw .
You must continue the fig ht aga inst th e panther (Might 5,
Protectio n 13). Your wounds rem ain unhealed, and it has firs t
s trike with two dice .
If you die a nd are saved by Ze us, go to 557 . If you wou nd the
panther, go to 450 .

252
An insis tent wind fill s th e black sails a nd send the s hi p
skimming across the tar-black sea. You look up at the un-
friendl y moon and s h iver; th e crew murmur mutiny in the
back of the s hip. The w ind increases in to a gale, as s heet of
lead-grey clouds ripple over the sky like a s hroud laid into the
cold g round .
The prow crashes d own into the wave ahead and ch illy
salt-spray spatters you a nd ro uses yo u from your reverie. You
arise a nd go below d ecks to shelte r fro m the storm. Go to 36L
 2 53
You wad e into the muddy wate r, which only reaches your
wa is t, a nd pu s h across towa rds the other side. Charon's ferry
moves away fro m the je tty a nd the bearded old man punts it
towa rds yo u . By n ow you are ha lfway to the far bank, begin-
ning to wonder why a ll th e sh ades bother to wait for the ferry.
Then, as the boa t d raw s alongs ide, Charon swings the heavy
punt po le across the s urface into the back of your head. You
cras h forward into the fo ul wa ter, and a heavy undertow drags
you alo ng the rocky bottom . This is the punishment for those
who don' t pay the ferrym an.

2 54
After twe lve days at sea, you spy land and re101ce. It is
Cythe ra, Aphrodite's w ooded island. You have survived the
s torms a nd you g ive thanks to the god of the sea. The currents
ta ke you pas t the is land, however, and many hours later you
come to rest a t Cape Taenarum, the most southerly point of
mainla nd Greece.
A sma ll d a rk-hai red old woman calls out to you in Greek and
you feel your heart surge, as you realize fully for the first time
that you a re no longer on treacherous foreign soil or
Pose idon's sa lty realm.
'Altheus,' s he cries, 'we' ve been waiting here for two days.
What d e layed you?' You look up again and see beside her a
small girl of five or six. You scrabble up the rocks to join them.
Turn to 422.
 2 55
You swim a w a y fro m the spout, which ceases after a while.
You floa t for ages, a lone with your thoughts, until at length a
sail a ppears o n the h o rizon . You shout yourself hoarse and
wave fra ntically a t it, s tru ggling to stay above the water. With
wha t seem s li ke ago niz ing s lo wness, the vessel steers towards
you . As it ap p roach es, you can see the figurehead, a richly
wroug ht Ara b ia n carvi ng of a wind-spirit emerging from a
botctle.
A n et is dropped fro m the side of the boat and you cling to it.
You are ha uled up into the ship and huddle exhausted on the
d eck, as the captain looks d own at yo u .
' f am Markos the me rchant, of Phoenicia,' he tells you. 'I am
bo und for Athens.'
'Tha t's where l want to go,' you te ll him .
' Good . It' ll cost you . . . your loincloth,' he replies. 'Nothing
is free in th is wo rld .' Yo u have no choice but to submit. The
Phoenician th rows you r lo incloth ove r the side of the ship. 'I
love d oi ng that,' h e tells y ou as you look at him in astonish-
men t. 'It always surprises them.'
The jo urney to Athen s las ts only a few hours, and the sight
of the city thrills your lo ins, now clothed in a makeshift cloak.
Yo u leave th e harbo ur, not sorry to see the last of Markos the
Phoe nicia n, and race up the hill into the city. Go to 538.

256
You kick the sand on the beach in frustration, and walk up to
the water's e d ge. A pebble flies from your angry hand and
skims a lo ng th e wate r, hopping from wave to wave. A hun-
dred ya rds d ow n, the ashes of .your boat are lapped by the
inco m ing sea, which carries mvay small piec,es of burnt timber
to be wash ed up on s ome distant shore. You turn away from
this unha ppy sight, and notice a colony of seals, basking in the
sun furth e r up the beach. A bearded old man is lying among
them .
Will you talk to the old man (turn to 453), seize him (turn to
542), or a ttack him (turn to 510)?
 2 57
You sense that there has bee n a mis und e r la nding and that the
m e n think you are someone else . You try toe ·plain , but they
s till seem doubtful. If Aphrodite is yo ur pa tron, or you a re in
Favour with the godd ess, turn to 349 . If yo u a re e utral with
Aphrodite, go to 549. If you are in Disfavour with h e r, go to
371.

258
'These people don' t seem very lech e rous,' you te ll Dean, 'or
gluttonous.'
' I must apologize. The leche rs a n d g lutton have been
moved elsewh e re, during th e re building. It's m ost onfusing:
whole gro ups h ave been switched to temporary accommo-
datio n .'
Before you, a scribe sits at a desk writing furiously. You turn
to :your guide with a q uestioning look.
'He's from the barbarous h eartla nds. Eve ry time he comes to
write the last page of the book, he finds two more sti ll blank .'
'But who is it?' you ask.
'You,' replies Dea n in a n offhand manne r.' o! Don't look,'
he adds agitatedly as you m ove towa rds the scribe. 'We don't
want you ca ught in a self-referen tia l paradox, do we?'
You move on, puzzled. Turn to 279.

2 59
You come at last to the city of Thebes a nd knock on th e grea t
gates. They are opened by two m en with bird-mas ks; they
have ta lons on the end of their legs, a nd s tand taller than you.
Puzzled, you pass by and into the city. The streets are cleaner
than you remember them seven and a half years before. You
come at las t to the market-place a nd sit by the fountain. You
watch the Thebans for a while, with bird m e n, like those at the
· gate, moving among them. A city official comes and s its by
you . 'A stranger?' he asks. Turn to 545 .
 260
Does the appeara nce o f th e god Hermes s h ock yo u, w hen he
sole m nl y promi e d neve r to do so aga in ? Is n o t the god o f
chea ts pe rmi tted to break h is w o rd ? Lose 1 H o n o ur point a nd
take 1 Shame poi n t. Re tu rn to 240 .
261
Have 5 Ho n o ur po ints for d e feating the m on s te r. The hea d
releases its g rip o n y o u a n d yo u fa ll into the w a te r close to the
whirlpoo l, but fo rtuna te ly it is o n the point of disgorg ing a nd it
flings you a w ay towa rds the Phoenjcia n 's ship. They haul y ou
aboa rd in a ne t a n d yo u lie exha u s te d o n the d eck.
Soon, however, yo u h ave recovered , a nd w hen the ship
reach e ha rbour, you feel well e n o ug h to accompan y the
me rcha n t into th e to w n . Go to 302 .
262
The \v o m an seizes you a nd h e r g rip is as th a t of the eagle on the
fie ld -m o use cau g ht scurry ing a mon gs t the wa ving ea rs of
gold e n corn a t h arves t time. You a re led un w illing ly into the
bu ildin g. lt i ve ry g loo m y insid e; yo u ca n see only a small
ta ble, o n e leg cracked , o n w h ich a re se t a n urn, a bow l of corn,
a nd a b razie r, w h ich burns w ith a brig ht blue flame . You
notice, a yo u s ta nd m using o n yo ur fa te, that the walls are
encru s ted with a fluo rescen t moss. Th e d oors are flun g open.
Go to 184.
263
You real ize tha t these s weet so unds e manate from a deadly
source, for th ese a re th e Sire ns, evil creatures who lure men
to th eir d eaths on the s h a rp, li fe-re nding rocks and d evour them
a t th e ir leis ure . o o ne can resis t their son g, so you quickly
instru ct y our crew to p us h beeswax into their ears, while you
are to be las hed to th e raft's m ast. On h earing of the dangers
they face, the re is read y complia nce to your reques t. Go to 480.
264
Wha t m ore ca n yo u ask of the g ods? Do you d esire to know
the secre ts of th e fire god ? H ave 1 Shame point for your pre-
sumptio n a nd g o ba ck to 244 .
 265
You are dis tracted from your eavesdropping by a sudden
throbbing. You whi1·I round, your battle-senses sharpened by
your experiences . For a m oment you think the heat-haze is
deluding yo ur eyes, but the n you r ealize it is true: a column of
giga ntic bronze ants, mandibles clacking, a nd sparks flying
where they tread, is adva n cing towards you.
' Fire-ants,' cries one of the on lookers in abject terror and, as
when the wind separates the chaff from the grain on the
winnowing floor, so now the people of Lemnos flee in the face
of Hephaestus' creatures .
You must fight the ants; there a re eight in ail. Each is Might
8, Protection 10. Because of their mechanical nature, they fight
one at a time and ga in no advantage from their numbers.
When one is hit it ceases to function.
If you retreat, go to 11; if you die and pray to Zeus, go to 126.
When you h ave hit fo ur creatures, go to 83 .

/
4
f
/
 266
You accept the fruit and take a deep bite. The taste is somewhat
sweet, but not unpleasant. You reconsider your last thought: it
is in fact the best thing you have ever tasted. Markos has
moved temporarily out of your vision. You turn towards him,
but everything seems strangely different. His hair has turned
saffron, and his teeth, formed into a grin, are stained bright
orange. On the ground beside him is a lotus fruit. He has spat it
out: a terrible waste you think to yourself, as the sea s hades in
almost indis tinguishable steps from green to purple. A heady
sense of ecstasy overcomes you, as you turn away from
Markos and look inland . There are trees, more than you can
count, each bearing at leas t a hundred fa t, juicy, orange lotus
fruits. You wander towards them. Why, yo u wonder, have
you ever done anything else? All this heroism, the endless
clash of war-you can hardly remember wha t it was abou t, and
it seems profoundly foolish to you now.
An enormous orange-striped bee wafts lazily past you and
you try to seize it, but it does not matter that you g rab a branch
instead. You pull it from the tree, and begin to count the
number of parts it has, yet whenever you pull a piece away,
you can always divide it into smaller pieces. Hundreds merge
into thousands: never before have you realized how big a
branch was. This is what really matters, this and the lotus.
You are now Shame o, Honour o, but this also is no longer of
impbrtance to you.

267
You wait for hours and hours. Night falls and the ferry is long
gone . You manage to build yourself a small fire, but you are
almost frozen to death by the time the craft returns next
morning. You are more than grateful to beg an obol to leave
this place. Lose 1 Honour point and go to 17.
 268
Your Chro nicl e Sheet looks li ke this:
Might 5 Honour 25
Prote ctio n n (+1) Sha me 10
You have no points of lnte lligence.
Sword : Might 3, Protection o
Breas tpla te: M ig ht o, Protection 2
Corn-ear brooch
Asclepius - Favour
Demeter - Favour
H era - Favour
Furies - Disfavo ur
All o thers - Neutral
Note: As a client of A thena, you are entitled to a +1
Protectio n bo nus (indica ted in brackets) and you need not take
any Hono ur p e na lties for looking at hints (but you do take the
Shame pen alties). You s tart with Might 5, instead of 4, and
Protectio n 11 , ins tead of 10, as a result of the experience gained
in defea ti ng the Mi no ta ur. Go to 58.

269
Ze us hea ls you, but the Nubians capture you and tie you
hands together behind your back. Go to 424.

270
You ha nd over yo ur obol and climb aboard the flimsy boat.
Befo re the old man can drive the ferry away from the bank with
the pole, a familiar figure rushes up and jumps in. The whole
boa t lurches and you are sure that you will all end up in the
Styx. It is Markos the merchant, and he hands Charon an obol
when the craft has stabilized. In his hand he carries a large sack
of pomegranates, and you can see that he is very much alive,
and not a shade. Go to 437.
 271
If A thena is yo ur patron, or you are in Favou r w ith the
goddess, turn to 588. Oth erwise turn to 329.

272
A re you fr ig hte n ed by a summer s qu a ll, Althe u s? H ave 1
Shame point and turn to 361.

2 73
With no regard for th e ancient mora ls of yo u r a n cestors, you
plunge the tip of y our spear into the w a rri o r's chest and twist
it cruelly . The m a n cries out and then is sile n t and unmoving.
Four tribesmen step fonvard a nd carry th e body away thro ugh
the crowd . A the ranks of warriors pa rt, a wicker cage is
revealed, ins ide which a mountain lio n pad s back an d fo rth,
awaiting the m ea l it knows it w ill receive fro m the champio n 's
body. You flin ch a t the thought that you wou ld have been fe d
to the lion if you had lost the contest. You mu st have 2 Sh a me
points for killing a n opponent after h e had s urre nd ered. Turn
to 152.

2 74
Night falls and still no boat h ead ing down-river has called in at
the bank. Many large cargo vessels are going in that direction,
but none of them stop to offer you a ride north . Yo u wis h that
you had gone with the first boat, for th en a t least yo u w o uld
have the pleas ure of human company n ow; as it is yo u are
alone on the bank of the Nile. In the cool of th e nig ht, you sleep
on the hard earth a nd are woken the next morning by the
clatter of hoofs on stones, as fou r horsem en rid e pas t. Will you
call out to the m (turn to 504), or w ill you wait for anothe r boat
(turn to 411)?
 2 75
After ten d ays of untroubled sa iling, you are within striking
distance of the Pirae us . No one on board seems the slightest bit
worried by the abse nce of Markos; indeed they all welcome the
respite from their maste r's c ritica l eye.
You d ecide that yo u dare not claim your throne immediately
without military aid , and that you should, therefore, adopt a
low profile in . then s before returning to Troezen to see your
mother. Turn to 19.

276
You accept the ubian king's terms and pledge yourself to
servitude, but in yo ur heart the h ope of escape never fails. For
weeks you wait fo r a ch ance to break out from the camp, but it
see m tha t yo u a re watched a ll the time. Then, after nearly two
months of hard service for the king, you are sent to draw water
from the well a t the edge of the camp and, thinking yourself
unob erved , yo u make a dash for the grasslands that mark
forbidden territo ry .
The ubians catch up with you after two hours. You are
broug ht back to the camp a nd the king cuts deep into your
thigh muscle to prevent you escaping again . Go to 1.90.
 ,i

2 77
Thinking that you a re the great H erakles re turne d to carry him
away again, the dog backs off and cowers in its d e n . You pass
quickly, but the dog is silent and does not dare e m erge . Have 2
Honour points for ins piring fear in such an a w es o me beast.
You may go left (turn to 419), right (turn to 447) o r s traight on
(turn to 561).

278
You wheel round at the cry, remembering too la te the words of
Dean. You see your brother's shade fadin g into the fog, a nd
you call out desperately, but it is futile. You have d isobeyed
the instructions and now your brother will never ascend to the
upper world and the joys of life in the land of lig ht. H ave 2
Shame points for causing such distress to your brother.
With a start you recall your quest to discover how you may
purge yourself, and you call out anxiously 'My blood-guilt?'
'The men of the Phytalidae,' comes the faint and dis mal cry,
and then his form is finally dissolved .
Another cry breaks the silence and you s ee Markos running
up the hill with his sack. He soon reaches your side. G ~ to 455.

2 79
You and Dean walk on in silence for some wa y before he turns
to you.
'This is Elysium, where your brother dwells .' You are sur-
prised by this announcement, for you are still surrounded by
the mind-numbing fog, and you see no evidence of the legend-
ary fields of flowers and sun-bathed meadows. 'Not quite
 280-281
what you expecte d, eh?' your guide continues, but then with a
wave of his hand, h e clears the mist and you are confronted
· with the traditio na l scene . ' As 1 told you, none of this is real,
but you mig ht as well see what you want to believe. Come on,
let's find your bro th er.'
Theseus is s tanding in a sunlit meadow surveying some
shades d estin ed to ascend to the upper world, but when he
sees you, h e weeps with joy.
'A lthe us, m y bro the r, y ou have come at last. I feared that the
perils of yo ur s to rm-tossed journey and the power of mighty
Africa wo uld ca use you harm, but now I see you here quite
safe . 1 h ave a m essage for you from the gods about how you
may purge y our bloo d -guilt, but that can wait. First, let us
revie w th e compa n y of heroes who will bring glory to Greece
in future yea rs.'
Turn to 513.

280
'Well Althe u s,' begins Circe, 'You' re more clever than I
thou g ht, but n o m a tch for me without divine interference.' At
the word 'divine' h er mouth twists into a sick parody of a
smile . 'Go now a nd leave my island .'
Do you d e m a nd that your friends be turned back to humans,
now you are free o f guilt for Agnostes' death (turn to 86), or do
you leave on your raft at once, as she suggests (turn to 207)?

281
You pick up the bruised orange and fling it back in fury at the
folk who have sought to humble you . The jeers turn to
murmurs and the crowd which had gathered to see some fun
at th e ex pense o f a stranger disperses. You sit down and rest
against the bas ke t which contains the fruit and from time to
time take one to eat. Turn to 3.
 ·282
The mast crashes into the sea with a tremendous crack and
your shoulder s ustains the full force . Your arm hangs limp and
useless. As you flounder in the bloody water, the lord of the
sea himself manifests and, seizing the jagged mast, hurls it at
your breast as if it were a javelin. As your life gushes away, you
hear him mutter, 'Not even a quarter the man . '

283
Zeus s uffu ses your limbs with life once more, and you are able
to continue the fi g ht. Because these m e n are defilers and you
do a divine duty, have 3 extra Honour points (i .e. you are
Shame o, Honour 4) .
If you retreat, go to 203; if you Seriously Wound all three, go
to 55 .
 284
You slip. Eith er s p e nd 1 Hono ur poi nt and go to 27, or turn to
100.

285
An idea worthy indeed of a hero, but you tand little cha nce of
s uccess, s urro und ed by these foreig n folk who are li kely to
offer no aid . Have 1 Hono ur point a nd go to 380.

286
You must spend 1- 6 Ho no ur points (roll o ne die) for you r
patron's aid a nd go to 332. Ot)1erwi e, lose 1 Honour point and
turn to 123.

287
You manage to grab the a rm of one o f the men and twist it.
Your victim cries out, but yo u a re free, and able to attack. Go to
20.
 288
You surface in a pool o f shll water behind the fall and clamber
on to the rocks, gas ping for breath. You lie there panhng, and
hope tha t the Egyptians have not noticed you . You watch as
they trade ge m s a nd weapo ns wi th the Nubians in exchange
fo r leopa rcls kins a nd lions kins, a nd then, with regret, see them
sail away dow nstream . The ubians pass close to yo u, but
luckily they do n ot catch sight of you . So with a feeling of g reat
relief, you se t off back a long the bank to Syene, w h ich yo u
re membe r is only ten miles down-river.
It is la t eve ning w he n yo u a rri ve in the town and you
quickly make yo ur way to the sma ll jetty where the boats tie
up. You are lu cky: a dhow will leave for Thebes ea rly next
m orning. You climb aboard a nd fa ll fas t asleep on a heap of
sails. When you awake the boat is a lready on its two-day
journey to the Egy ptia n capital. Go to 56.

289
The chief g rabs yo u by the neck a nd thrusts you against a waH,
ho ldi ng yo u pinned agains t it even though your feet are a
sword's le ng th off the g round .
'There are two spiritual kingdoms in this world,' says the
m a n . 'The kingdom of the birds and the kingdom of the
ratmen .'
'You a re ma d ,' yo u cry .
' If yo u are n o t part of the kingdom of the birds, then most
ass uredly yo u are pa rt of the kingdom of the ratmen.' The owls
in the rafters rise to a crescendo. 'If yo u are not with us, you are
against us.' He presses harder and your eyeballs start to strain
aga inst your skull. 'You mus t be certain,' cries the leader, as
the pounding in your ea rs increases and the cries of the other
birdme n and the owls combine into a demonic harmony, a
paean fo r the end of the world, 'for without certainty you are
lost!'
And with that he pushes you back until your neck snaps.
You do not see your h ead slump forward a nd your body crash
to the ground, as the birdmen cluster to feed .
 290
You are led to the temple of the god, a n open a rea, much like
an a re na, in which glad ia tors are practising. A concerned-
looki ng e lde rly ma n, his white beard dyed red, approaches
you.
'.I am Hiatokon, pries t o f Ares at Olbia. You must purify
yourself throug h pain, through blood, for only then will you
be trul y fre e.' H e h a nds you a scourge, an evil looking leather
w hip with m e tal-tipped e nds, and looking you straight in the
eyes, says, ' Beat yourself.'
If you ref-use, go to 34. If you take the scourge and do as he
says, go to 341.

291
The air is full of a mig hty noise, and you look out of the tent
over the mountains. A thunderbolt from high Olympus is
ru shing throug h the air. As you gaze, it sets a tree alight,
which the n plunges towards you. The gods have found you
wanting.
p

292
The dog is not so easily killed: even Herakles only carried him
away. But Cerberus can see that you a re too strong and he
rushes back to his den, all three heads whimpering in sub-
mission. Have 7 Honour points for defeating the hound of
Tartarus.
The fog is especially thick and heavy ahead, but you are
starting to grow accustomed to the bland and uninteresting
surroundings. It seems so tempting to be lulled into a mindless
trance, and yet your heart beats quicker at the thought of
seeing your brother again.
The shades, seeing your corporeal form, gather round, just
as the people 9f a city crowd in on a stranger, dressed in rich
garments, and pester him for money. So d o the flitti ng
shadows press in and ask you about life above . You ig nore
them and peer into the gloom ahead. You can m ake out a
distinct path, which branches three ways. Will yo u go straight
on (turn to 561), right (turn to 447) or left (turn to 419)?
 293
You are roused by furious shaking, and as your eyes focus, you
see two black w arriors leaning over you. You lift your head and
try to s tand, w incing in pain as you move yoUI right leg. The
leopa rd, w hich now lies dead, transfixed by a long-shafted
spear, has torn a great gash in yoUI thigh, and you can only
limp along between the two warriors. The pain b.l urs your
mind; it is only when you reach a familiar village that you
become awa re that you have been recaptUied by the Nubians.
They throw you into a hut and one stands guard outside. Go to
190.

294
'You mus t build yourself a raft from the fallen trees inland and
the moment the work is complete offer prayers to Poseidon,
master of the seas. He will ensure that your feeble craft makes
it across the w a ves to Greece in safety . Then seek out your
brother, Theseus .'
'But.my brother is dead,' you complain, but the old man has
changed himself into water and flows back into the sea.
You are hungry and must eat before you set about the
construction of the raft. You trek into the middle of the island
and find a bush with both red and white berries. Will you eat
the red berries (turn to 559), the white berries (tum to 379) or
some of both (turn to 439)?
 2 95
You fe ig n uncon sciou s ness. T h e m a n pic ks you up with o ne
h a nd a nd throws yo u over his sh ould er ...vith the s tre ngt h of a
g ia nt or madman , seemingly unconcerned that you have
moved across th e fl oor.
H e carries you out of the g ra na ry and down a fli g ht of
wooden steps. There is then a brief, jolting journey across a
compound, formed by a cluster of buildings, into a large barn.
H e re yo u are uncere m onious ly dumped on the ground a nd
you feel your bonds being cut. You o pe n you r eyes a crack a nd
can see about twenty m e n, all in bird-m asks. Will yo u try to
esca pe now (turn to 528), or bide your time (tu rn to 436)?

296
'My lord Aeacus,' yo u cry, 'give me a g uid e that l ma y travel
the wastes of the und e rworld without fear of the souls in
torment who dwell he rein.' The gaunt man g ibbers and drops
his whip.
'Lost my rhy thm ,' he explains. The m a n who was being
whipped ceases to pound the tvvo p e bbles and s tre tch es. ' You
want a guide,' says Aeacus uninte rested ly. 'You,' h e gestures
to one of the shades, 'go and fetch Dean . I ha ve someone
who'll be jus t rig ht,' he adds, turning to you.
Over his s ho uld e r you see Markos the m ercha nt
a pproaching with his sack of pomegranates. The shade returns
from the other direction with a m a n in a tunic. The latter,
obviously destined to be your guide, has a sma ll s ilve r cross
dangling from o n e ear. They both m ake th ei r way to Aeacus'·
side.
' Dean,' commands Aeacus. 'Take this mortal throug h the
realms of the underwo rld, keep him from h a rm and s h ow him
the m ysteries of this place.'
'All right,' says Dean and he leads the way into the fog. As
you depart, you notice that Markos has reache d th e group and
is pounding away at the pebbles. As th e mis t e ng ulfs the
scene, you h ea r s houts of ' Dust, dust.' Co to 548 .
 2 97
You may have 7 Honour points for holding Proteus during his
terrible tran sformations. Go to 572.

298
The lion crumples to the ground as your sword cleaves its
neck. You thrust the sword into the carcass once more to make
sure that it is dead, and then you clean the blood off the blade
by wiping it o n the g rass near by. Finally you sheathe it and
pre pa re to return to the underworld once more. Go to 546.

2 99
The men seize hold of yo u roughly and lead you to the village.
The re they s trip you to your loincloth, a nd hustle you, with a
blanke t over your head , into the dwelling of an elder. You can
feel lumps of horse dung being flung at you along with harsh
words of abuse. Then the blanket is removed and, while you
are held down by four men, a fifth starts to hack away at your
hair with a rusty blad e. It is extremely painful and the man
does not stop until all your hair has been cut away. Your bald
head is covered in cuts, and blood trickles down your face into
your eyes . The men drag you to the edge of the village, telling
you to leave or they will disfigure you more seriously. Have 2
Shame points for this humiliating experience. Go to 316.
 300-301
300
Yo ur hand a re tied togethe r, but you reach out for the knife.
As yo u d o so, th e man brings one foot down and one of the
talo ns p asses li ke a d agge r thro ugh your le ft hand, pinning it
to th e fl oor. Yo u sc ream o ut in agony and th e man crows out
a nd g rips y o ur h ead in the o the r talon, twisting it and straining
yo u r neck. T h e re is a m o m e nt o f s truggle, as you try to pull your
ha nd free, bu t th e oth e r claw ho lds it inexorably. Then, in an
in s ta n t o f ind e fi n a b le pa in, your head is ripped from your
s ho uld e rs . Ze u s ca nnot be expected to save you in these
circums ta n ces .

301
Ca re fully you choose your handholds and scramble up tJ
rock. The going is not as hard as you anticipated, but the fall to
the sho re be lo w would surely see you dead. Roll a die: on 1-3,
go to 284; on 4- 6, go to 27.
302
302
Markos lead s the way through narrow sh·eets and d ark alleys
to a s m a ll undecorate d house in the h eart of the town . He turns
to you , s miles and the n lead s you inside into a large h a ll. The
lighting is s ubdued, but you h ave no diffic_ulty in taking in the
scene; all around you n g African wome n relax on soft cushions
talking to men of assorted races and ages . Jn one corner th ere
stands a bar tended by a large Arabic-looki n g m an, a nd you
wander across to him and order a drink . It is extremely
expensive, but yo u hand over the money grudgingly, not
wanting to argue with the aggressive m a n . Markos has left
you, so you drink and talk with the people reclining on the
cushions.
The wine and the hot s>veaty atm osphere contribute to a
sudden feeling of nausea. Markos lies inse nsate in a corner of
the large hall, s urrounded by ad miring Africans. H e is clearly
too far gone for you to rouse him, but you know you must
leave now or you will never escape and return to the lo nged-
for land of your mother, to Troezen .
You run out of the house and away to Markos' sh ip, inform-
ing the captain that his master has ins tructed him to sa il at o nce
for Athens witho ut waiting for h im. As the boat d raws away
from the lights of the African s h ore, yo u fee l a sense of grief
mingled with one of liberatio n . 'You have grown fond of the
merchant in your m eetings with him in th e course of the las t
seven years. Perhaps you will meet him agai n . The s h ip
pursues its course through Poseido n's sa lty realm. Go to 275 .

·-. -
 . 303
Your raft moves closer a nd you seem to h ear the sound of
maide ns s ing ing swee tly . Do you investiga te (turn to 242), or
do you instruct your companions to row on (turn to 32)?

304
Lose a ny o ne ite m won during the first game and re turn to I06
to roll again. If you have n o items, lose one obol and return to
I06. If you have no obols, gc;i to 91 .

305 .
You could offer him a carved ivory toad (turn to 364), a green
horsehair plume (tu rn to 383), a shortsword (turn to 181) or a
he lme t (turn to I51) . If you have none of these, or are not
willing to offer a ny, go to 580.
 306
So m e fo ur a nd a h alf yea rs later, the sense of euphoria has not
lessen ed . Yo u a nd the rest o f the crew soon grew accustomed
to the idy llic way of life o n Ogygia, and settled into the routine
of eating, slee ping and p layin g in th e forest. Why, yo u ask
yourself, d id you ever con s ider any oth er existence? If Hera is
your p a tron, go to 463: If n o t, turn to 29.

307
The chief's face contorts into a hu ge g rin, revea lin g h is ivory-
white teeth . He gives a throaty lau gh and then says something
you cannot understand; his eyes s tare a t you relentlessly w hile
he waits for a reply . Unsure of what h e ex pects, you mum ble in
Gre ek that y ou mean him no h a rm. For a second he looks
puzzled; but then his face clouds over a nd he begins to sh out,
a rms gesticulating wildly. Behind you the "'."a rrio rs w ho cap-
tured you shift uneasily from foot to foo t. It is clea r tha t you
mus t do something to appease the king. Will you fa ll a t his feet
in supplication (turn to 138), or will you try to comm u nicate
with sign la nguage (turn to 78)?
 308-310
308
You raise your hands a nd fall to your knees. Without hesi-
tation, bo th m e n drive their daggers into your chest. If Zeus
can save you, pray now and go to 173 .

309
The bushma n' s s pear is poison-tipped and you fall weakly to
the ground . The Nubia ns drive off the ambushers and carry
you back to the ca mp where you a re taken to your hut. Go to
190.

310
The lion roars, but the sound merges into a hiss as the beast
changes into a squirming s nake. Its forked tongue darts out at
your a rm as it tries to sink its fangs into your flesh.
You mus t contin ue the fight against the snake (Might 3,
Protection 14). T he snake s trikes first with two dice, since it
is H ea lthy . Your wo unds from the previous fight remain
unhealed.
If you die and a re aved by Ze us, go to 557. If you Wound the
Snake, go to 251.
 311
You s troll past the yellow fie lds, sha king your head in amaze-
ment at the changes the months have wrought in Greece. The
gods mus t be dis pleased, sending burning bolts down to blast
the disbelievers. A t last you come to the village of Demetrias,
and find the ferry to Phthia; it is a leaky-looking boat, hardly
seaworthy, but yo u h ave no choice. The s urly boatman
demands a n o bol for the passage.
'T his is not the Styx, river of H e ll,' you protest.
' Very nearly, s ince the Phoenicians took over, young man,'
he re plies, unsm iling.
'I a m no youth, but Altheus the Avenger,' you cry, but no
o ne lis te ns.
Will you pay the obol (turn to 17), or wait for another boat
(turn to 267)?

312
Pushing the sai lo rs aside, yo u leap to the top of the ladder,
seizi ng a long po le with a wickedly curved bill hook at one end
as you d o so.
'To arms, Athe nians, to arms,' you cry. 'Who is for me, and
who against?'
There a re six mutinous sailors and four more are unsure.
Roll two dice to see how many of the seven Athenian youths
and five maid e ns a re w ith you; you may add 1 to the dice roll
for every 5 Honour points y.ou spend in advance.
If fewer than seven Athenians are with you, turn to 135. If
between seven and ten are on your side, turn to 515. If more
than te n suppo rt you, turn to 406.
•
313
You lea rn th at yo u a rrived a t the lime of the annual tribal
gath e ring , a nd th a t it is now time fo r th e n ext fest ival. It is
ni g ht a n d eve ry warrior from all the Nubia n v illages carri es a
lig hted to rch thro u g h this camp. Then you form into a large
ring in vvhich the king p e rform a ritua l d a nce. Beh ind him a
s turdy ,,·icker cage holds a mountain lion which prowls back
a nd for th , like a man locked in prison who paces the length of
his cell .
Sudd e nly th e lio n cras h es against th e bars, which collapse
under th e impact, and with a lea p it is free. Starved for three
days, it n ow races towards you a nd you can s e its jaws
saliva tin g expectantly. The o the r warriors back off a nd yo u
s tand, stunned, as the lio n sinks its teeth into your n eck. T h en
it is off, running sleekly over the w ide plains. Zeus wil l not
h e lp those who forsake their hom e la nd .

314
The men chew red be rries and occasionall y s pit out the pips o n
·th e gro und, but they refuse to give you any of the fish they
have caught. The waves ro ll in up th e beach to your fee t a nd
you s ta nd there, ann oyed th at you have tra velled s o fa r an d
escaped so many perils o nly to be prevented from your return
by these ignorant fi s h ermen . Yo u decide to return to your
boat. You will have to set off without provisions, fo r you
ca nnot bear to wait a ny lon ger . Co to 525.

3i5
As you lie motionless, the birdmen begin to m ove towards
you. If you delay any longer, yo ur d ecisio n will be m ad e fo r
yo u by the birdmen. Lose 1 H onour point and re turn to 295 .
316
You sprint away from the m e n and gla nce back to m a ke s ure
that they are not following. Afte r running for te n minutes, you
feel safe agai n and slow to a walk, as you e nter a grassy
meadow. Yo u can see a s hephe rd ahead, whos e s h ee p g raze
safely d espite the fact tha t he does not appear to be taking any
notice of them . Co to 235 .
 317
You remain adamant that you do not wish to visit the oracle;
the priest frowns. Suddenly he is gripped with convulsions
and the god Ares s peaks through his lips.
'Zeus is angry. W h en he says off to the oracle, you go. Get
this blood-guilt nonsense sorte d out. Right, last chance. No
more slip-ups. Good luck.'
Have 2 Shame points for ignoring the commands of Zeus
and go to 232 .

318
Before you desce nd, yo u s kin the lion and don the pelt,
thinking to yo urself that perhaps you look like Herakles now.
Turn to 546.

31 9
The man looks upset that you have refused his hospitality, but
does not say anything, so that an awkward silence follows,
punctuated only by the sounds of his wife preparing the food
behind the curtain . Eventually she emerges with a bowl of
steaming soup, w hich you gulp down . It is very hot, but you
are too hungry to wai t for it to cool off. When you have
finished , she takes back the bowl and draws back the curtain to
revea l a bath, w hich the daughter is filling with boiling water
from a kettle, before she, too, comes into the main part of the
house. Yo u strip and wash thoroughly, in the.privacy afforded
by the curtain . When you emerge, your host is deep in
conversation with a nother villager and you decide not to
trouble him further. Having thar:iked him, you make your way
out of the village and, mindful of your journey to the under-
world, you return to the marshy ring and the steps to the
tunnels underground. Go to 530.
320
320
You s tride awa) fro m the shore, but Ag n oste offers no
comment on your performance . H e simply hustles yo u to the
central are na and thrus ts a discus into yo ur hand s.
'No time for pra ctice; yo u ' re the firs t thrO\·v e r,' he says . Your
firs t attempt is a total failure: the bron ze disc carries o nly a few
feet before clattering to the gro und . On th e second throw you
h ave go t the knack of twisting yourself round to ga in accelera-
tion, a nd the third thrm·v is passa ble. The vas t crowd is more
inte nt o n th eir Trojan athletes and ig n ores you; o nl y a fe w of
Agnostes' friend s cheer you on.
You st~ p up to the circle to make y our fo urth and final
throw . Yo u twist once, and again, but ju t as yo u are a bout to
re lease th e discus, it spins out of your ha nd and p lunges back
towards the crowd. Your fingers a re badly cu t, a nd it is n o t for
a few seconds that you turn round. A g roup of Trojans is
gathered round som eone; your discus mu st have struck a
spectator. As you draw closer, you rea lize th at yo u h ave hit
your own cousin Agnostes. Go to 103 .
 321
You try to make it understood that you are a friend and mean .
no harm, but the two warriors seem to understand no Greek,
and can m ake little of your frantic hand-signals. They shake
their heads in perplex ity, but a t last seem to come to a decision.
They s tep forward and seize yo u roughly by the arms. You are
too busy trying to communicate, and so have no time to defend
yourself. You cou ld, however, try to struggle free of your
captors (turn to 287), or you could simply go along with them,
and hope for the best (turn to 110).

322
You try to retreat into the crowd, but cannot and must stand a
the front. A wo ma n dressed in flowing black robes rushes ou
of the building. 'Arissia, Arissia,' the crowd chants, and then,
' De meter, Demeter.' The woman seems to be taken up by
some spirit, clearly tha t of Demeter, the goddess whose name
the crowd cries o ut. Her hair seems aflame; her very eyes seem
to s hed sparks. Go to 262 .

32 3
Do yo u ha ve some beeswax and rope? If so, go to 263. If not,
re turn to 303.

32 4
You back s tra ight into the arms of another of the Trojan palace
guard.
'Filthy Achaians,' he s norts, and spits at you; lose I Honour
point. You are bundled into the palace at spear point. Go to
160.
 32 5
As you fall, you notice that the air a rou nd is growing cloudy.
At fi rst, 1t is just a mist, like the spray rising off a lake early in
the morning, but then it g rows denser until yo u a re fa lling
throug h h eavy fog a1:id a re unable to see more tha n a few
inches a head . At the same lime it seems to buoy you up, so that
you a re n o longer falli ng but rather floati ng in a cushion of
thick cloud . You swim thro ug h it until you reach solid gro und;
the fog grows darke r as you walk o n and it eems less clean.
The atmosphere is very oppressive and you reflect that it
would be unbea ra ble to li ve in s uch conditions all the ti"me.
Your lungs fill with the soo ty air a nd your breathing becomes
hard a nd w heezy.
Jn the dista n ce yo u h ear several dogs barking a nd you press
o n th roug h the thick cloud toward the noise. Then the fog lifts
suddenl y to revea l th e marshy River Styx, across which no
un buried h ade may pass until it has wand ered aimlessly for
o ne h und red yea rs on this n ea r bank. On the water a fe rry-boat
o f s titched leather works from bank to bank, transporting
sh ad es Lo th e ki ngdom of H ades beyond the river. Will you
make yo ur way to the ferry (turn to 176), o r wander on this
ba nk for a while (turn to 575)?
 326 .
The lord of war s tands once m ore before you, brandishing an
evil-looking m ace. 'Popped in from the battlefield. Your prow-
ess in war is great. Halfway to purity alre ady. Be fearless .'
With thi s the battler god h·ansforms himself into an eagle and
flies off, screeching, into the distance. Go to 25, but whe re this
states that you must m ake four strokes, you need make only
! three.

32 7
You are woken by strange voices a nd for a moment yo u fea r
that you have been recaptured by the Nubians, but it is a
different tribe that has come upon you out h ere on the p lains.
They ride small ponies and have sharp angular fea tures; their
skin is less black than the Nubia ns', and they talk in a slow,
deliberate language, not the fast rattle that characte rizes the
Nubian tongue.
They bring you a pony and motion you to get on it, which
you do with more than a few misgivings. Horse-riding was
frowned upon in Troezen and you we re ne ver allowed to
learn, although it was said that Theseus, your brother, beca me
a skilled rider before he left for Crete. So, w ith no experience,
you set off with these men across the plains into the desert, as
behind you, to your left, the sun drops d own to the horizon.
You have no idea who they are or where they a re goi ng, but
you feel that at last you are among frie nds . Go to 226 .
 328
You walk weari ly down the path, almost without hope of
finding your way through the swirling fog. It grows bitterly
cold a nd you hug yoLUself, folding your arms inside your
clothing . Beside the road a man, barely out of his boyhood,
marches in the opposite direction, his green tunic showing up
well in the dim light. You turn to watch him pass and he stops
too, but seem s oblivious of your presence; he draws a wineskin
from his belt a nd tries to drink. The wine has frozen in the
bitter cold a nd comes out in a lump, which shatters on the
ground into a million tiny fragments like a crystal dropped on a
hard s tone. The yo ung man scowls and replaces the wineskin
at his be lt be fore he is away into the fog, his regular step
echoing into the distance.
Now it grows warm again and the mists lift to reveal the
sight of an insubstantial figure pounding two pebbles while he
is whipped by a ga unt man who is clearly not a shade'. Will you
approach the m (turn to 431), or observe from afar (turn to 543)?

329
As you wa lk away fro m the smoke, the goddess Athe
appears, dressed in a long flowing robe of purest white. She
bea m s at yo u .
'Altheus, you mus t not despair. This island is Phawos,
home of Pwoteus, the old man of the sea. Seek him out on the
beach a nd he will tell you how to weturn home, now you are
mawoo ned .' Sh e points to the smoke and you realize that it is
your boat burning. When you spin round again the goddess is
gone, so you m a ke your way sadly down to the beach. Go to
256.
33°

330
The king makes it clear that you must fig h t alon gsid e his
warriors and prove yourself their equal in th e fie ld , unless you
want to be forced into servitude. You unders ta nd , a nd re turn
to your hut to prepare for an expedition the next day.
It is early morning when five of you set out to hunt fo r food,
and by the afternoon you have already s how n yo ur skill with a
spear and have two kills to your name; each of the o th ers has
three, but you are pleased that you have not been embarrassed
in the chase. You think back to the days in Troezen s pent
hunting wild boar, and how you forced yo ur e lf to kee p up
with the older, more experienced hunts men.
A sudden cry brings you back to the prese nt. Four bush
warriors have attacked your group and you mus t fi g h t o ne of
them. He has Might 6, Protection 11 and ca rries a s ho rt s pear
(Might 1). You have a long-shahed s pear (Mig ht 2) . You cannot
retreat or surrender.
If you kill him, go to 134. If you die and are sa ved by Zeus, go
to 309.
 331
You toss your spear aside a nd, with an e xtravagant flourish,
you th row yo u r a rms o p e n w ide in clear acknowledge ment of
your d efeat. For a m o m e nt yo u se nse the indecision of the
champ ion, but, th ankfull y, h e acce pts yo ur surre nder: he
picks u p yo ur spea r, breaks it in two, and then holds it up to
th e acclama ti o n of the crowd .
The Nubia n kin g re turns to th e ce ntre of the ring and he and
the champio n gra b yo u by the a rms a nd legs to carry you away.
It is only a s hort dis ta n ce before y ou see where they are taking
you .
A rnassive w icker cage holds an angry, hungry, strutting
moun tai n lion; th e d oo r is s wung open and you are thrown
ins ide. You must fi g ht the lio n with any wounds from the first
co mba t unhea led . It h as Mig ht 6, Protection 12. If you kill it, go
to 565 . If yo u d ie a nd a re saved by Zeus, go to 477.

332
You c urse b itterl y as yo u a re drive n ever onwards, but just as
you have los t a ll h o p e, you see, dimly with your salt-stung
eyes, a coas tlin e a pproaching closer a nd closer. Quickly you
come to your senses before y our brain is torn out by the
life-re nding rocks . You s tand up unsteadily and stagger on to
the la nd . Soo n you ca n only crawl, but from up ahead you hear
shouts a nd c ries; they are in your own language. Do you go to
inves tiga te (turn to 240) , or lie where you are and rest (turn to
500)?

333
Return to 106 and ro ll again .
 334
Th e g uard re tu rns with a large, fa t-faced m a n, w ho is dressed
in fin e robes a nd adorned with jewelled bracelets, and who
claps you o n the back wi th h is am ple ha nd, a nd addresses you
in Greek: 'Alth e us th e Ave nger, your fa m e h as travelled far,
for your d eed s a re truly h ero ic. I a m Ra m ses, Pha raoh o f all
Egypt. No w com e with me a nd re lax.'
He lead s yo u into th~ pa lace s ta te room , whe re yo u are fed
rich fo od a nd s trong wi ne . Da n ce rs e ntertain · you while you
ta lk with Ra m ses abo ut you r travels a nd your recent escape
from the Nubia ns.
Eve ntua lly, lo n g in to th e nig ht, your h ost bids you good
nig h t a nd adds, 'Tomorrow you s h a ll accompa ny me to the
o racle at the Oasis A mmo n iu m a n d the n we shall see about a
boat to Greece for y ou .' .
Yo u collapse back into the luxurio us cus h ions a nd enjoy the
nu bile da n ci ng girls' dis play befo re drifting into welcome
slee p . Go to 408.

335
As the cart d raws a longside, yo u turn to the farm er and ask
hi m fo r a ri de. He cuts yo u w ith his whip, scoring your face
with an ug ly red weal.
'Yo u ' ll gel no more free rides fro m m e!' h e cries and lashes
his lea n ho rse into a tro t.
Wi ll you run afte r th e fa rmer to a ttack him (turn to 529), o r
continue on yo ur w ay (tu.rn to 414)?
336-337
336
For two days you wa nd er rou nd the island in search of food,
but there appears to be no wildlife. You become weake r and
when you eventually come upon a bus h bearing white berries,
you eat them avidly. Their poison works inside yo ur stomach
and you are racked with intense pain; only Zeus ca n save you .
If you have n o t used your prayer, do so now and go to 557.

337
You see the s hades d estined for the upper world drink from
the waters of the River Lethe to clear all m e mories from their
minds, but hurry on impatiently. The ascent is made a long a
steep and rocky p a th that disa ppears up into the mist, and
soon you concentrate only on the climb . Unde rfoot th e soil is
loose and slips away with every stride, small p ebbles bou ncing
and rolling down the hill. Behind, the reassuring footsteps of
your brother begin to fall b ack, but you dare n ot s top. Then a
cry rings out: 'Altheus, AJtheus.' You s ta rt to turn in response.
Go to 278.
 338

338
You seize the ch ief, twis t a knife out of his hand and hold it to
his th roat.
'Lis te n well ,' yo u cry o ut to the others, 'and if any of you still
unde rs ta nd a civilized tongue, hear this. Lie down on the floor,
with your h ands on your heads. I shall leave now, and if I hear
a ny sound of you following, your leader dies.' All is still. You
thrus t the p oint o f the d a gger upwards, and the leader jerks his
head back. His followers see the glint of fear in his eyes and
obey you .
Still keeping the man a t knife-point, you back out of the barn
a nd to the e d ge of the compound. There you rip the mask away
to reveal a cad averous face with a receding hairline.
' Which way to the city?' you demand. He makes no answer,
but his eyes d a rt to a path leading away to the left. You laugh, 'I
see .'
Then you cut his throat, leave him in the bushes and run
along the path indicated. There are no sounds of pursuit, and
you tuck the knife into your belt. After a while the forest thins
and you ca n see the road ahead . You redouble your steps, and
fall flat over a tripwire stretched low across the path. You start
to rise, and a birdman sentry comes out of cover and breaks
your neck .
339

339
You wait, and presently it grows dark. Hung ry and tired , you
sit patiently, but then, as the re seems no pros pect o f foo d , you
take the opportunity of yo ur isolation to s leep. So you are
doubly surprised when a man awakens yo u and s peaks to you
in Greek, although h e speaks ha ltingly.
' I . . . s peak you.r ... la ng uage,' he begins a nd for the first
time you focus on the speaker, as he walks around in fron t of
you: he is a n unusually tall Nu bian, but not at all threatening,
since he appears tota lly d evoid of ni.uscle. ' Yo ur ... acts
this afternoon have worried m y . . . my . . . ' he s to ps as if
searching for a word, ' . . . my king. He think you ... put a
spell a l him .' His mastery of your la ng uage is far from perfect,
but you sense the meaning immediately a nd turn th e mis-
understanding to you r advantage.
'He would be rig ht, in a sense,' you reply, unhelpfully.
'Now you shall. act as a n interpreter and we s hall see you r
king,' you add, underscoring the final word with contempt.
Go to 465 .
 340-343
340
You wa it fo r an hour, and no vessels pass . In frustration you
throw a s to ne agains t a tree: it rebounds and catches you
painfully on the foo t, s o that you are forced to sit to let the pain
subside. Eventua lly you get up again aDd although your foot is
stiff, you resolve to try climbing up the slopes. Have 1 Shame
point a nd turn to 15.

341
If Ares is your pa tron, go to 326. If not, go to 25.

342
You may spend 1-6 Hoitour points to get Poseidon Neutral
towards yo u aga in . If you do so, turn to 206. Otherwise turn to
132.

343
Your Oly mpian guardian will not aid you, since you have
rejected di vine orders that you must purge yourself. The
rewards o f pride and arrogance remain the same. Go to 164.
 344
You sail o n, rejoicing in the knowledge that your blood-guilt
has been erased. You make away from the land, hoping to skirt
the coast of North Africa, a nd thence make the long crossing to
the Peloponnese. As you are watching the sun setting on the
ho rizon, a nother figure seem s to stand on the raft beside you.
' I am Iris,' the wo man begins, 'and I have been delegated by
the rest of the gods a'nd godd esses to bring you a warning to
the effect that, a lthough you m ay think you are purged of guilt
entirely and may n ow go home to Troezen and your mother
Aethra, you still bear the blame for your father Aegeus' demise
and -yes, tha t mig ht seem un fair to you, but then you ha ven' t
the cosmic perspective that divini ty gives you, and believe me
there are other sacrifices one has to make, and it's all a question
of runn ing around after m ortals when they make a mess of
things, w hich of course they're doing all the time, witness that
Trojan business, and if I don't spend my days looking after this
war, it's that s ieg·e , or that riot in Thebes, and in contrast to
these your problems are petty, but they still take up an
inordinate amount of time a nd you don't get any gratitude
since men jus t a ren't broug ht up right, and if Hera had control
of their education, then things would be stable and proper and
of course stability is w hat we' re all aiming for, especially .. .'
With this, Iris seems to be interrupted and comes to no end.
Go to 128.

345
Ma rkos returns, sees the lotus fruit on the ground, grins
wicke dly and s pits his out, too.
'Best thing for the m reaIJy,' he begins. 'Still, if they sell well,
I could be back for more.' With this, he indicates his crew
gathering basketfuls of the fruit, who are just coming to join
their captain . 'Sorry I can't take you to Troezen, but we're
overloaded with ca rgo already.' With this he shouts to his crew
to depart, and soon he too is gone. Go to 405.
 346
Your victory against these beasts of the unde rwo rld is com-
ple te, and once more you stand before the tumbledown temple
of Demete r. Yet there is more to the cere mo ny. In you r hands
you hold the wooden plaques which you broug ht with you
from the strange dream-world of the e lements. Yo u must
combine them in such a way to free Scio ne of fa mine. You
should drop two of them and retain on e of the m .
Do you drop the wa ter and corn sy mbo ls (tu rn to 200), the
water and flame tiles (turn to 120), or the fl a m and earth
plaques (turn to 466)?

... . ; -·- ·-:·:·,;~~~

~

~-~~i;t~~: -
347
Before long, you have fallen off the pony . Yo u scrabble around
in the dust, try ing to regain your fee t, to the sound of la ug hter.
Lose 1 Honour point. After a long struggle the men ma nage to
get you back on your mount, and you hang o n d esperately. Go
to 226 .

348
The s urviving sailors are bound by the Athe nians.
'The leader got away,' the captain exp lai ns. ' He's down in
the hold .'
You must hunt down the chief mutinee r. Go to u9.
 349
The goddess Aphrodite bathes you in a divine aura and the
men become m o re friendly. They sheathe their swords and the
man a t the fro nt, clearly their leader, speaks once more:
'Frie nd, we m ean you no harm, but we must be careful:
the re are stra nge people about,' he adds mysteriously. 'Come
into our village to w ash and eat, for indeed you look as though
you h ave been tra velling far without receiving hospitality.'
He lead s you back to the village and into a stone house.
Inside a large woman is talking to a young girl, but they fall
silent w hen they see you . The man speaks sharply to them and
they withdraw into a separate part of the house behind a
curtain .
'My wife will cook yo u a meal and my daughter is preparing
a hot ba th fo r you . Take a drink with me.'
H e offers you a goblet filled with ruby-coloured wine. Will
you drink with him (turn to 487), or will you decline (turn to
319)?

35°
The s moke dies away as you reach the top of the cliff. From this
vantage point you can see the whole miserable scene laid out
below: yo ur boa t has been reduced to smouldering ashes and
nothing ca n be sa lvaged from it. You curse the gods silently for
plag uing you with s u ch misfortune, and then you turn bitterly
away . ft is a lmost as if they are .deliberately keeping you from
reaching your h o me in Troezen . You must have 1 Shame point
for leaving the boat to be burnt.
Yo u ma rch d efia ntly along the beach, leaving the wreckage
behind you . Go to 256.

35 1
You drift on your raft for six days, but then the west wind
grows strong and you start to fear for your safety . The seas
become short and vicious, and your raft surfs dangerously on
the larger waves . You can only cling on as your makeshift
rudder flaps uselessly, more often in the air than in the sea. If
Poseidon is your patron, go to 254. If not, go to 586.
352-353
35 2
C h a s te ned a n d puzzled by th is d ivine w a rn ing, yo u ga ther
together a n un1be r of the crew a nd explai n tha t you mu t leave.
T ire d a nd jad ed , th ey agree, a lbeit dub iously . A fte r a d ay's
work you h ave con s tru cted a small raft w ith a m ast. For a sail
yo u ste a l th e tunic o f o ne of Calypso's ha n dmaid e ns, and
d u ring the co urse of th e evening manage to secre te away some
provis io ns . Sh o rtly a fter th at you are at sea . o ne of you ta ke
any no tice of th e p leas an d entrea ties of th e s m all group
gathe red o n th e beach.
A fte r yo u exp lain to yo ur compan ions th at you mus t v isit the
Italia n sh ores, th ey a lmos t mutiny, bu t since th e w inds are
carrying you firs t to the n orth a nd wes t, a nd th e n to the east,
they can d o little. Two weeks pass a n d you r provisions are
n early exh au ste d : all th? t is left is some rope and a sma ll ja r of
beeswax. Go to 168.

353
The rules fo r Return of the Wanderer, th e third book in the
Cretan Chronicles, are exactly the sam e a s for the firs t two
books in the series. Yo ur comba t va lues, h owever, s tart at
Might 5, Protecti o n i 1 (plus, of course , a ny bo nuses accru ing
from your p atron ), on accoun t o f the exp e rien ce gained in
. killing the Minota ur.
If you are in Dis fav o ur w ith Poseido n, roll one d ie . O n 1 - 2
you are still in Disfavour; ·on 3-5 h e is n ow Neutral towards
y ou; on 6 y ou are n ow in Favour w ith the sea god.
Now turn to the appropria te paragraph fo r yq u r p a tron :
If your patron is A phrodite, turn to 2 1 7 .
If y our p a tron is Apollo, turn to 354.
Jf your p a tron is A res, turn to 532.
If your patron is A the n a, turn to 58 .
If your patro n is Hera, turn to 486 .
If your patron is Poseidon, turn to 117 .
 354
You pray to you r patron as you lie below decks, and you hear
his voice calling ou t to yo u.
'A l the us, you've done so well. All you have to do now is
make it home to Athens where yo ur fat he r awaits you at every
momen t. l must be going soon, but I' m s ure there was some-
thing l had to tell y ou . No w w hat was it? Oh, yes, the sa ils. You
know, black fo r disaster and w hite fo r success. Oh we ll, I'm
ve ry late, so I mus t hu rry. Cood luck. '
For a m oment a ll is sile nt a nd then yo u h ea r the rush of wind
and waves above decks. You rise a nd climb up into the fresh
air. C o to 252 .

355
Th e gro und close to the top of the steps is soft and marshy, and
yo u tread carefully, probing forwa rd each s tep to find a firm
foothold . You can see that there is harder terrain twenty yards
away and beyond that there are clumps of trees and bushes so
that, in effect, you are s tanding in a marshy ring enclosed on all
sides by thick vege tatio n . Behind you the hill rises gently up to
a crest, a nd you decide to climb up there to view the whole
countrysid e. You are soon, once again, out of breath, and by
the time you reach the top, you collapse on the ground. Within
m om ents, you are fast asleep . Go to 547.
 356
You are thrown free of the vehicle rushing headlong to de-
struction and lie winded in the grass, listening as the horse's
anguished noise abruptly ceases . Then you pick yourself up
and set off down the hill towards Thebes. By the side of the
road you notice a broken knife, discarded by some wayfa rer,
and you tuck it into your belt. Go to 259 .

357
You remember the words of Dean, and just s top yo urself
wheeling round. The cries continue, but they become fa inter
and fainter until finally they cease completely. You are left
alone and eventually you carry on up the hill until you reach
daylight. Your brother is no longer with you, and you ask
yourself how you will ever discover the way to purge your
blood-guilt. Then a voice cries o ut 'Al theus' once more and
you take heart. Your brother has m ade it after a ll. But it is not
your brother who is climbing the path and calling yo ur name,
but the Phoe nician m erchant Markos, carrying his sack. He
quickly reaches your side.
'I have a message for yo u from your brother. I passed him on
the way up. He says you must seek out th e Phytalidae,
whoever they may be.' Turn to 455.
 358
You bite into the fruit and enjoy its sweet taste. It seems a long
while s ince you last ate, although time is strangely hard to
judge in th e und e rworld . You could have been here only
m inutes, o r h o urs , or may be eve n days. The dogs' barking fills
the ai r agai n a nd yo u m o ve on towards it. Turn to 85.

359
Many hav wo nd e red how th e young Nubian could speak
Gree k. Some reckon it was a gift from Apollo, others that a
captured merch a nt ta ug ht him, before the unfortunate sailor
was kill ed , a nd ye t others that scrolls, washed ashore · and
carried fa r inla nd by nom ads, bear the secret of his knowledge.
Have 1 S ha m e p o int for trying to delve into such mysteries and
return to 339.

360
The a nger o f the sea god is aroused . The waters close to the
boa t grow turbule nt a nd the rigging of the mast parts with an
ear-s plitting re port. You may either spend 1- 6 Honour points
and s wim to s hore (turn to 320), or you may face the wrath ol
Poseido n (turn to 282).
p
 36i.
The ailors are wa iting for you below and seize yo u roughly.
You look around in s h ock, a nd th e captain s tares back a t you
helplessly. The seven you ths a nd fi ve remaining m a ide n s of
Athe ns a re confu sed , not know ing with whom to s ide . The
s hip pitch es a nd ro lls d e m e n ted ly.
T his is the man,' s h o uts o n e of th e sailors, 'wh o is respon-
si ble fo r our p light! The gods punis h us for his betrayal.'
'The o nly way to a ppease them is to sacrifice him,' continues
a nothe r, in w h at is clea rly a n o rchestrated a ttack.
Will yo u s ubmit (tu rn to 1.75) or fight (turn to 312)?

362
You s ha ke yo ur h ead , but th e gua rd misunde rstands your
hurried h and-sig n a ls. H e is clearly confused, and rising anger
fills h is features. Your conciliatory words mean nothing to him
in his fu ry a nd y ou must defend yo urself.
He is Mig ht 5, Protection 12, but with a spear (Might 2) and a
full-length s hie ld (Might -1, Protection 4).
lf you surre nder, turn to 71 . If you die a nd pray to Zeus, turn
to 225 . If y ou re tr a t, turn to 324. If you Seriously Wound the
g ua rd, turn to 421.

363
You m ake the sig n of the cle nched fist, and at once the
ga the red compa ny gasp s. You h a ve committed sacrilege, and
your s hattered body does not las t long under the rain of spears
which is at once unleashed . Take more notice of cave-paintings
on your n ext adve nture, Altheus the Avenger.
p

364
The guard g rins knowingly, a nd at once his a ttitude becomes
friendly. He cerem on ia lly pulls a n obol fro m his pocket and
places it in your h an d. Feigning com prehe ns io n, yo u fo llow
him as h e leads yo u down a darke n ed corrido r past rows and
rows of s h e lves on which stand baske ts fill ed with p om egran-
ates. You try to ask your guide what use the roya l h o use of
Troy has for the fruit, but already he h as led you , as a blind
man is led by his kindred, to a room to await your cousin' s
coming. Go to 104.

365
The first stop on the voyage to hig h -wa!Jecl ll ium, Troy of the
ancient tales, is Lemnos, and the two w eeks to w hich bad
weather lengthens the voyage seem like m o nths to you . You
are racked by your o ld seasickness a nd the ach ing of y o ur
wounds from Crete. The Achaians laugh a t you a nd mock you
for a child, but, you think grimly to you rse lf, O resa nder would
soon feel the blade of a sharp-ed ged sword if h e w e re a lo ne . At
las t the s hores of Lemnos, sacred isla nd of H ephaestus the
fire-worker, loom large on the horizo n. Go to 384 .
 366
You lower the to rch a nd turn away from the man . As you do
so, he seizes the billhook and sinks it into your head . Your
sku ll is ripped apa rt in a m oment of blinding agony and you
fall d ead . Zeus w ill n ot save the wilfully naive, a lthough it is
they who most need his h elp.

367
You re main o n the beach beside your boat, but there is little of
interest to look a t a nd the h eat of the sun makes you drowsy.
You close you r eyes aga inst the ha rsh gla re, doubly brilliant as
it reflects off the motionless sea, a nd soon you fall asleep.
Whe n yo u awa ke, the day is almost over and you feel cold
a nd hungry . You fas hio n a s pear out of wood from the boa t
and try to h a rpoon fis h in the s hallow water; after some time
you h ave not ki lled a n y, but just go t yo urself soaking wet; you
wa lk back to the boat. Realizing that you must dry off and
warm up, yo u collect driftwood from a long the beach and
attempt to s tart a fire, but this a lso fa ils since the wind is too
s tro ng. Eventua lly you m anage to kindle a flame by sheltering
it be hind the boat. The warmth is co mforting and you quickly
forget abo ut your e mpty stomach as you drift to sleep. Go to
576.

368
You grab a la mp from the wall and go down into the hold . The
flickers of light randomly il lumina te portions of the hold
s tacked hig h w ith empty crates. You move about cautiously,
and s udde nly come across the chief mutineer, a rmed with a
billhook . He swings at you a nd yo u duck, waving the torch in
his face.
You must fi g h t the sailo r. H e is Mig ht 4, Protection 11 and
has the bill h ook (Mig ht;, Protection - 1) . A ll you have is a
torch (Mig ht 2, Protection o).
If yo u surre nder, go to 249; if you die and Zeus saves you, go
to 425; if th e sailo r is Seriously Wounded, go to 218.
 369
For eleven d ays, the carava n ma kes its track!i across the barren
d esert and you grow tired of travelling by ca me l, the most
uncomfortable and unpleasant form of tra ns port yo u have yet
experie n ced . At last the fertile island in the sea of the grea t
Libyan desert comes in view and you n o te the e u p ho ria of all
the travellers . The priest hands you a sm all piece of jade,
which, he claims, is a good-luck cha rm, a nd the n he goes into
the temple on his official bus iness . You offe r u p a fin a l prayer
to Zeus and follow him. Go to 506.

370
Cursing the gods is always less effective tha n placating them
with sacrifices. Have 1 Sha me po int a nd re tu rn to 350.

371
'Yes, this is definitely the one,' cries a ma n fro m the back of the
crowd, and at this they all rush forward . Be fore you can run
off, two heavy men throw you to the g round . Yo u try to
escape, but as you break free, two more m e n a re a t yo ur side.
Go to 299.
 372-374
372
Will you ask a woma n , who is carrying an um full of flour on
her head (turn to 26), or will you approach a guard, who is
armed with a s pear and a full-le ngth shield (turn to 187)?

373
Humbled by these aged men, you, Altheus the Avenger, drop
to your knees. Take 2 Shame points . Yet you see that they are
about to s under yo ur s pirit from its earthly shelter and that you
will find no m ercy. They are o ld, however, and you dodge
aside at th e last moment. Th e combat continues.
If yo u Seriously Wound both m en, go to 482; if you retreat,
go to 18; if you die and are saved by Ze us, go to 33.

374
You knock loudly at the palace gate a nd a guard opens the
heavy door.
'I am Altheus the Ave nger, true king of Athens,' you declare
imperio us ly, but the Egyptian does not understand you.
Ano ther man arrives and talks with the guard, who then
s hows you inside. The palace is a magnificent building, re-
cently rebuilt, and the walls are newly decorated with fine
mosaics. Yo u s ta nd and wonder, while the guard goes off to
fetch someone. If you have more than 50 Honour points, go to
334. If not, go to 392.
 375
375
'The dove, yo u foo l, release the dove!' Vizhazid is shaking you
violently, a nd you suddenly realize what he means. You set
the bird free fro m its cage and, as if inspired by the god, it flies
straight and h·ue towards the rocks. Folio.wing it will gain you
safe passage; yo u remembe r Arissia's words.
Desp erately the oarsmen row, the beat on the drum grows
more frantic a nd the air is tense, as when ill omens are read at
the altars of the immortals, a nd a you ng man must pay with his
life . You g rasp the rai l at the sid e of the ship, ignoring the
s plinters w hich pie rce your fingers.
Yo u are pas sin g throug h the channel itself now. The wind
suddenly drops , but the waves are no less turbulent; with a
great creaking a nd g roaning, the living rock itself begins to
roar and rumble. T h e cliffs move; the Symplegades have
started their d eadl y journey. Closer and closer the sharp rocks
come, like the talons of a thousand eagles all waiting for the
kill.
Yet the forces o f the underworld do not prevail and the
mom en t of crisis passes. You reach open water and strike out
for C h alcedo n . The w hole crew cheers and shouts out in joy.
Go to 112.
 376
The leopard' s back is broken; after contorting in spasms the
beast lies still. You give your thanks to the gods and lie o n your
back, panting from the exertion of the sh·u ggle. It is stiJl very
hot and you notice that you r arms are beginning to blister, but
it is your stomach that troubles you m ost, and you rip a t the
dead leopard's flesh with your teeth. The ra w m ea t is unpalat-
able, but you eat it anyway. Flies gather round the carcass and
the vultures return, approachjng timidly. When you have
eaten enough, you leave the body for the scavengers and limp
on through the g rass, for the leopard ha s sliced in lo your right
thigh with its claws. You have no idea in which direction
salvation lies, but then you see tv.ro figures up a head on the
horizon. They carry spears and as they come nearer yo u see
they are dark-skinned warriors. Will you s h o ut for help (turn
to 444), or will you hjde in case they are hostile (turn to 177)?

377
The merchant raises his left hand and you see the ring. For a
moment you think you have won, but then you notice the jade
under the same hand. I-le sweeps both items up off the d eck
and pockets them, before moving away to s p eak w ith the
helmsman. You rise and walk to the edge of the deck and look
out at the waves, so quiet and sere n e now, yet capable of such
fury. You are only at the wooden rail for a few moments before
Markos comes over to you again. Go to 239.

378
The farmer's fist crashes home against your jaw. The road
starts to swirl and you topple backwards off the cart and fall on
to the road, rolling over and over like a c h ild's doll before
coming to rest, limbs twisted and broken, dead.
 379
Barely two mjnutes pa:;s before you are convulsed with terrible
pain . Your lim bs s hake and you sweat profusely, as the poison
takes conlTol. What a pitiful end for Altheus the Avenger,
conqueror of Talos the bronze man of Crete, slayer of the
Minota ur. The A m azons, the Cretans and the Nubians could
not subdue yo u, but nature has succeeded. If you can still pray
to Zeus, go to 557.

380
You stand yo ur gro und as the men, who are all massively built,
approach . A s udden panic grips you, and you whirl around
les t you are attacked from berund . Yet it is too late, and a
crashing blow and a crunching sound are your last memories.
Go to 201.

381
'Never,' you cry, ma naging to shake free of the grip of your
captor. Ye t yo u see that they will never let you leave Lemnos
alive . You grab a burning stick from the hearth (Might 3) and
proceed to the a ttack.
Each man is Might 5, Protection 9, with a shortsword (Might
2, Protection - 1) and a breastplate (Protection 2). Remember
the rules for multiple combat.
If you retreat, go to 203 . If you ilie and pray to Zeus, go to
283 . If you Seriou sly Wound all three, go to 55. You may not ·
surrender. .

382
Zeus is pe rplexed that one who savages himself to death
would seek his succour. He tosses aside your request with the
disdain it deserves. Go to 125.
 383
You offer the green plume to the g uard, whose face, su ffu sed
with crimson, regards yo u \·v ith the air of o n e in sulted in public
before his friends. ' Phthian pig,' h e cries and cha rges s traight
at you.
You must fight him, and h e ge ts the first strike. He is Might
5, Protection 12, with a spear (Might 2) a nd a full -length s hield
(Might -1, Protection 5) .
If you surrender, go to 71 . If you die a nd a re saved by Zeus,
go to 225. If you retreat, go to 324. If yo u Seriou s ly Wound the
guard, go to 421.

384
You disembark at Lemnos, eager for the feel of solid earth
beneath your feet. The qua y is not busy; the re are o nly a few
people lounging lazily i.n the midday s un . Some hundred
yards up the shoreline the re is a w e ll at whic h a grou p of men
are talking animatedly and gesticula ting .
' ... more pomegranates, Vizhazid, I don ' t wa nt any
IT)Ore .. .'
' ... and he threw them into the m aster's ga rd e n .. .'
' . .. I don' t care if it's sacred .. .'
If you are in Favour with Hephaes tus, o r he is Neutral to
you, go to 224. lf you a re i.n Disfavour w ith him, go to 265 .

385
Far and long y'ou are carried by the wate rs, tossed like a
tree-trunk down spring-swollen waters. You manage to grab
hold of a plank from a ship and cling to it, praying to all the
gods to preserve you. At last a shore grows n ear and you s trike
out towards it. Scrambling on to th e sand, yo u li ft yo ur head
towards the h eavens and the re, towering above you, as a Titan
looking loftily down on its feeble foe s, is Mount Pelion,
swathed in g ree n with its h ea ling plants. You s lump to the
ground unconscious, the wate r's margin lapping at your feet.
Go to 105.

I
j
 386
Have 10 H o no ur po ints for killing the men. You pick up a spear
and contin ue yo ur search, but eventually you decide that it will
be mo re productive inland. Besides, you are feeling hungry
and the re is clearly nothing to eat here. Go to 39.

387
Are you so sca red that you will not even talk to the local
villagers? H a ve 2 Shame points and go to 316.

388
The m o ns ter g ra bs one man standing on the deck and bears
him away in o ne o f h er mouths. He screams hideously as she
re turns to h e r d en , but there is nothing you or anyone else on
the s hip can d o to save the unfortunate. Markos steers on
ahead , w itho ut looking to either side, and manages to bring
the craft th rou g h w ithout further loss . Soon he comes up and
s p ea~s to yo u: ' Next time it'll only be a serious injury or two.
Anyway, fo rget about that now, and come with me when we
get into po rt; I' ll show you the sights.'
After a few m ore days, the crew reach the shores they have .
sought. You a re eager to be on your way, but Markos insists
tha t you come with him, and, with great reluctance, you agree
to his request. Go to 302.
 389
The captain a n d you ca n o nly gaze in impo te nt fu ry as the
o ther s hip edges round to s tarboa rd, care less of an y collision,
but d elica tely ke eping you blocked . The two era~ jus t fail to
coll ide . The cap tain shakes his fi st a t a figure o n the o the r boat
in r ich but cla hing robes, and follows u p this gesture wi th a
s tream of inve ctive garne red over many years. The other,
obviously the Phoe nician master, grins back a nd waves lazily
at yo u .
The me rcha n t ship edges a h ea d of yo u, and your sails s ta rt
to fill again. The Phoenicia n capta in is hand ed a long pole with
a scythe o n o ne e n d , a nd before yo u can do anything, he uses it
to cut the guy ro p e wh ich holds u p yo ur sails. You can only
look o n as th e vas t black canvas cras hes to the d eck, and the
othe r s h ip pu lls s teadily away . As it d oes so, the Phoenician
captain licks his fore fin ger and then jabs it at you .
' Whe n they ask you in Athen s w ho d id this to you, tell the m
you we re bested by Ma rkos the mercha nt,' he yells. 'Compe-
tition a nd integrity !'
With th e vesse l disappeari ng into the dis tan ce the word
Dji1111 o n the prow s hines like gold. The rem aining sailor!"
furiou s ly s ta rt to ra ise the sa ils again . Go to 38.

390
Yo u a re on your feet immediately a nd running as fast as your
weary legs w ill ta ke you, bu t it is o bvio us ly useless . Even whe n
fit you cou ld no t outstrip a leopa rd. With graceful strides, it is
a t you r h eels a nd brings you d own , its migh ty claws digging
into your back. As you fal l, yo u th in k yo u can see two figu res
on the hori zo n a nd you sho u t o ut, but your cry m erges into an
agonized screa m as the leopa rd tears a t your leg. If you have
not prayed to Zeus, do so now and go to 293 . If you have,
conte nt yo urself w ith the tho ug ht tha t yo ur e nd was swift and
not the prolonged d eath from h ea t and d e hyd ratio n tha t fa ced
you othe rw ise.
391-393
391
Zeus transports you to wooded Cy thera and sets you down on
the forest floor. You are healed and he returns you to the island
of Pharos, well away from the hostile fishermen. Go to 588.

39 2
In a few moments the guard is back, with a stern-looking
official who announces himself, in Greek, as the king's
steward.
'You say you are the king of Athens, huh?' H e looks you up
and down and you realize that you appear fa r from regal.
'Well, wash yourself and come back next yea r. We might
beljeve you then.' He ushers you out of the pa lace a nd tells you
to try the temple where they are m ore rece p tive to foreign
slaves. You take rus advice and leave to find the temple of
Ammon. Turn to 464.

393
You take the leopardskin grate fully and qwckly ask rou nd at
the harbour to see if any boats are going furth e r d ownstream to
the delta . It transpires that none are sailing for two d ays, when
a small cargo boat leaves for Phoenicia. You negotiate with the
captain and he agrees to take you as far as the m outh of the
Nile.
Two days pass and you are only too glad to leave Me mphis
and be on your way once more . The journey to the sea takes
three days, but you do not enjoy any of them; you lie below
decks troubled by the fever you first caught in N ubia. In your
delirium, you see visions of your patron in fierce argument
with the Minotaur, but at last you recover.
The Phoenician trader sets you down at a small town on the
easternmost mouth of the Nile and you soon find a small boat,
which you can buy, to sail back to Greece . With the intention of
hugging the African shore before heading north towards the
Peloponnese, you sail for two days until you reach the island of
Pharos at the westernmost mouth of the Ni.le . You decide to
rest and accordingly you come in close to the island· before
falling asleep on deck. Go to 507.
 394
You run for the door, but two of the men catch your arms and
kick yo ur feet from under you. Then they force you to your
knees in front of th e chie f bird m a n, resplendently tall in a gold
feathered robe . Go to 289 .

395
A famili a r voice pipes u p behind you and you spin round to see
Markos the m erchant, a m ortal not a shade, ca rrying a large
sack.
'It's no good, Al the us my friend. H e won't let you across
without an obo l. o coin, no crossing- tha t's his motto and it's
no use a rg uing .'
' But w here ca n 1 get one?'
' You s ho uld have brought o ne with you . I can get you one,
but it'll cost yo u .' He looks you up and down and then makes
his offer . ' An obol fo r your sword.' Then, seeing your inde-
cisio n, ' And I' ll throw in a pomegranate.' H e opens his sack to
show yo u that it is fu ll of pomegranates.
Will you ag ree (turn to 493), or try to find some other way
across the Styx (t urn to 582)?

396
With sudden insig ht you realize that there is no salvation in
this s u n-scorched place. Lose 1 Honqur point for being aware
of you r plig ht. Return to 376.

397
Take 1 Sha m e point a nd lose 1 Honour point, as usual, for
retreating. Go to 316.
 398
As you move around the crate you see a fli cker of light, but it is
too late: the flames of a torch flash into your fa ce, burning you
badly. The mutineer has burst out of th e c rate and now attacks
you with a torch (Might 2). He is Mig ht 4, Pro tection 10 . You
are unarmed and already Wounded. If you Se riou sly Wound
him, go to 94. If you surrender, go to 249 . If you die and are
saved by Zeus, go to 156.

399
The village is much bigger than you firs t thou g ht. The houses
are made of stone and are well built. The people w ho live here
must be civilized, not barbarians, you think to yo urself, but
there is more hope than certainty in these refl ection s. As you
wander among the houses, you fail to notice a stocky man who
has crept up behind you and you are startled w hen he s peaks.
'Stranger, do not snoop about our village like a dog or a spy,
but tell me your name and that of your home city, so that we
Illyrians may extend our hospitality. For altho ug h we have
chosen to live in peaceful tranquillity, we are n ot primitive
natives.'
'I am Altheus the Avenger,' you announce p ro udly, ' the
rightful king of Athens. Yet it seems the gods have ordained
that I shall never return there, since for seven yea rs I have been
sent back and forth across the world.'
'You are among friends here, Altheus, and now come into
my house to wash and eat.'
Inside one of the larger buildings, his wife and daughter
stand talking, but the man tells them to pre pare you a ba th and
some food, so they retire behind a curtain into a separate part
of the house.
'Now drink with me,' he says, handing you a goblet of wine.
Will you accept (turn to 487) or decline (turn to 319)?
 400
Markos approaches a nd grins. 'Not bad, Altheus,' he says.
'Play again, this time agains t me. Phoenician rules?' Do you
accept (turn to 106) or refuse (turn to 502)?

401
The Golde n Fleece is played in rounds. Each round you must
stake one obol. Roll one die for yourself and one for your
opponent. Subtract the latter from your roll and follow the
instructions in the table.

Go to 14

+ 1 obol
Win back s take
Win back s ta ke =n Lo,. ,.ak,
If you have a n y obols left, you may roll again. If you have
none, yo u must retire and go to 204. If you give in while you
still have som e obols, go to 141 .

402
Your s leep is sweet, and you rest properly for perhaps the first
time in months. Have 1 Honour point and go to 245 .
 403
Clearly the green plume is a symbol of the Ach aians, a race not
exactly enamoured of the Trojans. Beware Phoenicians, even
bearing gifts. Have 1 Shame point and return to 383.

404
'Are you a coward?' cries one of the Achaian warriors.
'Perhaps brought up after the Trojan fashion, ' anoth er adds.
'Troezen will not be of much use to us if we have to fight.
Let's leave him and take our pleasure on our own.'
With this they march off a few yards and sit in a circle,
chattering animatedly and dicing. After a while, chastened, ,
you sleep. Have 1 Shame point and go to 440.

405
Away from the land of the Lotophagi, the Lotus -eaters, you
saiJ, thankful to be gone from that place. At length you feel
sleepy, and begin to doze. You awaken with a start, to find that
your raft has run aground on an unknown shore . You puIJ the
battered vessel up the beach, and begin to trudge inland, in the
hope of finding food.
After some time yo u come upo n the entrance to a cave,
shrouded in shadow. You approach cautiously, fea rful lest
you be set upon by some wild beast w hich h as the p lace as its
lair. Upon the walls at the mouth a re paintings of tribesmen;
this island mus t be inhabited . One picture shows a young
man, his hand held out in a clenched fist, his h ead being struck
off. Yet another shows a woman, her fingers h eld stretched in
a sunburst symbol.
Your perusal is inte1Tupted by a savage blow in your back.
You whirl around and see two tribesmen , their skin painted
with strange wavy signs, their hair bedecked with flowers.
They are menacing you with primitive, crude spears.
Do you run away (turn to 146), try to negotiate (turn to 321),
or attack the natives (turn to 20)?
 406
With scarcely a dissenting voice, your countrymen pledge
their s upport for Altheus the Avenger. The four undecided
sailors ca n sen se what is blowing in the wind, and shout for
you too. The captai n steps forward.
' We h ave no licence to ki ll our passengers,' he urges. ' Lay
down you r a rms.'
You jump d own the ladder. 'Your lives are safe,' you prom-
ise. ' Bear with me now and we can weather this storm
toge th er . Give up yo ur plot, and all this can be forgotten, as
las t nig ht's drea m . Or stick to your treachery, and face the
wrath of a favoured one of the gods!' A flash of unearthly light
illuminates the room, pitching and rolling-·n the heavy seas.
The glow persists, a nd you look up to see blue fire running
along the mas t a nd sails. 'A sign!'
Rese n tfull y the sailors cease their mutiny, and while the
ship co ntinues to be flung hither and thither by the winds, all is
peace below decks. Co to 228 .
 407
You manage to separate yourself from the crowd, and wander
disconsolately along the shore. At last you come to a cliff in
which there is a cave. An elderly woman emerges from the
gloom, h er bones stiffened by age; her hair is white as the
winter snow on the mountains .
'Althe us,' s he cries, 'you require solace. Read your future
he re.' With this s he picks up a pile of sun-browned leaves from
the cave mo uth and scatters them into the air. The sea-breeze
blows them in a ll directions, while the Sibyl scampers after
them, like a child in search of a lost toy. Sadly, the Trojan Sibyl
is insane and yo u must seek divjne advice at the temple. Go to
28 .

408
The next morning, just after dawn, the king shakes you out of
your slumber. ' We must make an early start,' he explains, 'in
order to get on to the ile befo re everyone's awake. If I leave
any la ter, the whole town will be out on the river trying to get a
glimpse of us a nd we'll be held up for hours.'
You rise and follow him, wondering a t the way the king's
popularity ca uses him so much trouble. At the harbour you
board the king's boat, a splendid vessel decorated in gold and
gems, w ith huge sails of Tyrian purple. The townsfolk do
indeed crowd round the ship, peering in as best they can; the
guards a re forced to hold them back. Then the vessel is cast off
and moves through the gathering flotilla of smaller boats, all
edging as close as they dare to the mighty craft.
For six days you travel by boat, and then for two more weeks
you cross the Libyan desert in a magnificent palanquin carried
by s ix s laves. At length, you arrive at the oasis and the king's
litter is carried into the temple, while you remain outside.
Afte r a few moments the klng comes out on foot, looking very
worried .
'I must return to Thebes at once,' he begins. 'Take these gifts
as tokens of our friendship and the alliance between our
nations .' He hands you a jewelled bracelet and a small piece of
jade. You climb out of the litter and enter the temple. Go to 506.
•
409
You remember the words of your father, spoken so long ago:
'Journey under a black sail. If you s u cceed, change it to white,
and I will know at your coming that you h ave succeeded.'
At your insistence, the captain seeks out some vvhite sails
from a locker below, and the crew and th e youths of Athens
g ladly hoist them.
A firm wind runs the s hip along steadily and you reach the
Piraeus sooner than would have seemed possible. An ex pect-
ant crowd throngs th e quayside, and w he n th ey see you in the
prow of the boat, arms held high, and the yout hs a nd the
remaining m aidens of Athens lining the sid e of the deck, they
break into exalted chee ring and applause.
Aegeus, your father, is the first one to gree t you as yo u step
off the gangplank; he clasps you to his bosom, crying,
'Altheus, m y son, my son.' Then he breaks away and turns to
address the crowd, but as h e does so a s pas m of pain crosses
his features and he clutches at his ch est.
'The time has come,' he gasps. 'A lready th e shears are
cutting through my thread . Come, to the palace, that I may die
in peace .'
Aegeus is carried off, and the crowd melts away, murmur-
ing at this omen. You follow on behind your father. G~ to 61.

II
·I
 410
You swim towards the waterspout, and as you come nearer
you can tell tha t a huge whale is responsible for it. You
red ouble you r efforts to reach the creature, hoping to lodge in
the belly of the beast. The water swirls into a vortex as the
whale starts to su bmerge, and y ou are sucked into its mouth.
As the waters close over yo ur head, your clothes snag on a
tooth . In your struggles to free yourself, you hurt the creature,
and it closes its m outh in pain, s napping you in two like a
child's toy. Zeus h as no business intervening to keep the ailing
afloat.

411
The day wears on and once agai n the only boats that stop are
heading up-river. Six or seven berth quickly at the landing-
stage, take o n water a nd the n move off south once more. By
evening you are very irritated, and almost decide to join a boat
going the wrong way just to move from this cursed spot, but
wisdom prevails. Darkness falls and you rest another night at
the side of the N ile. In the morning a vessel berths from the
south and you r hopes are high of at las t going down-river. To
your embarrassment you see that it is the first boat which
called in going up-river two days ago. The captain leans over
the bow and calls, 'Still here? Well you had better come with
us. We're going your way now.' You gratefully accept his offer
and join his crew in the s te rn . Have 1 Shame point an~ go to
210 .

412
Sh ortly after leaving the palace, you are hopelessly lost in the
city. For a long time you wander back and forth in the d~ rk
streets until you e ventua lly find yourself back where you
started. You are forced to" ask the guard at the palace gate the
way to the temple. H e la ughs, but sends you in the right
direction. Have 1 Shame point and go to 464.
 413
Your Chronicle Sheet reads as follows:
Might 5 Honour 22
Protection 11 Shame 11
You have no Intelligence points.
Svvord: Might 3, Protection o

I
Breas tplate: Might o, Protection 2
Queen Antiope's jewelJed brooch
Asclepius - Disfavour
Poseidon - Disfavour
Athena - Favour
Dionysus - Favour
Hephaestus - Disfavour
All others - Neutral
. ote: As a client of Hera, you can pray to Zeus one extra
lime. You start with Might 5, instead of 4, a nd Protection 11 ,
instead of io, to reflect the experience gained in defea ting the
Minotaur. Go to 486.

414
You walk on, with a shru g. Soon the cart disappea rs into the
distance. After a whi le the path starts to descend a steep hill,
and you can see Thebes ahead. You s tart to jog down the s lope,
but then you hear a d e liberate rustling in th e undergrowth al
the side of the road . When you pause, you fee l a sharp blow to
the back of your head and your world goes black. Turn to 99.
 415
Both m e n drop their daggers and run off screaming. Have 3
Honour points and you may have the daggers. You stride
down towa rds the harbour and, meeting a young woman
returning from the river with a basket of washing, you ask
what town this is. She does not understand, but you manage
to discover that the river is the Nile. You are soon at the
harbour, now aware that you are in Egypt. Go to 544.

416
Out in the centre of the plain, you have no shade and the heat
of the midday s un is unforgiving . You begin to sweat and soon
yo u a re very thirsty, but there is nothing here to drink. You
follow the path as it rises up a gentle hill and, when you reach
the crest, you can see the sea again on the far side of the island .
Below you is a sma ll village -of straw huts which seems un-
naturally quie t and, out at sea, several fishing boats lie lazily
in the heat. You descend and are soon on the edge of the
deserted village, when you see that the first fishing boat has
now re turned a nd that the men are hauling it up the beach.
Will you talk to them (turn to 314), or will you hide in one of the
huts (turn to 563)?
 417
You and your guide proceed in awkwa rd silence until you
reach a n enormous open theatre wher e tho u sa nds of s hades
p e rform o n s tage to th eir own e mba rrassm e nt.
'Th ese are the corrupt court officia ls,' says Dea n . 'Each o ne
has his own personal punishment appropria te to his crime.
Ta ke that one over the re, for instance .' He points to a man
s urro unded by mirrors, w h o stands a bus ing h is ow n reflec-
tions. ' He was ste ward to a p owerfu l mona rc h, but co nsidered
himself m ore impo rta nt. He ordered eve ryone to do h is bid-
ding a nd began to call himself " kin g" . Even sim pl e p leas-
antries were rebuffed with v iole nt ins ult. Abuse a nd excessive
self-rega rd n ow serve to punish him .'
You let the rolling clouds of fog e n ve lo p the scene o nce
more . G o to 279.
418
As Ma rkos steers the vessel betwee n th e w h irlpool and the
monste r, you move to the side o f th e d eck to look a t Scylla,
with her six head s . In horror yo u rea lize th a t s h e is thrus ting
one of her n ecks towards you, and yo u ar e g r ipped by her
mouth. You s truggle to break free, but you ca nnot pre ve nt her
retrea ting toward s h e r d e n.
You must fig ht the beast (Might 7, Protectio n i 4). If you die
a nd are saved by Zeu s, go to 479. If you Serious ly Wound her,
go to 261.
419
You stride into th e fog, certain that this way lead s to your
brother Theseus, but it is a different figu re tha t yo u e nco unter
first. A small man s its o n a woode n s too l, his eyes cons tantly
darting up to a rock w hich han gs preca ri o u sly above him o n a
black flint ledge. At every m oment it seems abo ut to s lip;
indeed it appears to be a lready fallin g . He looks a t yo u , but
only for mome nts at a time, si nce h e g la nces up rapidly every
time his gaze fa lls. In perpetual suspe nse th e m a n a nd th e rock
wait; but yo u cannot linger as you must find your broth e r.
The path reaches a crossroads. Will yo u go left (turn to 447),
right (turn to 328) or straight on (turn to 561)?
 420
It would be a remarkably bad idea to play dice against one
whom eve n death avoids on his shakier days . You decline
politely, e xplaining yo u must pray to your patron. Markos
looks at you askan ce, but seeing that his comrades are im-
pressed by yo ur piety, says nothing. You make motions of
praying fo r a while, just as the stricken hero pretends to be
dead o n the battlefield lest the hard-hearted foe slay him; for
they are barbaria ns and do not follow the ways of the gods. In a
few minutes, feeling safer, you make you rself comfortable and
sleep. Go to 440.

421
The g uard falls to his knees and shouts out: 'Think of my
honoured fathe r a nd beloved mother, bereft of their son, and
spare me. Do not s unde r my spirit and send it lifeless to the
land of Lethe, the halls of Hades.'
Surprised at this outburst, you simply divest the man of his
spear. Have 2 Honour points. However, just as you do so, some-
one comes out of the house to investigate the noise;.it is Agnostes.
'Althe us,' he cries, 'cousin. I've missed you so in this land of
Trojans. No one to speak to.' By the look of the four hand-
maidens who follow in his train you doubt the veracity of his
compla ints, yet you greet him heartily also. 'Take this man to
the phys ician's,' he orders one of the handmaidens. Then to
you, ' We have a lot to talk about.' Go to 4.
 422
'You've come to see your brother,' she begins as you walk
along the rocky path above the sea.
' But my brother is dead,' you reply.
'I know. Yo u're going d own to the underworld to see him,'
she says with finality. She ha nds you a sword (Might 2) and a
breastplate (Protection 2), which you strap on slowly. 'You
may need the m again s t the hound,' she adds, and it is clear
from her voice tha t this beast is very d angerous. 'Oh, by the
way, I' m the Sybil. '
She says no more a nd you a re a bo u t to ask who the little girl
is, but,·when you look round , the child has gone. You proceed
in silence a pace behind the Sybil. Go to 514.

42 3
Yo u return to the cottage with the sorceress and, secure in th<:
knowledge that the divine ones will protect you, take a great
draught from the proffered vessel. A strange tingling sen-
sation afflicts your throat, but nothing else occurs. You feel no
differe n t.
Circe eyes you fo r a m o ment and then says, 'The drink was
not strong en ough. You mus t take another draught.' She
bustles back into her crowded kitchen, and you can see her
rapidly placing herbs in a cup. She pours hot water from a
cauld ron on to this, a nd then strains off the coloured liquid
into a nother container. She comes back, and offers this to you.
Do yo u accep t and drink again (turn to 64)? Or do you
refuse, fearfu l lest the root has lost its efficacy (turn to 280)?
 424
Stripped of your weapons and all yo ur clothing except for a
small loincloth, you are marched across the plain by the
Nubians. Soon the plain gives way to desert and fo r days you
are taken south across the arid expanses of sand . T hey untie
your hands because they know you cannot su rvive in the
dunes . They seem unaffected by the h eat, but you are
exhausted by the sun's powerful rays. You lose count of how
many days you have been held, but it is at least th ree weeks
before you emerge from the desert into h ot grassland. A day
later you reach the Nubian village and are dragged in front of
the king. The warriors make some re mark to him in a strange
staccato tongue. Turn to 307.

42 5
Zeus revives you and heals your wounds. You mus t continue
the fight in a Healthy condition. If you surrender, go to 249. If
the sailor is Seriously Wounded, go to 218.

426
As you reach down for the tori:h, the mutineer pushes you
back with all his might. You crash heavily to the floor and he
seizes up the torch to bring it down on to you. Your clothing
ignites and, though you tear at it with your bloodied hands,
you cannot rip it away from your skin. Zeus will not h elp you,
as you are burnt to death.
 42 7
Markos lifts his right hand quickly to reveal the bare deck
below.
'Out of luck, I'm afraid, Altheus.' He pockets the jade from
his left h a nd a nd then slips the gold ring back on his finger.
'Play again?' he asks, but you have no wish to lose more of
your possessions. You walk away to the side of the deck,
already regretti ng that you agreed to sail with the Phoenician.
As yo u gaze o ut to sea, you wonder whether you will ever
reach Athens, or if the gods intend you to roam the oceans for
the rest of your life. You are stirred from your thoughts by the
sound of the merchant approaching. Turn to 239.

428
You run qu ickly a long the pa th to the right, and keep on going
whe n the shrieking behind you turns into sounds of pursuit.
Eve ntua lly, yo u come to a point where the path meets the road
to Thebes a nd the wood thins. You hurry on towards the city,
as it becomes light. Go to 193.
 429
The sails need not, of course, have been white. According to
Simonides, who will write about these events in the future,
although he wil1 mistakenly refer to you as Theseus, the signal
was 'a scarlet sail dyed with the juicy blossom of the luxuriant
holm-oak'. But as. you look at them now, the sails are un-
doubtedly white. Have 1 Shame point and lose 1 Honour
I
point. Go to 61.
I
I 430
Have 2 Shame points and go to 199 .
\
431
The gaunt man' s whipping steps up to a frantic pace a nd with
it the pebble-pounder's frenzy increases. You approach and
inquire about your brother.
'I seek my brother Theseus,' you begin.
'You must be Altheus. I am Aeacus, judge of the dead,' the
gaunt man replies without looking up or ceasing his ac tivity.
'Where may I find my brother?' you continue, returning to
the matter that weighs upon your mind.
'Oh, he's in Elysium somewhere. Jus t wander about: you'll
find him sooner or later. '
You decide that a more formal approach mig ht be more
successful. Go to 296.
 /

432-434

43 2
You come down from the mountain for the first time in your
life, and stride along the road back to Troezen with joy at your
return .
'Farewell, my you ng fri end,' the e lder told you at your
parting . ' We are g lad in our hea rts for you, but you must
remembe r that not all men think as the Phytalidae.' Keeping
these words with you, yo u cross the Isthmus and come at last
to the hills e ncircling Troeze n . You can see the smoke of the
home-fires ascending in thin columns to the sky, and run
through the fine rain to the crest of the hill. Go to 600.

433
You trudge back along the flat tunnel, fearful of your descent
to the underworld and yet at the same time anxious to delay no
furth er. Deep in your introspection, you walk on, scarcely
no ticing yo ur surroundings until suddenly you feel yourse!J
falling. You throw out your arms wildly and try to grasp
a ny thing, but there is nothing but air. Down and down you
fall, faster a nd faster . Go to 325.

434
You have, in fact, been attacked by the birdmen of Thebes, as
you s ha ll s hortly discover. Lose 1 Honour point for failing to
see yo ur assai la nts. Go to 99.
 ----- .....

'
'' '

. •\'"''"''h'l'""" ., ..,
.....~·\ ~
R_E.E.F'
-·,,,, ''''"111•1\\\\lj\\\ ,,,--

:1
/

'' /
 435
435
In the boa t-race, yo u steer a sailing-boat against an oared
vessel. Every turn, th e oare d boa t advances one square along
th e track marked o n the board , as long as you are not on the
squ a re tha t it would ad va nce to . .
You, h owever, mus t sa il where the wind allows you. You
may n o t sail d irectly into the wind . If you sail at 45 degrees to
the wind (e .g . n o rth or w est with a north-west wind, or
so uth-eas t or sout h-wes t with a south wind), you advance one
squ a re in that d irection. If y ou sail in any other direction, you
may (but d o no t h ave to) adva nce two squares in a straight line.
Thus if the wi nd w e re from the north, you could go two
sq uares w est, south -west, south, south-east or east. You may
not sail o n to o r through the sa me squ a re as the other boat.
T h e procedure for a ny turn is as follows:
a) The oa red boa t adva nces alo ng its track one square.
b) Yo u d ecla re w hich direction you a re heading in, and then
roll a die to find if th e re is a wind shift:
·r Little wi nd - curre nt takes you i square to the west.
2 Wind s hifts 45 d egree s anticlockwise .
3 No cha nge in wind direction.
4 No cha nge in wind direction.
5 o cha nge in w ind direction .
6 W ind shi fts 45 d egrees clockwise.
If yo u so wish , be fore rolling the die, y ou may elect to spend
1 Ho nou r p o in t, a nd the n yo u 11111sl add one to the die roll. A
to tal o f 7 (6 + 1) s tilrhas the e ffect of an unmod~fied roll of 6.
c) You move the number of squares dictated by the wind's
n ew direction or by the curre nt if a 1 is rolled.
The w in ner is the firs t boat to reach the starting-square
aga in, h aving rounded the black rocks, leaving them on your
le ft . Yo u m ay sail e ither side of, but not through the white reef.
The w ind blow s from the north-east to start with .
If yo u win, go to 581. If you lose, go to 485. If you crash into
the rocks o r the reef, go to 562.
 436
Ropes are thrown around your wrists and a nkles and you are
spreadeagled on the floor of the barn, tied to stakes.
You start to struggle, but it is too late . T he ch ief birdman
kneels over you, strad,dling your body, and runs the long nails
of his left hand through your hair before tighte ning his grip
and forcing your head back. He bends closer and closer to you,
and at the last moment tilts up his mask and sinks human teeth
into your neck. Blood runs down into your mouth and clouds
your eyes, and as you die you ca n see the oth er birdmen
clustering round, screaming, ready to receive the s trips of flesh
their leader is preparing to drop into their eager gu llets.

437
Markos turns to you and complains, ' l despair of C haron and
this leaky boat.' You glance down a nd notice to yo ur dismay
that water is pouring in through the stitching. 'l really do
despair, but it's the only way across. l approac hed Hades
about setting up an independent ferry, but it seems old Charon
was granted a monopoly when no one else wanted to run the
service.'
The boat now approaches the far bank a nd you both jump
ashore.
'Well I've got to rush now, Altheus. Oh, here's a po megran-
ate.' He tosses you one from his sack and moves away into the
fog which envelops you once more. You pause o n the point of
eating. Go to 358.

438
As you begin to move away from Elysium towards the River
Lethe, cleanser of memories, you feel a cold hand descend
upon your shoulder. It is Dean.
'I hope you enjoyed your pomegranate, back at the start of
your trip through our mythical domain, and will not feel that
the price was too great. You see, one of our rules aro und here is
that anyone who eats in the underworld may never leave.
Now, 1 know that sounds petty, but I am only obeying orders.
Anyway, none of this is true so I wouldn't worry too much .'
 439-440
Neverthe less, you find it impossible to escape your self-
crea ted underworld and there you remain for the rest of
eternity.

439
Almost as soon as you have finished eating the berries, you
realize that they contain a powerful poison. You stick your
fin ge rs d own yo ur throa t in a n attempt to bring back the fatal
fruit from your s tomach, but it may be too late. li you have not
yet prayed to Zeus, do so now and turn to 557. Otherwise your
travels are at an e nd, Avenging Altheus, so close to your
ultimate goal.

440
You wake to find Markos removing from your belt the pouch
which you p icked up earlier.
'This is mine,' he snaps, and adds, 'you thief!' as if to salve
his own conscience. All your obols have gone, if you had any.
You struggle up, but the Achaians are all glaring at you, and
you th ink it best not to cause any trouble while still lightly
armed.
'Here, ' says Ma rkos, tossing you a green plume, evidently
from a Phthian he lme t, 'have this. Give it to the guards at Troy,
and they'll le t yo u into the citadel.'
' But I' m not going to Troy, I' m going to Troezen,' you
protest.
'Ah,' contradicts Markos, ' the ship calls in at Troezen on the
way back, and you won't get to your home overland: I hear all
Boeotia is racked by civil war.'
Relucta ntly you agree to this proposition and tuck the
horsehair plume into your belt. You feel strangely as though
the black ea rth is a bout to open up beneath you, but you accept
Markos' offer of a voyage. You all walk down to the shore,
where the Achaian vessel stands, high-prowed and many-
oared , with a s tatuette of Poseidon on the bow. Markos turns
back, a nd you try to stop him . He e ludes your grasp and
dashes back up the beach, calling, 'Oresander will take good
care of you!' Turn to 365.
 441
Take 4 Shame points. You must be purged for your treatment
of Agnostes. Return to 469 .

44 2
As you walk away, you catch one las t g limpse of the old cynic,
who turns away, sad that you will not even s peak wi th him fpr
more than a few moments. Have 1 Shame point for your
thoughtlessness. Turn to 176.

443
You step aboard Vizhazid's trireme, as the sun reaches its
zenith and pours down heat on the weary earth below. The
ship sways from side to side like trees in a win ter gale when the
branches are torn off and even g reat-hearted heroes quail to go
forth into the forest. You too, Altheus the Avenger, feel ill and
must rest. At last your stomach ceases to trouble you, and you
look over the side to see Markos, s till on the beach, waving
enthusiastically.
'Next stop Scione,' says Vizhazid in his gruff Armenian
accent.
'But wait,' you say, ' that's on the sea-route to Troy, not
Troezen .'
'Just so,' replies Vizhazid, looking puzzled. 'Andros,
Scione, Chalcedon, Troy and Troezen - that's the route. Did
not Markos tell you we ply to Troezen o n the way back from
Troy?'
'Not exactly,' you reply sardonically.
For the next few days you bemoan the evil fate that ever set
Markos the Phoenician on your path . The journey, too, is not
free: you are forced to scrub the d ecks and washout the sailors'
quarters, lowly labours indeed, for a king. Past Scyros, Jcus
a nd Polygaeus you sail, until at las t the n earest p romontory of
Chalcidice comes in sight, and also the small h arbour of
Scione.
Do you stay at the quayside (turn to 227), or do you investi-
gate the town (turn to 157)?
 444
The warriors s eem pleased, and chatter to each other, as they
wade throu g h the thick grass tha t lies between you and them.
It is only w h e n they are right a t your sid e that you know who
they are. It is the u bians, agai n . You curse silently, but might
just as w e ll d o so out loud si n ce they do not understand a word
you say . T h ey o ffe r y ou some wa ter from a skin and then they
bind your h a nds. Th e way back to the camp is long and it is
nearly nig ht w h e n you reach there. They throw you into a hut
and one s tands guard outside. Go to 190 .

445
You seize a knife w hich is being thrown about with other
d ebris in the bottom of the cart and s tart to h ack at the harness.
The knife is in tended to cut n o thing stronger than vegetables,
and it see m s to take a n eternity before the first strap separates.
As it d oes, the cart skids violently and rolls over. If you have
n ot yet used your prayer to Zeus, you mu st do so now and tum
to 356. Oth erwise , y o u are crushed by the cart, dragged along
in the wreckage, a nd left, un washed and unburied, by the side
of the roa d .

446
The d h ow ferries you across the Nile and then the captain
continues on his way upstream . You do not have to wait long
before a ship p lying north towards Thebes draws up alongside
the ba n k.
The captain s peaks good Greek and explains that he is taking
animal skins to Memphis, a ltho ugh he will be stopping at ports
along the way. Yo u eagerly accept his offer of transport
down-rive r, a nd soon you are enjoying a fresh breeze that
sends yo u q u ickly alo n g the river. Go to 579.
 447
The path moves up a hill and you start to cJjmb the gradual
incline . The fog s till blocks out any view of the surroundjngs
and so it is with great s urprise that you are suddenly con-
fronted by a massive boulder hurtling towards you out of the
murky gloom. You leap aside ju st in time and feel a twinge of
pain in the wound w h ich you received Jong ago in Nubia. The
boulder rolls to a stop o n the flatter ground below. Soon after, a
muscular man runs down the hill chasing the boulder. He is
wheezing badly and looks very tired. Sweat pours from hjs
brow a nd from his massive arm muscles. Yet for all his
apparent might, he is clearly a shade and his boulder, on close
inspection, proves equally insubstantial.
'I'm Sisy phus,' he beg ins. 'I cannot talk now, but walk up
with me and I' ll have a word with you in a minute. I've just got
to get this rock to the top of this hill; I nearly had it just then.'
He crouches behind the boulder and pushes. The rock
lurches forward and he keeps it rolling as he climbs the hill.
You walk beside him, silently, as he grunts with the exertion.
Up through the fog, the hill keeps going, but at last you can see
the top. Sisyphus sees it as well and gives a final effort, but he
is exhausted . The boulder slips away from him and rolls down
the hill again . You wait while he rushes after it and several
minutes later he is back again, puffing and blowing. You
realize that his torment decrees that the rock will always slip
away just as h e is in sight of the top. Will you help him, since
the boulde r weighs nothing to you (turn to 597), or will you
press on over the crest of the hill (turn to 328)?

448
Few wayfarers have escaped the talons of the birdmen of
Thebes. Fleet-footed Hermes would rejoice at such an escape.
Have 1 Honour point from your divine audience. Return
to 428.
 449
Your ship pulls away aga in from the Piraeus . Yo u look back at
the twinkling lights of Athens, to which you returned a hero,
but which has now cast you out again.
Where now? You must purge your blood-guilt, so that you
may once again see Troezen your homeland, and take your
place as king of Athens. But for now, you are in the h a nds of
the gods, with no indication that they care for you at all.
Then you re member your father, briefly found, then lost for
ever, and you weep. Go to 163.

450
You wound the panther, but next the old man becomes a wild
boar with savage tusks. You must continue against the wild
boar (Might 4, Protection 10). Your wounds are unhealed and
the boar has first strike with two dice. If yo u die and Zeus saves
you, go to 557. If you Wound it, go to 297 .

451
The shade is attempting to pound the p ebbles to dust: this is
his torment. Others are told that they must do this next, and
their punishme nt is to watch him failing for all eternity. Return
to 431.
 452-454
452 .
You slink about the village like a jackal or a criminal: this is no
way for a hero to behave, so you must have 1 Shame point.
Three fis hermen h ear you and rush towards you
brandishing smal l knives . They are very vociferous in their
cries and you fear that the whole village will be out to see
what the commotion is. Will you attack these three (turn to 213),
or try to flee (turn to 568)?

453
_ You cry out lo the old m an , but in an instant he has trans-
formed into a mighty eagle. The bird soars away from the
beach a nd circles high a bove you. The seals, disturbed by this
commotion, flounder towards the sea in desperate attempts to
reach theii natural habitat. Will.you attack a seal for food (turn
to 596), or w ill you let them escape into the sea (tum to 336)?

454
Each turn you and then the farmer aim a blow at the other by
rolling two dice. If 12 or 11 is rolled, the target is knocked out. If
10 or 9 is rolled, the ta rget falls off the cart. If 2 is rolled, that
character fa lls off the cart himself.
If you fa ll off, go to 517. If the farmer falls off or is knocked
unconscio us, go to 199. If you are knocked unconscious, go to
378. Afte r five rounds, if both participants are still conscious,
go to 79.
 455
'Com e o n, I've got m y s hi p here. I'll take you to Athens,' offers
the m e rch ant. You pause wondering w h e ther to acce pt, but
the Phoenicia n has d ecided for yo u . 'Right, it' ll be good to have
some compan y.' You walk on together out of the tunnel. .
'Still got the bag o f pomegranates, I see.'
' No,' h e replies, opening the sack, 'it's full of obols now. You
know they h ave a tremendous build-up of the coins in Hades,
w h a t wit h all the s h ad es bringing the m down for Charon . And
th ey can't get rid of them; you see, the ferryma n pays them to
Hades in tax, but th e n they just p ile up . Anyway, food's a bit
scarce dO\v n there so 1 sell them the fruit and bring the obols
back to the upper wo rld. It all works rather well, don't you
think?'
You , however, are not concerned with the merchant's tale,
but are very worried about yo ur surroundi ngs.
'This is not Taenarum, w h e re l cam e down .'
'No, of cou rse not. The entrance is there, but you always
come out here a t Cumile . It's the Sibyl's job to make sure that
no one is disorientate d.'
At this moment the Sibyl herself arrives, panting.
'Oh, I see you're in safe ha nds,' sh e says, and leaves again .
Go to 59.

456
You move cautiously th rough the compound, which app ears
deserted apart from sounds coming from a large barn . You
cree p closer. Unlike th e gra nary, which was supported off the
ground by huge boulders, the barn is flu sh w ith the earth. You
peer through a crack in the door and see abo ut twe nty bird-
men, waiti ng as if in a religious ce remon y. There is a low
murmur, as of owls in the rafters. You p ick out the chief
birdman, slightly taller than the r est, in a cloak of golden
feathers and an eagle mask .
Then a birdman w ho has crept up be h ind you unnoticed
pushes yo u in the small of the back. You s tagger forwa rd
through the doors, which swing open in front of you, and
collapse on your knees. Go to 289.
 '
/
-~
f
/

457
Yo u remember tha t a nyo ne who eats in Hades will never leave
and yo u curse Ma rkos s ilently, before moving on your way
once more into the mist. The barking of dogs is louder on this
side of the Styx and you head towards it, away from the
river-ba nk. Go to 85 .

458
You dispatch the last ma n w ith your sword, before the crow
from the village can reach you, but you are quickly sur-
rounded . One man walks forward with his hands held out in a
peaceful gesture.
'We do not know who you are, but we can see that you are a
prodig ious fig hte r, as you have killed our best swordsmen .
Now, we o utnumbe r yo u and could easily kill you, but we
want no more bloods hed . Leave our village now.'
The crowd parts a nd, realizing the wisdom of his words, you
hurry away. You re turn to the marshy ring where the steps
lead down into the earth, and you prepare yourself once more
for the underworld. Have 6 Honour points for defeating your
oppone nts and go to 530.
 459
Lose.1 Honour p oint. You s p e nd a particularly uncomfortable
night, h aving to climb up a tree to avoid the predators which
prowl at times of da rkness. You sleep little, every whine and
squeak s tartling yo u . At le ngth dawn breaks and her rosy glow
gives you new heart. In ge tti ng down from the tree, however,
you tea r your already tattered tunic. At length you come to the
beach and there, sta nding beside a magnificent Tyrian trireme,
is Markos and a thin, h aggard-looking man.
' Ho, Altheus!' cries Markos . 'This is your transport to
Troezen. Captain Vizhazid - h e's Armenian - has agreed to
take you, for free .' Yo u do n ot miss the twinkle in Markos' eye.
Go to 12 .

460
The guard's atti tude ch a n ges at once.
'Your cousin ... Ag n ostes?' he smiles. Clearly Agnostes is
well liked in Troy. He conducts you down a series of twisting,
winding corridors. For a moment you are reminded of the
labyrinth, a nd cold fear ta kes hold of your stomach, but a
second la ter you a re Altheus the Avenger once more. You are
led into a s m all room , warmed by a fire, and there, seated on a
stool me ditating, is Agnostes. He wheels round at the inter-
ruption, but at seeing you bursts into a grin.
' What brings yo u h ere, Altheus? I am sure you have a story
to tell!' Go to 4.

461
The crew runs o n ahead, while you thoughtfully tie up the raft
so tha t you have a m ea ns of esca pe. You call them back, but
they do not answe r y ou . A strange sense of lassitude over-
comes you, and for half an hour you do nothing. Then, in
panic in case a nything untoward has happened, you rush on
towards the source of the smoke. Go to 469.
 462
The three m e n back away in fear of the fi n al b lo w, bu t you stay
y our h a nd . Five m ore villagers have arrived carry ing long
kniv es, a nd y ou think it best to leave now before they set upon
you . H ave 4 Hon our p o ints fo r d efeatin g th e fis h erme n .
You evad e th eir comra d es and climb back into the h eart of
the is land . A thin column of sm oke rises fro m th e othe r side,
close to th e cli ffs w hich you scra mbled up ea rlier. T he smoke
gro w s thicker a nd thicker as you hurry towards it. Go to 350.

463
In a shimmer o f sunlig ht, the whj te-a rm ed godd es , H era,
queen of the god s, s ta nds before you .
'Well, A ltheus,' sh e chides, 'I really w o u ld n ot have ex-
pected this of you . Your mother Aethra w o uld be sh ocked . If
you do not purge yourself, the god s w ill never forg ive yo u . Go
on now, build a raft and get away fro m this d read fu l place.'
With this the fair-fa ced on e is gon e, back to h er sa tin-
cushioned bower on high Oly mpus. Go to 352.

464
You soon find the temple, and the priest is pleased to usher
you inside. You are worried lest Zeus be offended by your
entry into the temple of this p ag an god Ammo n, but yo u offer
prayers to the Olympia n and proceed into the vast cavernous
sanctum . You find a spot well away from the cold draug ht that
I seems to run right through the building and you fall into
uneasy slumber.
I
I
 465
In your dreams yo u a re disturbed by a vision of the goddess
Hera .
'Altheu , don' t fret yourself, yo u silly child. Of course Zeus
won't be offended by you sleeping in the temple of Ammon.
He is Ammon! It's jus t that these Egyptians can't get their
tong ues rou nd his real name. Anyway, tomorrow you must
set off for the Oasis Ammonium - that's an oracle in the middle
of the desert. Goodness knows why they wanted to put it
there, but I s uppose itis a very pleasant' setting. Now get some
slee p; you've go t a long journey to morrow .' She fro w ns, as if
deeply worrie d , a nd then is go ne.
In the morni ng you set o ut fro m Thebes, accompanied by
the te mple pries t. Go to 232.

465
The skinny Nubian's protests a re overruled by a sweep of your
arm a nd he fo llows as you stride o ut of the hut. You return to
the place where you s poke to the king before, but he is not
there and yo u sta nd, e mba rrassed , while the youth catches up.
He leads yo u a way to a hut in the centre of the camp and, afte·
a mo m ent of hesi tation, he s hows you inside.
The king looks up, irritated at this intrusion, but the inter-
preter talks to him briefly, explaining, you presume, why you
ha ve burst- in . The king looks n o less angry and snaps back
with quick s taccato speech , which is interpreted for you
reluctantly.
'H e asks w ha t you wa nt.'
' l want my freedom,' you reply, and the message is relaye d
to the king, who g runts to himself thoughtfully . After a
moment he turns back to you .
'You a re free to choose be tween life as one of my warriors
a nd life as o ne of my servants,' he says through his tribesman .
That is your freedom.'
Will you choose to fight for the Nubians (turn to 330), will
you become a servant (turn to 276), or will you refuse to agree,
a nd threa ten to cast a nother spell (turn to 516)?
 466
You le t go of the plaques and they fall to the ground and
shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. You bend down in a n
attempt to collect togeth er the fragments, bu t it is as futile as
seeking to count the gra ins of sand on the sea-shore. The
crow d, stunned for a time at these even ts, s tarts to s urge
angrily forward , but Arissia contains them . 'Go now,
s tranger,' sh e intones, 'a nd may you n ever rest easy in your
bed, knowing what you have done to us today.' Ch astened,
you fle e as fast as your weary legs can carry you, back towards
the ship. .
You lose 3 Honour p oints, and if you were in Favour w ith
Deme ter, she is now Neutral; if s he was Neutra l to you, you
are now in Disfavour; and if you were alr eady in Disfavour,
you take a Shame point. Go to 3.

467
' I'd like to visit Ariadne,' you te ll him .
Your guide shrugs. ' Yo u' re the co ns umer. And none of this
is true, anyway.' He leads you away through a corridor of
swirling mist, but after a mile or two yo u sense the d irection
and stride off ahead, leaving your guide trailing.
You arrive at a cave with a sig n over the entrance reading
'Ariadne'. You enter cautious ly .
'She's not here,' you complain .
'I know,' says your guide. 'If you'd let me explain .
Ariadne comes into the cave to find you both . H e r hair is
dripping and she is wrapped in a towel. You back out of the
cave and turn to your guide furiou sly.
'It's her punishment,' h e expla ins . 'Sh e's to spend eternity
returning from a bath.'
'Re turning ... ?'
'Yes. It's lucky her father-is a judge of the underworld . Her
original sentence was to spend e ternity on h er way to bathe.'
If you leave, go to 518. If you stay, go to 198.
 468
The king takes the spea r back and signals to four men who step
forward from the crowd. Together they bundle you through
the ra nks to a mass ive wicker cage, inside which a mountain
lion prowls res tlessly up an d down. It does not take the
intell ige nce of a geni u s to r ealize what lies in store, and you
know instinctively th at th e lion has not been overfed these last
few days. The cage door s wings o pen in the hand of the
Nubian king a nd you are fo rced inside. You are quickly on
your feet, but th e door is sla mmed and tied shut. Your only
h ope lies in defeating the lion with your bare ha nds. Perhaps
the god s w ill help you. The lion is Mig ht 6, Protection 12. If you
ki ll it, go to 565 . If you pray to Zeus as you die, go to 477.

469
You s trike d eeper into the forest and there, ahead of you,
stands a stone cottage nestled peacefully in a grove of olive
trees. You approa ch cautiously and see, on the threshold, a
middle-aged woma n , clad in a grey gown .
'I a m Circe a nd I know w hy you have come,' she says.
Sh e leads yo u into h e r cottage and it seems that the tin)
room is era mmed full of centuries of keepsakes; there are small
carved ivory toads o n the m a ntelpiece, unicorns' horns in the
corner, and a pot with a portrait of Perseus res ts on the table .
'Sig ned,' w hispers Circe. You wipe your feet on a pigskin
rug a nd wait, hardly ab le to take in all the artefacts. Before she
re turns you have o nly time to pick up and examine a scroll of
parchment. It is a n excellen t texture of paper and contains a
work e n titled 'The Sharpened Sickle'.
Circe re turns with a delicate container in which a dark
steam ing liquid bubbles.
' Drink this,' s he says, 'and you will be purged of your guilt. '
Do you refu se (turn to 441), or accept (turn to 140)?
470
470
When the boys see you a pproaching, th ey scream a nd run off
towards the village. In the rush, the ball falls to the ground,
bounces slowly into the stream and is carried awa y by the
water. Anxious not to frighten the childre n , you do not run
after them, but instead stop and drink fro m the clear stream.
The water is cold and refreshing, and you gulp it d own avidly.
When you look up again, the children are a lmost back in the
village, making their way through the trees tha t s urround it.
You walk s lowly in that direction in the hope tha t yo u may be
able to discover where you are. As you nea r th e vi llage, two
stocky men carrying swords run towards you . Will you try to
talk to them (turn to 237), prepare to fight th e m (t urn to 583), or
run off before they can reach you (turn to 387)?
 471
You start up the steps w ith firm strides, anxious to get a sight
of the top. The climb tires you, however, and soon you are
forced to ta ke a rest. The s teps still carry on above you with no
appare nt e nd, so you decide that you will have to take off your
armour a nd leave all your other impediments on the steps, if
you are to re ach the to p . You set off once more carrying only
your sword . Up a nd up yo u climb, and slowly you begin to
make o u t light, filtering down from above. With renewed
vigour yo u b ou n d up the remaining steps until, at last, you
stand o n the final s tep, once more in the fresh air of the cool
nig ht. You stare o ut at·a wooded hillside: evidently this is not
the way to the unde rworld .
Will you climb down the s tairs again (tum to 234), or will you
forsake your exp edition and explore thjs place (tum to 355)?

472
You crouch low in the grass and, as the leopard approaches,
you leap at it, be fore it h as noticed.you . Its back drops down as
you crash on top and it throws its head back when your hands
encircle its neck. You twis t and tighten your grip, but it is too
strong a nd w ith a swift flick, it knocks you off its back and into
the g rass . You must fig ht it: it has Might 5, Protection 10, but
the heat h as take n its toll, a nd you may only roll one rue. You
have, h owever, managed to Wound it already in your attempt
to throttle it.
If you kill it, turn to 376. If you retreat, go to 390. If you die
and are saved by Zeus, go to 293.
 473
You fa ll in to conversation with one of the crew on deck and
discover tha t this boat tra vels up the Nile from Memphis twice
a year to collect animal skins at the furthest navigable point.
These skins are th en sold to Egyptians along the banks, as the
boa t retuins to Lower Egy pt, and any remaining are sold to
Phoenician, Cre ta n or Greek m erchants at the delta. You take
heart a t this news, for if you can board a Greek vessel in the
Mediter ra ne an , yo u will s oon be back in Athens and once
mo re see yo ur be loved mo ther in Troezen.
The boat sails on thrnugh the night and in the morning it is
near its d estination . You sail on past Syene, the last town in
Egy pt, a nd in a few hoUis you are at the first cataract. An
incredible w a terfall of foa ming, angry Nile water fills the aiI
with s pray. The rus h of wate r is almost deafening and you can
barely hear the ca p tai n as he leans towards you.
'This is whe re we pick up the skins,' he shouts.
'Who do you get the m from?' you ask.
Yo u ca n o nly just ca tch the reply, but you wish you had not:
'The u bian s .'
Go to 153 .

474
As yo u s trike th e old man, he transforms into a fearsome lion
a nd hurls h imself a t you. You must continue the fight against
the H ealthy lion; a ny w o unds you received are unhealed. It is
the lion's a ttack a nd he rolls two dice. The lion is Might 6,
Pro tection 1 2 .
If you die a nd a re saved by Zeus, go to 557. If you Wound the
lion, go to 310.
 475
The rin g is, in fact, a hi g hly va lua ble a rtefact, forged by the god
He phaestus in his furnaces d eep under Thera. It a !lows you one
extra prayer to Zeus, but s ince it was not given to yo u, but to
another Athenian w ho had the misfortune to lose it to Markos,
when you want to u se it, you mus t invoke the fire god . When
you choose to do so, roll one die. O n a roll of 6, he wil l refuse to
pass on your message to Zeus. Go to 239.

476
On your way to th e ri ver, two m e n jump o ut from behind a
building and threa te n you with s h ort daggers. They d e mand
something gruffly, but you canno t unde rsta nd the ir la nguage.
Besides, if they want money, you have none to give. They
becqme angry and shout first at you a nd the n at each other.
Will you make a dash for it (turn to 511), or w ill yo u fig ht these
thieves (turn to 178)?

477
The lion strikes out for a final kill, but o nl y catch es your thigh.
Its claws slice into th e muscle and you pass o ut. Zeus, how-
ever, stops the ]jo n as it moves in to kill and d evour you .
The ruler of the gods controls the beast a nd makes it retreat
to the far corner of its cage while the Nubians, awestruck,
release you . You try to walk, but your leg w ill not s upport any
weight and you have to be carried back to a hut. Go to 190 .
 478
The twel ve-day journey to Memphis passes without incident,
but you are constantly haunted by the words of the god. The
thought of the nether world fills you with dread and you are
troubled agai n by the fever you caught in Nubia. You cannot
enjoy the s ig ht of the pyramids or the delights of Memphis, as
you fi ght the ragi ng delirium. Your mind cannot dispel the
image of the Minotaur striking down your brother, but after
two days you recover e nough to resume your journey, You
build a raft and sail it down the Nile until you reach the
Mediterranean . With no regret, you glance back at Africa one
las t time, a nd then your eyes are trained ahead, course set for
Greece a nd home . Go to 351.

479
The Olympian sees you taken by Scylla, but he does not wish
you to die just ye t. He commands the six-headed monster to
release her grip, a nd you fall flailing into the water. You look
up a nd see each of the creature's heads grinning evilly; the
expression re minds you of nothing so much as Markos' smile.
Yet it is the merchant who saves you from the whirlpool that
threa tens to s uck yo u down into the vortex of Charybdis. A net
is thrown over the side and you scramble up it, chafing your
hands on the rope .
When you read1 port in North Africa, you follow the mer-
chant ashore, in order to buy some token to display your
profound gratitude at his uncharacteristic act of mercy. He,
however, is intent on other business. Go to 302.
 480
In order to see if you pass the Sirens safely, you must roll two
dice. lf the total is nine or less, you move o ne ste p closer to the
Sirens. You may modify the roll as follows:
If you are tied to the m ast - add four
For every Honour point you spend in apva nce - add o ne
You must roll the dice six times before sa iling past. If you
h ave moved three steps towards the Sirens, turn to 1 11 . If yo u
have rolled the dice six times and have not m o ved three or
more steps towards the Sirens, go to 501.

481
Are you afraid of a little rest? Lose 2 H or.ou r points a nd go to
469.

482
Both men drop to their knees.
'Spare us,' they wheeze as one, 'for we are but temple
acolytes.'
You accept and take a spear (Might 2) a nd breastplate
(Protection 2). You may have 4 H o nour points for your victory.
The priestess Arissia then pipes up in a voice now Jess re-
sounding and strangely girlish.
'You are clearly favoured by Deme ter. You must pe rform the
ceremony. If you fail in front of the people, they will no doubt
Jynch you, and your limbs will be food for the starving of the
city. Open the doors .' You have no choice but to go along with
the ritual. Go to 184.
 483
'You must seek out your brother Theseus in the underworld,
for h e will tell you h ow you must purge yourself.'
So saying the old man sinks back into the heaving waters of
the sea and you are left alone, faced with the daunting task of
journeying to the underworld . You do not know which direc-
tion you must take, but you ·offer prayers to Zeus in the hope
that h e will g uide yo u to the entrance of the kingdom of Hades.
You fee l very hungry and d ecide that you must eat before
you set abo ut building a raft to escape from Pharos. You walk
into th e heart of the isla nd and there find a bush bearing both
white and red berries.
Will you eat the red berries (turn to 559), the white ones (turn
to 379) or a mix ture of both (turn to 439)?

484
You raise the beaker to your lips and drink deeply of the hot
liquid before replaci n g the vessel on the dusty floor of the cave.
Everything seems very close up. You grip the hands of your
neighbours firmly, and they squeeze yours reassuringly. If
you h ave 1 or more Shame points, go to 154. Otherwise go to
587.
p
I ." _.f\..

'I(/, ~ ~]" /
,, }~
-: _ ·> ~~~ /
~ -.
( -~: t ~ - __,;
'"' t
11
\ ··~~ ... ;,.
'\.·,'\;,,;
\/
.,,,. / {/

485
Seve ral minutes after the other boat, you g uide your vessel
across the finishing-line. Your crew is d ejected, a nd th ey are
silent as they dra g the boat up the sand . The crowd cheer the
other captain, but you are ig nored a nd snubbed.
Have 1 Shame point. Sadly, you make yo u r way a long the
beach to Agnostes. Turn to 320 .

486
You stand on the deck, a sense of exhilaration racing through
you as the cold winds begi n to blow. The n, with a s udden
reassuring gust, the goddess Hera, w ife of g reat Zeus, appears
to you.
'You'll catch your death of cold s ta nd in g there, A ltheus, and
you should get some clean clothes on too. Well anyway, you
behaved yourself quite well in Cre te, but it was su ch a pity that
Ariadne just had to be left on Naxos.' Sh e smiles wa nly. 'Now
you mus t return to the sa fe haven of Athens w h ere your father
is worrying himself to d eath in case h e sees the black sails of
doom; the white ones are so much more co mforting, don't you
think?'
With a twist of her tunic, and the dropping o f a small
wooden figurine, the rain begins to fall, and Hera is gone once
more.
Wondering at this manifestation, you turn to shelter from
the wild winds. Go to 252.
 487
You accept your host's offer and sip slowly at the wine . He
asks you about your travels and you tell him of your ordeals,
but soon his wife returns with a bowl of hot soup. You drink it
eagerly and h a nd back the empty bowl with a compliment,
since it is indeed very good. Then the woman leads you behind
the curtain where the yo unger woman is filling a bath from a
ke ttle. The daughter bathes your aching body, rubs soft olive
oil on yo ur skin a nd then clothes you in a fine garment
fashioned from a lion's s kin . Thus refreshed and resplendent,
yo u step back into the main room and greet your host once
more.
'You have s hown grea t kindness and I thank you.'
' It is no more than Zeus commands us; I only wish I had
more to offer as a gift tha n this lionskin.'
'Friend , if ever you venture to Athens, you shall be welcome
in my house, but now 1 must continue on my journey.'
So saying, you embrace him and depart. You return to the
marshy ring w h ere the steps lead down to the underworld,
mindful of you r mission. Go to 530.

488
The gods will not he lp you. Maybe they feel you should have
faced the Nubian champion instead of backing off like a
coward. Lose 1 Honour point and return to 468.
 489
'Take me to see my companions before I drink it,' you demand
and Circe does not seem to be put out. She conducts you out of
the door and round to a pigsty behind the cottage. There,
happily eating swill from the trough, are five rather thin pigs.
'These,' s h e says smirking, 'were your crew.'
Do yo u attack Circe (turn to 41), or do you demand that the
sorce ress res to res your crew to their proper form (turn to 127)?

490
The boat moves into the bank and one of the crew leaps ashore
with a rope to fasten the vessel. The Nubians are nowhere in
sight and you wonder why you ever entertained such a
ridiculous idea as leaping over the side into the confused
waters of the Nile. The captain chats with you idly about his
home in Lower Egypt and you feel more at ease. Suddenly a
crew membe r cries out tha t the tribesmen are coming and the
captain, pulling a knife from his belt, thrusts it close to your
stomach. You have been sold into slavery! The Nubians take
you, along with the gems and spears, in exchange for two
baske ts of a nimal s kins. You watch as the perfidious Egyptians
sail back down the Nile and then you are marched across the
desert to the Nubian camp. It takes more than a week and
when you arrive, the king cuts your hamstrings with a knife.
You will n ever escape again .

491
As you pause in the moonlight, a rustling in the bushes to your
left disturbs you. Shooting a quick glance in that direction, you
are horrified to see a scraggy mountain lion stalking you. You
draw your sword and turn to attack the creature. lt has Might
6, Protection J 3. If you kill it, go to 298. If it kills you and Zeus
intervenes, go to 590.
p
492
You thank the captain and stroll into the main part of
Memphis, which is far dirtier than Thebes, the Egyptian
capital. A powerful stench pervades everywhere, but the
inhabitants are seemingly unaffected. The air is hot and
humid, and you are forced to rest every hundred yard s or so to
regain your breath and beat off the feeling of n a usea.
You plan to spend only one night h ere, but the feve r you
caught in Nubia returns. You spend four days and nights
delirious and fighting for your life. Visions of th e M ino taur and
the Nubian king seem to merge in te rrible union, but at last you
recover enough to resume your journey . You work for two
weeks in the hot sun to recover yo ur strength and to earn
enough money to buy a small dinghy.
In this you sail down the Nile to its westernmost mouth, and
rejoice at the sight of the Mediterranean. The island of Pharos
lies barely a day's sail off the coast, so you make for tha t as the
first stage in your sail to Greece. As the sun sinks in th e west,
you slowly drowse off at the h elm . Go to 507.

493
'Oh, all right, but if you throw that sword in the water, I' ll
throw you in after it,' you add, to vent your anger.
Markos turns to one of the s hades near by, removes a coin
from its mouth and gives it to you.
'But ... but he' ll have to walk this ba n k for a hundred years
now,' you complain .
'That's no concern of mine. You wanted an obol quickly; I
got you one straight away.' Have 1 Shame p oint for being the
cause of such torment to the unfortunate s h ade.
You both climb into the fragile craft and sit on the narrow
bench as Charon slides the punt pole into the muddy water.
Go to437.
 494
Yo u lea n forwa rd, trying to g ra b hold of the reins and puU the
horse in. As you do so, the horse charges round a sharp bend,
a nd th e back w h eel of the ca rt slips off the edge of the road into
s pace. For a sickening m o ment, the cart hangs there, the horse
s trai ning to s tay o n the road, a nd then the weight of the cart
drags it, the horse a nd yo u back over the edge and sends you
all tumbli ng dow n the m ounta inside.
If you have no t yet used your prayer to Zeus, you must do so
now, a nd turn to 356. Othe rwise, horse, cart and you will end
in a ta ng le of s mas hed limbs a nd wood at the bottom of the
hills ide.

495
Yo u sta rt to te ll the o fficia l o f your encounter with the birdmen,
but he cuts you off agi ta tedly .
'Te ll me no fu rthe r,' he implores. 'This cannot be true: the
birds are ou r friends . They protect our city from those who
w o uld d o us ha rm : they save us from the ratmen.'
' Who a re they?'
'They a re o ur e ne mies.'
You are puzzle d. ' But who are they? I have never seen one.'
'Neithe r have I,' the official tells you. 'The birds protect us
from the m. He re you must read this.' He reaches into a fold in
his cloak and pulls out a thick scroll. This is our holy book. lt
will te ll yo u all yo u need to know. No, keep it.'
And he hurries away, happy at having done a good deed.
Go~1~ . .
F
496
You run blindly along the path, seeking to put as much
distance as you can between you and the bird men . Soon, you
hear a screeching and keening behind you and the n sounds of
pursuit. You run on. A bush a head screams into life a nd a flock
of birds rises into the night. You run on . Panting, yo u come to a
spot where the wood ends and the path rejoins the hig h road .
You slow down, breathe h eavily and walk out. At this mo-
ment, you feel a sharp pain in your chest, and look dow n to see
the arrow that has lodged there. More and more birdmen
spring up as if from nowhere in front of you; you crumple to
the ground, dead.

497
As you pray, you fee l a lightness and peace come over you,
and the memories drop away from your mind. Yo u ca n still
recall what has happened, but it is as if you were only a
spectator. You no longer blame yourself. You fee l the fever
which has troubled you since Africa and which broke out again
in the mountains leave you too, but whether this is the work of
Zeus or of the Phytalidae, you cannot tell. Your Shame is now
o, your Honour 1. Go to 519.

498
You reme mber to offer prayers to Poseidon, the earth-shaker,
lord of the ocean, and he fills your sails with a gentle south-east
wind. The sea is calm and you begin to hope that you w ill now
return to Greece. Go to 254 .

499
The men will not surrender, and in the distance yo u ca n see
more men arriving from the village . You ca n retr ea t (turn to
397), or you can continue to fight (turn to 96).
 500
The s un g rows hotter overhead and your skin turns red and
begins to blis ter. You gasp out for water, but you know you
ca nno t dri nk the salt poison of the sea. You cry out for help,
but your s ho uts are as the rattle in a dead man's throat. The
sun's hue tra nsmutes to purple, and the sea appears to sol-
idi fy. A ma n dressed in flowing robes seems to glide across the
frozen waves. It is Hades. Zeus will not save those who spurn
safe ty.

501
The singi ng changes from heavenly to raucous, and the sweet
notes tra ns form into curses. You have escaped the Sirens and
now they toss obscenities at you. Yet none of you turns round
to gaze a t their forms, fearful lest you be entrapped once more
by these cruel creatures. Have 3 Honour points for surviving.
Go to 46 .

502
'Too bad ,' says Markos. 'The callow youth's a coward.' You are
angry enough to retaliate to this slight, but the Achaians,
armed to the teeth, prevent you from acting. Take 2 Shame
points . You spend the rest of the night sleeping fitfully. Go to
440.
 503
'What happened to you ? And what about Crete?' you ask him .
'Now that is a very complicated story,' replies Dipthis a nd
he proceeds to tell you. 'When yoi.iescaped, Ariadne got away
as well. Opris reckoned she went with you,' h e says ra ising hjs
eyebrows inqujsitively. When you do not respond, h e con-
tinues .' Anyv.1ay, that was the last of Minos' family a nd Minos
was killed in the earthquake, so there was sudden ly no on e at
the top. Opris turned up with Minos' ring claiming that the old
king had given it to him before he died, a nd alth ough no one
believed that, we managed to see that he got the kingship . He
didn't last long: the Thracians soon got control. Opris fled
when they tried to kill him and was last h eard of m aki ng his
way to Athens to enlist your support, but I suppose yo u know
about that. Back in Crete the Thracians set up Miktros as a
puppet and eliminated all the other claimants. I w as just an
embarrassment, so I had to go too. Still, you mus t be getting
along if you want to catch the last ferry. Old Charon goes off
sharp in the evening and won't come on agai11 until the
morning. You'll need an obol.'
With this Dipthis moves off again and is lost in the mass of
empty shades. You reach the water's edge, aware that you
have no obol. Go to 395.
 504
The four men turn back a t your cry and you climb up behind
one, tha nking th em for their kindness . It transpires that they
are making for T hebes, the Egyptian capital, which they hope
to reach by nig h tfall : It is uncomfortable sittirig right back on
the h orse, b u t yo u are only too grateful to be on your way north
toward s Greece, a lthou g h it is s till a thousand miles distant.
You arrive a t the city just before sunset and are amazed at its
g ra ndeur. O n e of the ride rs tells you proudly that it has a
hundred ga tes a nd th roug h ea ch one two war-chariots can be
sen t fu lly armed ; s uch is the might a nd wealth of the Egyptian
ca pi tal.
You climb dow n fro m the back of the horse and thank the
men o nce more, before setting off into the city on foot. Tum to
236 .

505
You s tumble out of the door, and find yourself in a moonlit
wood. Paths lead off to left (turn to 496) and right (turn to 428),
or you ca n plunge into the thick of the w oods (turn to 212).
Alternative ly, you can go back into the complex of buildings,
the nearest of w h ich is the granary from which you have just
escaped (turn to 456).
 506
Inside, the temple is bleak and austere and you look around to
see whe re yo u mus t go to find the oracle. A small Arab, clearly
the officia tin g priest, shuffles up to you.
'I am Omar, d esert priest of Ammon,' he starts. 'What do
you wa nt?'
' I have come to co nsult the oracle,' you reply.
He lead s you to the back o f the building and shows you into
a small room be hind a curtain. There a man sits at a desk,
frantically scribbling o n a piece of papyrus. All around the
floor th e re are mo re pa py rus scrolls and you step carefully
thro ugh the chaos until you are at the desk .
The man looks u p sudde nly and knocks over his ink.
'Althe us, you s tar tled me.' You recognize the god Apollo
and s tar t to apologize, but he cuts you off with a wave of his
hand. ' Immo rta lity ma kes o ne so nervous. Now, why have
you come? O h , yes, the blood-guilt. You must see the Phy ...
the, e r, Phy ... ' He p eers a t the manuscript and turns it in his
hand to vie w fro m a no ther angle . Tm dreadfully sorry, but I
ca n' t read my h a n dwriting . Can you make it out?' He hands
yo u the paper, bu t it is a mass of illegible inky scrawls. 'Oh
well,' h e con tin ues, 'it's som ething like the Phydippides, but I
can' t remember e, a ctly. I know what. Go and see Theseus in
the underworld , he' ll te ll you . Must dash. Sorry.'
With that the g od is go ne a nd with him all the scrolls and
ma nuscripts. Yo u leave the oracle, bemused. Turn to 478.

507
It is nig h t, b ut an o ra nge glow on the horizon heralds the
approach of d ay . Yo u turn your head slov.rly, taking in your
surround ings: yo u are lying on a sandy beach below steep
rocky cliffs a nd yo ur boat has been dragged up away from the
sea 's ed ge. There is a ge ntle breeze coming in across the water,
making yo u s h ive r, but as the sun bursts up from the sea and
begins to climb high into the clear sky, you soon warm up . In
the d aylig h t yo u can see that there is a path up the cliffs into the
heart of the isla nd . Will you stay by your boat (turn to 367), or
will you exp lo re (turn to 77)?
 508
Your Chronicle Sheet looks like this:
Might 5 Honour 24
Protection 11 Shame 14
You have no Intelligence points .
Sword: Mig ht 3
Helmet: Protection 2
Queen Antiope's jewelled brooch
Hera · - Disfavour
Athena - Disfavour
Note that you have Might 5, instead of 4, and Protection 11,
instead of 10, because of the ex perie nce you gained in the
defeat of the Minotaur. Go to 117.

509
'No mercy, mutineer!' you cry and swing the to rch down,
blinding the man and igniting his hair. You turn and walk
away as he beats feebly at his face with his h ands, n·ying to put
o ut the flames, before collapsing dead into the bilge. Have 2
Shame points and go to 228.
 510-512
510
You rush towards the old man and attack him before he can
run off. Have 1 Shame point for your action.
He has Might 2, Protection 9. Ii you retreat, turn to 453. If
you surrender, turn to 98 . If you die and are saved by Zeus,
turn to 557. If you Seriously Wound him, turn to 474.

511
You rush down a side-street and quickly lose the two incom-
petent villains. Your leg throbs where it was wounded in
Nubia a nd you a re forced to rest against a house, while you
recover. The streets are quite busy at this hour and the
inhabitants bustle past without bothering you, so that you
have to stop one and inquire what town this is. He does not
understand. You motion with your hands and eventually he
compre h e nds.
'Latopolis,' he says, and hurries away.
This answer affords you no more clue as to which country
you are in than before, but a few more questions to passers-by
reveal that the river is the Nile. You are in Egypt, you deduce.
You hurry on towards the harbour again. Turn to 544.

512
Your terror-stricken breathing is your only movement, while
you helplessly watch the leopard slinking towards you with
graceful gait. Its eyes dart left and right, observant of the
surroundings. It comes ever nearer, as if drawn towards you
by some higher power. You gradually realize that it is aware of
your presence. Suddenly it leaps full stretch and attacks.
It has Might 5, Protection 10, but the heat has taken its toll of
you and you may only roll one die. It has first attack. If you
defeat it, turn to 376. If you die and are saved by Zeus, go to
293. If you retreat, turn to 390.
 513
513
Theseus leads you through the sun-drenched meadows,
pointing o ut the heroes of future years as you pass.
'Look over there: that's Agamemnon.' He points to a large,
robus t man standing talking to a group of other shades. 'He
will be kin g of Mycenae and leader of the Greeks in the fateful
Trojan War,' your brother explains. 'Yet no warrior's sword
shall bring him down; instead his wife will slay him as he
returns victorious from the war. And there is the bravest of the
Greeks .' H e indicates a strikingly handsome young man sit-
ting sadly o n his own. 'The perfect hero - courageous, strong
and handsome, proud and yet eager to obey the gods. How
sad it is tha t you must die so young, brave Achilles.'
Your brother o nly has time to show you a brief pageant of
future Greek g lo ries. You spy Menelaus'and Odysseus, victors
at Troy, and brave Leonidas, hero ofThermopylae. You hear of
the great victories over the Persians at Marathon and Salamis,
yo u marvel a t the wisdom of the great philosophers, who will
carry Greece's fame for centuries after their death, and you
grieve at the future of Alcibiades, who promises so much yet
cannot fulfil those expectations, but it is the tale of Alexander's
future th a t seizes yo ur imagination most.
At leng th, you mus t leave the halls of Hades and you turn
once m ore to face your brother.
'Tell m e how l may purge myself of the guilt that weighs
upon my mind .'
'Althe us, I will not only tell you, I will show you the tribe
w h o can purge you myself. We must leave the underworld
now .'
You bid farewe ll to Dean, who tells you that, in order to lead
your brother out of Hades, you must walk on ahead of him and
no t look back until you reach daylight again. With this in mind,
you stride away towards the River Lethe.
Did you eat Markos' pomegrana~e back at the Styx? If you
did, turn lo 438. lf you did not, turn to 337.
 514
The old woman leads the way into a g reat cavernous opening
in the s ide of the rock, and points with a frail, quivering finger
at a tunne l set in the far ·wa ll. Her voice is uns teady, a nd carries
more than a hint of fear.
'This is as far as I can go. I must leave n ow.'
She turns and hurries away, but after a moment she looks
back, a nd, almost inaudibly, mutters, 'Good luck.' Then her
figure reced es, until a ll yo u can make out is the lig ht of her
torch as s h e weaves her way down the hillside . Then that too
disappears. You are left alone a nd frighte n ed in the blackness
of the cave. You pause aw hile, so that your eyes become
accustomed to the lack of ligh t, but at last you feel that you
have delayed long enough, and wi th forced determination,
you stride into the tunnel. Go to 1.97·

515
Most of the Athenians cry out for you, but some are still
undecided. Sensing these mixed fee lings, the ne utra l sailors
join the mutineers, and a confused fi g ht b egins in th e close
quarters below deck. You duck just in time for a thrown
lantern to miss your h ead and smas h agai nst th e wa ll behind
you. Gripping your biJlhook fi rmly, you leap into the fray.
Subtract the numbe r you rolled on the dice (including the
Honour bonus) from 10. lf the result is o, go stra ight to 348.
Otherwise, yo u must fi g ht that many mutineers, each Might
4, Protection 10, and each with a knife (Mig h t 1). If you die and
are saved by Zeus, go to 74. If all a re Seriously Wounded, turn
to 348. If you surrender, turn to 249. You m ay not re trea t.
 516
The king g ives a no ther of his unfriendly laughs and orders his
inte rpreter to take yo u away . The man a.rgues for a second, but
it is clear w h o is in control. You are bustled out, unclear about
the con ve rsa tion to which you have been party, yet which you
could no t co,mpre hend . The skinny Nubian leads you back to
yo ur h ut w itho ut s peaking, a nd leaves. You fall exhausted to
tl~ e groun d , a n d sleep very soundly, so that it is nearly midday
when yo u a wake. Above yo u two warriors stand guard and
w ill not le t yo u leave the hut. It is a long time before they
de part to fe tch som e foo d . Co to 113 .

517
Ducking the farme r's blow, you lose your footing and fall off
the car t. You manage to catch hold of a bough sticking out over
the road a nd cling to it, as the cart careers away down the hill,
the fa rme r's obscene taunting ringing in your ears. Once he is
o u t of s igh t, yo u drop to the ground, shrug, and carry on
walking d own the hill. You notice a broken knife at the side of
the road and you tuck it into your belt. Thebes lies before you.
Turn to 259 .
 518
Take 2 Shame points. Your guide is silent as you walk back to
the path. You look sideways at him.
'You disapprove?'
He shrugs.
'Come on, what' s the matter?'
He stops . 'It' s a few moments for you . It may be the only
punctuation in her eternity.'
'She wouldn't have thanked me.'
'Do you do everything for thanks? And n o, perhaps she
wouldn't have been grateful now, but in a hundred years? Two
hundred? But of course it's not literally true .'
You walk on in silence.
'Hell,' your guide remarks finally, 'is an absence of other
people.' Turn to 279.
 519
The elders re turn. 'Do you wish to be purged?' the woman
asks.
You nod . ' I have n o alternative.'
She s miles. 'Th en come with us.'
They lead you ou t of the te nt, along a small path and into a
cave, dimly lit. T he e ntire race of the Phytalidae is sitting in a
circle, holdi ng ha nds, ail dressed in the same grey. They look
up at you as the e lders take their place in the ring. Following
their gestures, you squat a nd join them, gripping the hands of
the two yo ung people on either side of you. The man to your
rig ht ta kes som e mushrooms from a pouch and drops them
into a beaker of s teaming liquid. Then he passes it to you to
drink . Turn to 231 .

520
H ave 1 Sh a me point for this deed, which is unworthy of a true
hero, and turn to 189.

521
You take one of the men's shortswords. For a moment there is
hope in the ir eyes, as they think this payment for their lives,
but the n you whirl round like a rushing river and sever their
heads from their bodies . A woman screams in the background.
Take the n ormal penalty of 2 Shame points for slaying
opponents w ho have surrendered.
The sword you are holding suddenly feels light in your
hand, and you know that Hephaestus has imbued it with a
straighter edge and a sharper blade. It is now Might 3, Protec-
tion o. You may take a breastplate (Protection 2). Have 4
Honour p oi nts for your victory.
You return to the ship and Oresander, looking pensive,
orders the vessel to set sail. Go to 1.0.
 522
You dress in the body's robes, don its mask and strap on the
iron claws, before rising sh akily to your feet. Outside the door,
a s m a ll fli g ht of wood e1~ steps lead s down; looking back, you
can see that the g ranary is supported off the ground by a
wooden framework re ti ng on la rge boulders.
Th e gra n a ry is s ituated in a compound defined by several
scatte red buildi ngs . T h ere are sounds coming from the largest,
a barn, and you strut over to it unsteadily . You look through
the crack in the h eavy double doors, and see tha t the barn is
full of birdme n. One, obvious ly the leader, has a robe of
golde n feathers an d an eagle m ask.
You open the doors and step s urreptitiously inside. One
of the m e n s pots you a nd screeches out to you in an alien
to ng u e. You mimic him, but the birdmen crowd round you
s uspiciously . T he leader forces his way to the front, and rips
the mask from your face. Then he throws his head back and
emits an unearthly cackle. 'As I thoug ht,' he hisses. 'The
enemy within .'
Thin k quickly. Will you try to escape be fore they can react
(turn to 394), or wi ll you seize a hostage (turn to 116)?

523
If in fact you h ave a n obol, w hich you have carried all the way
from Troy for six years, go to 270. If not, lose 1 Honour point
and go to 395 .

524
You join th e farmer in fishing for the reins. He, however,
sensing his opportun ity, sh oves you forward over the front, so
that you fal l between the wheels. Your ribs are crushed
insta n tly.

52 5
Yo u turn a nd run fro m the village, your feet pounding the
earth as yo u sprint back towards your boat. You curse these
inhospitable m e n, but you are glad to see that they have not
followed. Smoke rises in thick clouds from the far side of the
island, close to the b each where you left your boat. Go to 350.
 526
Before you move, you notice a flicker of light in the crate in
front of you. With a quick pus h, the top slides off to revea l the
mutineer brandishing a torch. You step back in alarm and the
man leaps out of the crate. You must fi g ht h im . H e has M ight 4,
Protection 10, and h as the torch (Might 2).
If you surrender, go to 249 . If you die a nd are saved by Zeus,
go to 156. If the sailor is Se riously Wou n d ed , go to 94 .

527
You may h a ve 5 Honour points for defeating the beast. You are
pulled back on board, but soon you disemba rk a nd proceed on
the second part of your journey, by ca m el. Yo u o nly s tay in
Hermopolis for a couple of hours before the carava n departs.
The priest informs you of his dread of the r iver journey, which
he is forced to undertake four times a year, and indeed h e
seems m ore cheerful now. Go to 369.

528
You spring to your feet and take the b irdme n by s urp rise. You
must make an instant decision w h eth er to try to escap e a t once
(turn to 394), or to take a hos tage (turn to 338).

52 9
You break into a run and manage to ca tch up wi th th e farmer
and leap on to the back o f the ca rt. You take the driver by
surprise, and start to throttle him with yo ur h ands. After a
mome nt, he breaks free and tries to fend you off.
The horse bolts and gallops down a shallow but increasi ngly
stee p hill, dragging the cart with it. It is on th.is precarious
swaying platform that you grapple w ith the farn1er. Turn to
454.
 530
Yo u a re back a t the top of the steps and, with trepidation, you
begin the d esce nt. You have forgotten how steep the steps a re
and you trip, a lmost falling before regaining your balance.
When you are h a lfway dow n, you begin to look ahead for your
a rmour, but it h as g one . You keep on going down in the hope
that you left it closer to the bottom, but eventually you reach
the fina l tep \•v ithout finding it. Co to 433.

531
The dog rushes fo rw ard, his six eyes fixed on you intently, and
h a tred apparen t in h.is manner. You must fight Cerberus, who
has M ight 4, Pro tection 10. You strike, then each of his heads
s tri kes in any g ive n round. Thus he has three attacks to one of
yo urs. Note tha t the heads do not get multiple opponent
bonu es, an d th a t any Honour you spend to increase your
Protection is o nly e ffective against one of the heads. You have
o nl y to Wou nd him three times, as normal, to kill him.
The re is n owh e re to retreat. If you kill him, go to 292. If you
die, you ca nno t be saved by Zeus. ·

53 2
Ares the bri nger of slaughter is at your side with a noise like
tha t of a th o usa nd war-trumpets.
' Hail, A lthe u s , Minotaur-slayer. New goal: return home.
Re ceive the praise deserved . Hoist the white sails. Signal your
success. Stamp on these cowardly sailors. That's all. Good
luck, aga in .'
The god va nishes leaving behind no trace of his coming. You
stay below d ecks for a while, but then the cramped and stale
atmos phe re forces you above. Co to 252.
533-535

533
A s you w a nde r a long th e s hore looking for d riftwood large
e nough fo r your purpose, yo u a re set upon by fou r d ark-
skinned wa rrio rs. They lea p d own on to the beach fro m the
plains ab ove a nd run tpwards you w ieldin g long s pears. You
must fig ht the m . Th ey ar e Mig ht 5, P rotection 11, but remem-
b e r the bonuses for multiple o ppon e n ts. Their s pears are
Might 1 . You cannot re treat.
If you surrender, go to 424. If you d ie and a re saved by Zeus,
go to 269. If you Serio usly W ound a ll four of th m , go to 115.

534
Realizing the peril of your journey, you pray to yo u r pah·on for
assistance. For a long time the re is complete silence, but then a
voice cries out, ' We Oly mpia n god s cann ot h e lp you in the
underworld. You must fend for yourself.' H ave 1 H onour
point for praying. Go to "197·

535
As y ou co ntinue, it becom es much h ard er to keep a g rip on
either the walls or the floor. Eve ntually you sl ip a nd slide
down the marble floor, una ble to slow d ow n . The n you shoot
off the end into s pace . The re is nothing to gra b h o ld o f a nd you
begin to fall, turning some rsaults and twisting in the air . Go to
µs. .
 536-537
536
As soon as the warriors ha ve gone, you slip out of the hut into
the grassla nds tha t s urround the camp. It is evening and much
cooler tha n it was earlier in the d ay, a nd you quickly get away
from the village . No on e appears to have noticed your absence,
sin ce no warriors h ave been sent after you. Even so, you
decid e to walk a ll n ight to m ake sure you are not recaptured. It
grows ve ry cold and you becom e tired, but you dare not stop.
Then , as the da wn begins to creep over the treeless horizon,
the a ir g rows warmer until it is almost unbearably hot. You
have n ot eate n for a day and you a re dehydrated by the heat.
O ve r lo th e le ft some vultures circle high in the sky. Will you
head over that way in hope of finding water (turn to 155), or
will you avoid these crea tures (turn to 211)?

537
The horse picks its w ay ca refully along the uneven road, and
you lean back to s tay upright. Out of the bushes at the side of
the road leap several men in cloaks and bird-masks, one with a
bow a nd a rrows. You s tart to rein the horse back, but the men
s ho ut to each o the r in bursts of high-pitched screaming, and
the o ne w ith the bow fires at you. The arrow goes through the
ho rse's neck a nd it rears up, frothing blood at the mouth. Then
it colla pses forward, and you are thrown over its head to land
heavily o n the ground beyond, knocked unconscious. Go to
99.
 538
The stree ts seem s ubd u e d and quiet and no one appears to
recogni ze you . This time, you e asily find the palace, which is
silhoue tted aga ins t the overcast sky, and knock confidently on
the bronze gates fo r admission .
A g ua rd o pe ns th em. ' Who are you, that comes knocking so
loudly at a house of m o urning?' he asks.
'I a m Al th eus the Ave n ger, son of Aegeus king of Athens.'
The g ua rd 's face turns a she n a t this, and he hastily slams the
door. After a mo m e nt, during which you stand puzzled, the
door ope n agai n , a nd the guard points at you while whis-
pering fra ntically to a nother man, whom you recognize as
Gene ra l Etekon. He d rags you inside and the bronze doors
are slammed s h u t o nce m o re.
'Do yo u k now w ha t you have done?' demands the general.
'When the s hip re tu rned black-sa iled, Aegeus was sure he had
lost ano ther son , a nd he cast himself from the cliffs into the
sea .'
You s ta nd aghas t. 'Th en Tam now king of Athens?' you ask.
Eteko n g run ts. ' In na me, yes. In practice, the Athenians will ·
never accept you w ith a n omen like this, until you have purged
yourself of your g uilt. As to how this may be done, I do not
know . Bu t I will ha ve a boat and crew made ready for you. You
must lea ve he re to nig ht or 1 cannot answer for the mood of the
people .'
You mu s t take 8 Shame points for your father's death. Go to
215.

539
You rem embe r the knife tucked into your belt, take it out and
cast it away. The Phy talidae murmur approval.
'It is good ,' comments the male elder. To be healed of the
sickness within, you must utterly deny all outward wars and
strife. Now drink the drink.' Go to 484.
540-543
540
You beg fo r a berth o n a boat, b ut the m e rcha nt recogn izes
w h ere you h ave com e fro m by the pink hue of your robes .
O n ce agai n you are struck on the h ead a nd all is blackn ess.
Th is time you will av,ra ke in Hades; most probably this is for the
best, since it will save you much pa in.

541
T h e secon d of your oppon en ts falls to the ground in agony, but
n eithe r seem s willing to surrende r. You turn around a nd fin d
the r eason for their confid en ce . Th e re, just emerg ing from the
d e pths of the cave, a re som e ten or more h·ibesmen, all
a ppa re lled as th e first p air, a ll armed w ith life-severing spears.
You h ave little ch oice bu t to go with them. You a re d isarm ed,
but you m ay h ave 4 H on our points for you r victory in th e fight.
G o to 110.

54 2
You seize the old man a nd start to s hake him . To your
astonishme nt, h e tra ns forms into a lio n and yo u release yow-
g rip in fri g ht. The lio n leaps at you w hile you are motionless.
You mus t fi g ht it. Tt h as Might 6, Protection 1 2, a n d has the
first attack since y ou a re so surprised . You cannot retreat. If
you die a nd are sa ved by Ze us, go to 557. If yo u Wou n d the
lion, go to 310.

543
'AJthe us,' the ga unt m a n calls o ut, ' l know w hy you have
come .'
Taken aback that h e should h ave seen yo u so fa r off, you do
.not reply for a moment a nd then you ca ll back discou rteously,
' Who are you?'
'Ae acus, of co urse, judge of the d ead .' H ave 1 Sh a me p oint
for your ig norance. Yo u make yo ur w ay towards him, and he
continues to w hip the shade, w ho, you discover, is a ttempting
to turn the p ebbles to dust. Yo ur m a nner becom es more
form a l, n o w that you have discovered th at you a re ta lking to
s uch an important figure. Go to 296.
 544
There are six boa ts s till moored at the bank when you reach the
ha rbour a nd yo u have the good fortune to find a captain who
speaks Greek . H e explains that you are thirty miles south of
Thebes, the Egyptian capital, to which he himself is sailing the
next day. He offers you a ride there and you gratefully accept.
You board the vessel and fall asleep on deck, glad of some rest.
In the morning when you awake, the boat has already set sail
for Thebes. Go to 56.

545
'I am,' yo u tell him guardedly. 'Who are ... these men?'
'l thought yo u might not know,' he says, proud of his own
pe rceptive ness. 'The birdmen are our protectors. My own son,
T a m glad to s ay, has been allowed to join them. Here, have
this.' H e reaches into a fold in his cloak and pulls out a thick
scroll. 'This is o ur holy book. It will tell you all you need to
, know . No, keep it.'
And h e hurries away, happy at having done a good deed.
Co to 179.

546
You begin to climb down, but the steps are very steep and you
ha ve to take care to avoid falling headlong to your death at the
bottom . Halfway down you stop to collect the armour which
you aba ndoned on your way up. Then you continue on down
until yo u s tand at the bottom. You glance up one last time at
the appa rently endless steps, almost like a stairway to heaven,
and then you press into the dark tunnel. Go to 433.
 547
It is mid-morning when you awake and the sun is a lready high
above the horizon. Away down to your left by a s ma ll stream a
group of young boys play, tossing a ball fro m h and to hand.
Behind them in the dis tance there is a tiny village nestled
among the trees. To your right, the hill rolls away into a g rassy
meadow, in which a shepherd sits with his s heep . You rise to
your feet and, while brushing the grass fro m yo ur clo thes,
decide what to do.
Will you approach the shepherd (turn to 235), w ill you head
towards the group of children (turn to 470), or will you make
for the village (turn to 399)?

548
'What do you want to see, then?'
Take me to my brother,' you command.
'Which brother would that be?' he asks .
Surprised, you reply, 'Theseus, of course.'
'Oh, I just thought you might mean one of the others,' he
replies cryptically.
'What do you mean?'
'Well, far be it from me to tell tales, but just ha ve a word with
your mother when you get back home . So Theseus it is.' He
walks away.
 549
'Wait, I didn' t know anything about this,' you call after him.
He turns back. 'There are a lot of things you don't know.
In fact, your p arents probably never told you, but you're
apocryph al yourself.'
Amazed at these godlike revelations, you hurry after your
guide . The corridor of swirling mist branches seven ways."
'Well,' says your guide, 'we seem to have arrived at a
symbo lic m oment of choice . . .'
'What do you m ean, symbolic?' .
'Oh, none of this is real. Didn't they tell you? Notions of a
literal afterlife are very outdated. Anyway, this path leads to
the corrupt court officials,' he says, pointing to the leftmost
way. 'That's combined lechers and gluttons. The next one's
monarchs and assorted hereditary rulers. Then there's natural
djsasters. This one's under construction; and you don't want
to go down that one - it' s Hell down there.'
'And what's this one?' you ask, pointing to the final exit.
Your guide fumbles in his pocket and withdraws a small
green booklet with a picture of a fat wrute man on the front.
'Oh, um, it's Cretan princesses, who, deserted by their
lovers, subsequently died in childbirth.'
'Are there m a ny of those?'
'Jus t the one.'
'Who?' you ask. But as you speak, the answer comes to you,
borne on a surge of guilt.
Will you visit the corrupt court officials (turn to 417), the
lechers and gluttons (turn to 258), the rulers (turn to 248),
natural disasters (turn to 573), or will you visit Ariadne (turn
to 467)?

549
Your attempts to placate the men are in vain and you quickly
realize that they do not mean well. Will you wait (turn to 299)
or run (turn to 316)?
 550
It is almos t fi ve yea rs later now, and your service to the
god d ess s till continues. It has not been a bad life, you muse; on
the contra ry, mos t pleas urable. You have performed the cere-
monies exactly - th e a n ointing with oil of the small conical
object in which form A phrodite is worshipped at Paphos, the
p rocessions thro ug h the s treets of the city, and the mock
battles with s ilke n swords .
Today you a re to be a dmitted to the first stage of priesthood,
a nd invested w ith th e a mbrosia l raiment of Aphrodite. The
time has com e and yo u are led by the priest of the goddess
thro u g h th e corrid o rs o f th e te mple, past the sacred chapels of
Aphrodi te to th e ce ntra l sanc tum where the radiant one is
wors h ipped .
Yo u are ins tructe d to kneel down beside the sacred cone,
and you comply rea dil y .
ls Aphrodi te yo ur pa tro n? If s o, turn to 5. If not, turn to 129.

551
/\.s y ou press northwa rds, it begins to snow, and you wrap
yourse lf in y o ur coa t as tightly as you can. The twenty miles
be tween yo u and the race of the Phytalidae begin to seem
furt he r and fu r the r as you push on into the foothills. The
s nowfall turns in to a blizzard, and you stagger on blindly,
fe veris h ly, cursi n g tha t you have not yet found what you seek.
The n you colla pse into a snowdrift, and lie there, as the
wind w his tles past yo ur ea rs and the snow builds up around
you, covering y o u in a comforting white shroud.
552-555
552
You h ave n o m o n ey, a nd your com man d of Egy ptia n is
vi rtu ally n o n -exis te nt, s o yo u find it im possible to gain a bed
for the nig ht . You are fo rced to rest in the street, but you d o n ot
slee p for fea r tha t your throat m ay be slit as you lie d efenceless.
Lose 1 H o n o u r p oint for this be h avio ur, not fitting for a ki ng
amo n gst civ ilized p eople.
In th e m o rning y ou decide to fin d the temple , where the
priest info rms yo u tha t yo u mus t jou rney with him to the
o racle a t th e O asis Ammo n ium. The god Ammon, he main-
ta-ins, h as comma nded it. Will yo u agree (turn to 232), or
d ecli ne (turn to 317)?

553
You a re soon in the sh ad e of the trees and you rest aw hile,
since it has now beco me very h o t. T h e place looks comple tely
deserted: no birds or animals li ve o n th is s u n -scorch ed p la in.
Yo u sca n the h orizon for a n y sign s of life and notice a thin
column of s moke rising lazily from the b each you h ave just le ft.
As you w atch , the s m oke becom es much thicker and billows
up in d e n se clo uds. Will you go back to th e beach (turn to 350),
or w ill you co ntinue into th e island (turn to 271)?

554
After another lo n g sile n ce the voice returns: ' I cannot help you
down in Hades, but re m e mbe r th at a nyon e w h o eats the re will
neve r leave. N ow, b e on y our way.' Go to 197.

555
You throw yourself d own to th e grou nd in submission and the
fish e rmen acce pt your s urre nde r. They strip you of your
clo thing and hurl you into the sea. H ave J Sh ame poin t. You
struggle o ut of the surf and h astily w ra p ro und you the cloth
they offe r. They aJl see m greatly am used b y th e w hole
episode, but y o u are not. Go to 314.
 556
You hold up your hand in what you consider to be a gesture of
conciliation, but the tribes men are at once angered. You are
seized and led roughly back to the surface, the sound of
furi o us chatter ringing in your ears. As you run back to your
craft, a s pea r w histles past your ear. You quickly run the raft
back into the water. Have 1 Shame point for your lack of
observance. Rue fully you decide to name this isle after your-
self, Althenesos. Go to 214.

557
The supreme god takes pity on your sorry plight, and snatches
you away from the island of Pharos. He heals you and tells you
that you mus t go to the underworld and seek out your brother
Theseus, who will tell you how to purge your blood-guilt. He
sets you down once again on the island and you marvel at the
sight of a newly built raft. You offer prayers to Poseidon, and
slide the makeshift raft into the water. Go to 254.
558-560
558
The water-monster seems to dissolve back into the liquid of the
lake. All that remains of the thing is a s mall wooden plaque
floating on the s urface. Yo u stretch to pick it up, but as you do
you begin to sink . You panic, but manage to grab the plaque.
Your head is s ubmerged beneath the waters, a nd you begin to
suffocate . Yet w h en you feel that you ca n last n o longer and
your life's spirit will seep into the sea, y ou ar e back a t Scione,
the plaque, with wavy lines e n g raved upo n it, re presenting
water, still in your h and .
Restore your Honour points to their level before th e combat.
If this is the third creatur e you h ave fou g h t and d e fea ted , turn
to 346. Othervvise, you must deal n ext with th e corn (turn to 44)
or the fire (turn to 107).

559
The berries taste good and seem to bring re newed energy to
you r tired Limbs . You take two large handfuls fo r p rovisio ns at
sea, and retu rn to the beach to begin the build ing of the raft. Go
to 230.

560
You push to the front of the throng a nd o p e n the door,
ignoring the stifled cries behind you . The interior is lit and
there, in front of you, s ta nds a black-robed woman, who seems
strangely familiar. Beside h e r is a low table, o ne leg of w hich is
badly scarred , and on it lies an urn of w ater, a bowl of
corn-seed, and a small bra zier in which a blue-w h ite flame is
burning . A small trickle of wa te r leaks from a crack in the urn.
'I am Arissia, priestess of Demeter in Scione. Are you a
worshipper of the earth-mother?'
Do you repl y that you are (turn to 42), or do yo u deny any
connections with the corn-cult (turn to 108)?
 561
The path d isappears into the fog once more and you walk
s lowly, hopi ng tha t you may discover the route to Theseus or
lordly Aeac us, the judge of the dead, but instead a terrible
scene is revealed amo ng the clouds and mist.
Tantalus, who dared to chop up his own son and serve him
to the gods a food, sta nds in a pool of pure water, his
reflection g lis te ning off the perfect surface. - Above him a
miraculous tree, bearing from the same branch apples,
oranges, pear , g rapes a nd every other fruit that grows, hangs
low by his head. Yet every lime he reaches up to appease his
raging hunger, the fruit rises up. Always he thinks he can
reach it, a lways it slips away from his fingers. When he stoops
to quench h is thirs t the waters flow away as if some hole were
m ade in the botlom of the pool. But when he straightens once
again th wa ters flow back up to renew his torment. You gaze
a t poor Tantal us a nd then hurry past, unable to bear the
wretched scen e a ny longer. Will you go by him to the left (turn
to 447) or to the rig ht (turn to 328)?
 562
At the c ru cia l m o m ent, the wind drops and the current takes
yo u o n to th e jagged s pikes. There is a moment of expectant
s ilen ce as th e crew freezes in horror, and then the sound of
s plin te ring wood rings ou t, sha ttering the calm of the silent air
like th e gong tha t h e ralds the coming of the enemy, the
clash ing o f the wa rrio rs a nd tha t many women will be widows
by even ing. Even the Trojans on the shore hear the noise and
you turn away, ash a m ed a t y our performance. Have 3 Shame
poi n ts.
Su dd e nl y the boat lis ts and y ou a re all flung into the water to
s truggle in a con fusio n of limbs, sails and spars.
If y ou are in Dis favour with Poseidon, go to 360. If not, you
ma nage to s wi m ash o re a nd find your cousin (turn to 320).

563
Before the m e n ca n see you, you dart into an empty hut and
cro u ch down o ut o f sight. You hear the fishermen returning,
la u g h in g a nd joking as they carry their catch back to the
village . Yo u canno t understand what they are saying. You
think a t firs t it is because they are too far away, but then you
realize th a t this is a foreign tongue. They stand close to the hut
a nd ch a t fo r some while before eventually moving away to ·
the ir o w n huts . You breathe a sigh of relief when you realize
th a t n on e of the m are going to enter your hut. It grows cooler
a s the afte rnoon m erges into evening and you begin to feel
ve ry hung ry . You r fear of being noticed gradually recedes and
you ve nture o ut of the hut. Will you try to take some food
unn o ticed (turn to 452), or will you ask someone for food (turn
to 594)?
 564
Your coming upon a captain who speaks Greek is not as
unlikely as it sounds, as relations between the high-king of
Achaia and the Hittites and Egyptians are well attested fro m
various ancient table ts and archives . What is actually of
interest is that the captain does not recog nize the son of so
great a dignitary, but this could perhaps be explained by the
fact that you have been storm-tossed and d esert-scorched for
the best part of seven years. It is doubtful that even your
mother Aethra would recognize you after this, much as she
loves you. Have 1 Shame point for not looking after your
appearance. Return to 544.

565
With one final twist, you break the lion's neck and it slum ps to
the floor of the cage (have 4 Honour points). You turn back to
the Nubians and shout defiantl y. Then you thrust open the
door of the cage and walk out to face the king, who s teps back a
pace, but is not intimidated. Behind him the tribesmen move
forward as if to show you that you face not just the king but the
whole tribe. He raises his hand, and the n speaks; although you
do not know his language, the meaning of his message is
obvious. Go to 330.
 566-567
566 .
The champion's spear passes through yqur right thigh and you
fall to the ground, a pparently dea d. But Zeus does not mean to
le t you die so easily and he rekindles the fire in your chest. You
try to s pring to you r feet, but the wound is too serious, and you
cannot stand. Neverthe less, you pluck the spear out and cast it
back a t your opponent. It clatters harmlessly at his feet, but all
the Nu bia ns are awes truck. Supported between two warriors,
you are led back to a hut. Go to 190.

567
Th e turning to the left is flat and not at all slippery. Walking is
therefore much easier thari before and you are soon hurrying
along. After some time, you see ahead that this branch-tunnel
finishes in som e s tone steps leading up out of sight. When you
reach the bottom of these, you glance up and find that they
stretch as far as you can see. They are quite steep and it will
take a grea t effort to climb them. Will you return to the slippery
sloping tunnel (turn to 433), or will you climb the steps (tum to
471)?
 568
You s.:Viftly dis tance yourself fro m the three fis hermen, and
you· a re thankful tha·t you d ecid ed to run, since ma ny more
h ave e m erged fro m their huts, all armed wi th k ni ves . These
a re n o t civilized folk w h o w e lcom e s tra ngers as Zeus has
d ecreed, but bru tal barba ria n s w ho s hun a ll o thers . You decide
tha t yo u mus t re turn to your boat and lea ve this w re tched
island a t 011ce .
Yo u s truggle u p the slop _e back into the cenh·e of th e is la nd
and hurry back across the plai n . Thick sm oke billow s fro m
b en eath the cliffs, ju s t as when a forest fire rages in a summer
drou ght. Go to 350.

569
You study the gold ring carefull y, but can see no special
markings, so you slip it on to the third fin ger of your left hand .
To your horror, you feel your strength ebbing away, and you
realize that the ring is cursed. You rip it from you r finger, and
fling it far into the sea. It h as, however, alread y ta ken its toll;
you must reduce your Might and Protection by 1 for the
I remainder of this book.
I You w a lk away from the merchant, and gaze over the side of
the boat at the strangely calm waters. For a mom e nt you are
alone, but then y ou hear Markos approach. Go to 239.
 570
Zeus sends down a divine inspiration winging its way from
high Olympus, and suddenly you realize the true nature of the
operation you are about to undergo. You seize the sacred cone
and plunge it into the chest of the high priest. The eunuch cries
out in hig h-piercing pain, and then his life pours out through
the stab-wound . Taking your opportunity, you dash through
the twisting tunnels of the temple, out into the air, a free man
once more. You turn around to see that you are being followed
by a number of sacred slaves, but-as they close on you, the
realization dawns that these men, too, have escaped, and look
upon you as their leader. Go to 84.

571
You feel yourself being shaken, and roll over, irritated at not
being allowed to die in peace. There are two men in plain
cloaks s tandi ng over you .
'You are AJtheus,' says one. 'We have been waiting for you.'
The o ther lifts you on to his shoulders. You start to pass out.
'And we,' says the other man, 'are men of the Phytalidae.'
Go to 172.
 572-573
572
Fina lly he re turns to his original form and speaks.
'Tell me now, Altheus, which of the gods has helped you
and a d vised you in capturing me. And for what reason?'
' Old man,' you answer. 'This is mere prevarication. Answer
my q uestion s, a nd only then shall I release you.'
' Ve ry well, but do not delay, for it ails me to be held captive
thus.'
Will you ask the old man of the sea how you may return
h o m e (turn to 294), how you may purge your blood-guilt
(turn to 483), or how you may find food on this barren island
(turn to 599)?

573
'I tho ug ht you said this way led to victims of natural disasters,'
yo u ask, p uzzled .
'No, they nre natural disasters,' replies Dean, pointing to the
s had es w ho p ass on your left and right. 'This one, for exam-
ple.' H e indicates with his hand a man who seems to be on the
po int of d rowning in a vast lake. 'He sought to seduce a queen
by d eluding her with claims that he could influence the gods to
favo ur h er. Now, why the queen should have believed that a
morta l could influence the gods is difficult to comprehend, but
s h e was d esp erate to gain immortality and would believe
any thing that claimed to gain her this. When she saw what
s h e'd d on e, she was appalled.
'This m a n now smells so sweet the fairest nymphs could not
res train themselves, but all to no avail, for he drowns in the
very perfume that enhances him.'
'That seems a little harsh,' you say, when Dean has finished .
'You must remember, Altheus,' he replies, 'it's all a
metaphor.'
Worried by this declaration, you hurry pa.st. Go to 279.
 574
You s tru ggle away from th e crocod ile \·v hich is restrai ne d by
a lmighty Zeus, and th e capta in pulls y ou back aboard . Yo u a re
only too g lad to be back on dry land a t Hermop o lis wi thin the
h our. The priest, too, looks more content a way fro m the boat
and h e becomes qu ite talkative on th e seco nd s tage of your
journey, by camel, from the river to th e ? asis. Go to 369.

575
Ins ubstantia l sh ad ows flit past as yo u wa lk amon gs t the d ead
who wish to cross the Styx. You notice that som e h ave obol
coins in their mouths, but the vas t majority d o n o t and you
remember th a t the coin-carriers are those who ha ve bee n
buried and may cross. You recogniz e a face in the multitude
and make your way across to him. It is Dipthis, th e cynic fro m
Cre te and sadly you n ote that h e has n o coin .
'Dipthis, Dipthis,' you cry and watch as h e turns to face you.
'Ah, Altheus, they got you, too, did they?' H e pauses, but
before you can ask who ' they' are, h e speaks again. ' Well, why
didn't you get an obol, then?'
'Actually, I' m not dead .'
'Now that I look, I suppose you are a bit on the substantial
side.'
'I've come to rescue my brother Theseus,' you tell him,
sensing the question on his lips.
Will you ask Dipthis what fate has befallen him (turn to 503),
or will you press on towards the ferry (turn to 442)?
 576
You wa ke to find your boat alight, ignited by your own small
fire. Frantically, you gather water from the sea, and splash it
o n the fla m es, in a feeble effort to extinguish the raging blaze.
Soon the boat is reduced to ashes, and you weep bitterly since
it seems the god s will never let you see your mother in Troezen
again . Each tim e you make one step forward, closer to home,
yo u seem to be thrown back two by some misfortune or the
anger of s o m e god. Now it seems you have been finally
defeated , s till fi ve hundred miles from Troezen and Athens.
Go to 256.

577
You kill the bushman, and drive off the rest with the help of the
N u bia ns. On the way back to the camp, you are all more wary
a nd you keep a good loo k out for ambushes. The warriors give
you p raise , a nd, after two more expeditions, you are almost
fully acce pted by the tribe, who teach you their fighting skills.
For this you m ay increase your Might and Protection by i.
You a re on e of the be tter warriors in the tribe and soon you
are leading hunting-trips and raiding-parties on other groups.
You take o n e of the king's daughters as a wife and you forget
abo ut A then s and Troezen. The months go by, until you have
been w ith the Nubians for about a year. Go to 313.

. ·578 .
Just as it seenis that your life will flow away at the hands of two
village fa rmers, you are swept away to high Olympus by Zeus.
No w Healthy, you are transported back to the fight, where ·
the re are many more villagers, all iooking down on your inert
form . As you stir, four men move forward. Go to 299.
 579
.Over the next two weeks, yo u see a lot of Egypt, as th e boat
makes its WC\Y north a long the Nile. While the captain sells his
skins, you h ave a chance to slip ash ore for a couple of hours at
each s top . You marvel at the city of Thebes, sacred to Ammo n,
with its hundr~d gates, but soon you are at Coptos, w he re
gums, spices and precious s to nes a rrive from Arabia, and jade
a nd ivory are brought in fro m far-off India. The captain sells
two skins for a bag fu ll of jade, a nd lets you keep a piece for
yourself.
From Coptos down to Memphis, the boat does not stop
anywhere a t a ll, a nd the captain allows you to try your hand a t
s teering, a nd eve n setting the sails, on th e long stretches of
uninteresting river. The week of sailing throu gh u n cu ltivated ,
sparsely populated land, is terminated in the splendour of the
pyramids a nd the arriva l a t Memphis. You scarcely have time
to take in the grandeur of th e great pyramid of C h eops, before
you are d ocking at the port of the second city of Egypt.
'This is as far as we go,' declares the ca ptain, ' but you ' ve
been a good crew, and I' d like you to h ave o n e of th ese.' He
holds up a lion s kin and a leopardskin . Will you ta ke the
lionskin (turn to 492), or the leopardskin (turn to 393)?

580
The soldier hesita tes for a m oment, looking un certainly over
his s houlder, but then makes a sig na l to you. H e clearly wants
you to follow him . Will you go w ith him (turn to 160), or
decline to do so (turn to 362)?
 581
Your sa ils fill majestically, and you ease past the other boat,
you r cre w la ughing a t the rowers straining at the oars . They
are spurre d o n by youx ta unts and put in one last effort, but
they ca nnot prevent you crossing the line first. Have 5 Honour
points for yo ur victory.
You jum p dow n fro m the bow of yoUI boa t, and raise your
h ands to th e crowd . T he Troja ns cheer wildly and place a laurel
wreath upon you r brow . After a few minutes the acclamation
dies away a nd yo u seek out youx cousin Agnostes. Turn to 320.

582
The river-bank affords no easy place to cross, and no other
boats are visible o n either sid e of the water. It seems you must
either swim , or re turn to Markos and deal with him. If you
ch oose to swim, go to 253 . If you wish to agree to Markos' deal
now, lose 1 Honour point and go to 493 .

583
The two m e n see yo u unshea the your sword and at once the)
run towards yo u with throaty cries. They have Might 6,
Protection 12, a nd their swords a re Might 1. Remember the
bo nus for th e firs t man .
If yo u Serio us ly Wound both of them, go to 499. If you
surre nd er, go to 299. If you re treat, go to 397. If you die and are
saved by Zeu s, go to 578.

584
The Phoenicia n smiles, and raises his right hand very slowly.
Undernea th the re is nothing, a nd as he laughs, he shows you
tha t bo th ri ng a nd jad e w ere under the other hand. He slides
the ri ng back o n to his finge r and puts the jade away in a pouch
on his be lt. You w alk angrily away to the side-of the vessel, and
s tare into the calm blue wa ters. It is not long before the
mercha nt joins you . Go to 239.
585-586
585
Before he speaks, the king signals to one of his w a rriors, who
moves away out of sight towards the cage. In a moment he
rehuns with the lionskin and it is clear that this is your prize.
Go to 330.

586
One large wave picks up your raft and carries it high above the
other seas until, with a crash, it flings it down to the bo ttom of a
trough so that you are surrounded by to wering wa ils of w a ter.
The next wave trips up the feeble pla tform and sends you
flying into the foaming sea. You struggle to regain your ra ft,
but to no avail. Poseidon alway s punis hes those w h o fa il to
appease him before risking themselves on the o pen seas .
 587
You a re aware, a lthough you are squatting with your back to
the e ntrance, of a drop of water as it trickles down an icicle that
is h a n g ing from th e cave mouth, and falls to the ground. You
bli nk, a nd unleash a series of images, each lasting for only a
fraction o f a second : A cloud ... The vast waters of Ocean . . .
Yourself in the womb ... A field of corn . . . A flower . .. A
bird, circl ing round the mountains . .. An eye opening and
closing .. . A man and a woman, leaning on a wall overlook-
ing the sea, ta lking . .. A body being laid into the grave ... An
o ld woma n s itting by the fires ide ... A range of mountains,
their peaks lost in cloud ... A coral reef s tretching to the
h orizon.
You rea lize how everything is connected . The water rises
from the ocea n in to th e sky, forms clouds, drops as rain in the
hi g h m o untains, flows through the land to nourish the crops,
and descends to the sea again. As with the circle of wor-
sh ippers, the r ing of hands arou nd this high cave, so too
fo r th e w h o le world . In every ending is a beginning, in every
dea th a mome nt of rebirth .
You feel yourself falling through a tunnel of light. There is a
m o ment of terror, but you put it behind you and smile,
accepting the falling and making it part of you. You still feel
yo ur h a nds gripped and open your eyes once more to see the
circle of the Phytalidae.
'It is over. I am whole agai n, friends. The grave has released
m e. And I thank you .' Go to 432.
588
588
The goddess Athe n a s tands before you and offers wise
counsel.
'Altheus, your boat is smouldewing ashes o n the b each; you
have no food and the nati ves of the is la nd a re m ost hos tile.
Heed my advice and you may ye t weturn to Twoezen . This
island is Phawos, h o m e of the wenow n ed seer Pwoteus.
Seek him out and put your qu ewies to him, for he w ill
answer twuly . But you must set a twap a nd h old h_im firm,
though he may stwain and stwu ggle with all kinds of
twansformations .. .'
The goddess explains how at noon th e old man of the sea
emerges from the ocean and makes for his s leepin g-place in
the shelter of a cave. Flippered seals h eave the m selves around
.him, and before he rests, Proteus counts his herd . Athena
continues the description of her trap, a nd then is gon e.
Soon you are lying on the beach, cove red in a sealskin , as s he
has directed, and the old man e merges, counts his flock,
including you, then lies down. Immediately you spring up and
hold down his arms.
The old seer is not so easily captured and h e turns into a
mighty lion, and now into a wriggling snake, but you are
forewarned, and 'hold him tight. Panther, wild boar a nd
running water are his next three transfo rmations to th row you
off, but all are in vain. Go to 572 .

.~
/

1
 589
The d h ow moves off from the bank without you, and the
capta in g ives you a fri endly wave, calling out good luck. You
wciit a t th e la nding-s tation, a few rough boards nailed together
to m a ke a p la tform, a nd w atch for the next boat. Hours pass
and th e s u n n ow s lan ts its rays dow n obliquely . Eventually, a
b oat d raws in and th e ca p tain, who s peaks good Greek, offers
yo u a lift. He is going up-river first, and will not be coming
back this way for two d ays. Will you go with him (turn to 473),
o r w ill you w a it in the h o pe th at the.re may be a boat going
d owns h·ea m before then (turn to 274)?

590
Th e lio n kn ocks you unconscious with a blow from its paw,
and you lose all sensa tion in your limbs. Your mind blanks out;
w h en you com e to, it is daylight. The sun is well above· the
h orizon a nd the lion has gone. You prepare yourself once more
to d escend to the underwo rld . Go to 530.
 591
591
You ha ve been with the Nubians for almost a year when you
lea rn tha t there is a festival held annually at which all the
Nubian tribes for miles around come to pay homa.ge to the
king. The ceremony takes place tonight. Throughout the day
you are d e ta ile d to p erform arduous tasks in preparation for
the event; yo u have to drag two great stone blocks into a ring in
the centre of the camp to make a platform, and dig a trench
outside the circle of huts. By evening you are completely
exha us ted, and you w elcome a rest and a good meal; for the
king has decla red that, for this occasion, slaves shall be treated
as free me n . Thus you are allowed to watch the warriors
ma rching throug h the camp, each bearing a torch. They form
into a ring a nd the king mounts the stone platform. Behind
him, in a s tron g wicker cage, a mountain lion prowls back and
forth, jus t as does a man awaiting an audience with a king:
Suddenly the lion throws its weight against the bars and
breaks out of the cage. It rushes at the crowd, savages an effete
triba l chieftain, and then is aw'ly, running sleekly across the
wide plains. ln the confusion you sense your opportunity for
freedom a nd you slip quietly away into the grasslands. Go to
191.
 59 2
To look to the gods for advice as to what question you sh ould
put to the old man of the sea is unheroic indeed; the god s can
answer many problems which beset m orta l men toil ing in their
fields, or fighting on the bloody ba ttlefield, but to do so would
be to remove the barrier ben.veen human and d ivine, a nd the
peasants would invade the inner chambers of hig h Olympus.
It would be better, therefore, for you to think for yourself a nd
not to seek to mount an assault on the order of things as
decreed by Zeus and his godly brethren . Lose 1 Honour point,
and be wa rned . Go to 572.

593
You drop your arm and bring the spear ha rm lessly down to
your side. The Nubian looks unhappy and ung ra tefu l at this
action . Four tribesmen step forward to drag the wo unded man
into the crowd, and though he screams wildly and w restles to
break free, they hold him firmly . As they pull him throug h the
spectators, you follow them and now see the reason for the
man's panic. Ahead stands a massive wicker cage, containing
a strutting mountain lion. The four men bundle the wounded
man inside, and slam the wicker bars behind him. He no
longer screams or struggles, but "instead is gripped in silent,
frozen terror. You realize that the man wanted you to kill him,
and not spare him. Have 1 Shame point for this, but 4 Honour
points for defeating him.
You turn away, before the lion strikes out at the helpless
man. Go to 152.
 594
You approach the nearest nut and glance inside: three men are
ga the red around a cooking-pot on a fire, stirring a mixture of
fis h a nd red berries. The food has a powerful aroma, and you
gesture at it, hoping to convey to the fishermen your hunger.
They understand, but only move the pot further away from
yo u. O ne of them draws a small knife from his belt, and waves
it a t you in clear indication that you are not welcome here.
T hey ed ge towards you, and you notice as you back out of the
hut that they all have knives.
Will you attack them (turn to 213), or will you leave (turn to
5 2 5)?

595
With a swift word of prayer to the gods, you leap into the
foaming waters beneath the waterfall. The undercurrents suck
you down , and you gasp in water instead of air. The crew of
the Egyptian vessel dive into the water to save you, but they
dare not swim into the strong eddies which now send you back
behind the waterfall . You must pray to your patron (spend 4
Hon o ur points) or be drowned. If you pray, or you are saved
by Zeus, go to 288 .

--
,.- ........
596-597
596
As y ou s trike a t the seal, the wa te rs pa rt n ear th e beach, a nd
P oseidon, m as te r of th e ocea n, rises up . In his hand he bears
h is sh arp-p ron ged tride n t, a nd seaweed covers h is salt-stained
body. Without sp eaking h e plunges the h·ident into your
chest. Zeu s will n o t save th ose w h o offe nd against his brother.

597
Yo u s te p b e hind the bould er a n d begin to push with Sisyphus,
but h e a ssumes yo u a re ta king over and stands aside .
'Many th a n ks, frie nd,' h e says . ' I could do with a res t.'
The b o ulde r b ecom es heavie r a nd h eavier, or maybe yo u
beco m e weake r an d weaker: you cannot tell w h ich . Tll be back
s hortly,' the m an adds, a nd h e walks away into the fog,
igno ring your protests. Slow ly you feel you rself losing your
grip on the rock, and it slips a w ay d o vm the h ill . You feel com-
pelled to run afte r it and push it back to the s pot w h e re you took
over, so that Sisy phus will not feel ch eate d whe n h e returns.
But he neve r returns.

,
4
/
/(
/
 598
As you reach the gates, two thieves appear as if from nowhere,
and s tride towa rds you menacingly. You fumble for a knife,
a n d rea lize that you have left it in the birdman's costume by the
road s ide. One of the thieves brings a club round to swing at
you r head , and when you block it with a forearm, the other hits
you o n the back with a length of wood, and you fall. They
search your pockets and, finding nothing, club you into
unconsciousness and leave you to die, which you do.

599
'A w ise questio n,' replies Proteus . ' For what use is knoWing
how to purge yourself, if you die here on Pharos of starvation.
You mus t go in to the heart of the island, and there you will find
a bush w ith red berries and also with white berries. Carefully
pick only the red ones, and take these with you across the sea.
They are all you need to keep your body from wasting away.'
The old man speaks and then he commands his seals away.
The y a ll s lide back into the sea and you are left alone. ·
You find the berries; th0ugh their taste is sour, they sustain
you. Go to 230.
 600
600
When yo u reach the top of the hill, you can see that the smoke
is from fires, a nd you run anxiously into the town.
It has been destroyed. The streets are deserted, save for the
bodies of a few unarmed old men, lying in doorways . Many
buildings have been set alight, and now lie smouldering in the
increasingly heavy rain. In the streets there are broken
weapons of intricate foreign design. A few rats rummage by
the sides of the roads; there is rubble everywhere.
In the ruins of the temple, you find Passes the priest. He has
been left fo r dead, but is still just breathing. He looks up at you
wi tho ut recognition.
'I am Altheus, priest.'
He la ug hs, and begins to cough blood. 'So, the hero is back.
Too late to save your city . . ·.'His voice trails off.
'What has happened here?'
'Only o ne people could have done this ... the Trojans.' His
eyes begin to glaze over. ' My gods! Where are you now?'
'My moth er, priest! Where is she?'
But th e man has died.
A s torm begins in earnest. You strip and stand amidst the
ruins, breast bared to the rain.
'The Wanderer ·has returned! What word have you for me
now, immortals?'
But the gods h ave fallen silent, and will speak no more. You
look around the ruined city and the rain continues to fall, and a
darkness seizes you. You have come home.
A nd half a thousand miles away in the east, your daughter
waits her time, and sharpens her sickle.

THE END
 THE CRETAN CHRONICLES

1. Bloodfeud of Altheus
Felle d by a treacherous blow in the labyrinth of King Minos,
your brother Theseus lies dead and unavenged . The spirits of
your a ncestors cry out from Hades in anger, and Hermes, the
messenger of the gods, appears to speed you on your way. For
YOU a re Altheus, the brother on whom this heroic task falls.
You thirs t for action and must travel across the wild seas and
lands of Ancient Greece, battling with demons, mythical
creatures a nd powerful leaders.

2. At the Court of King Minos

Your ques t to avenge the foul murder of your noble brother has
led you to the wild and savage island of Crete, to right the
a p palling wrong done to your house and to rid your land of the
scourge of the Minotaur. But first you must brave the lawless
Court of King Minos, where two powerful factions struggle for
power and no traveller is safe. You must play your part or
pe ris h with the losers!
 WHAT IS DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS?
John Butterfield, Dav id Ho11ig111ann and
Philip Parker
H e re is a fasci na ting g uide to the greatest o f all role-playing
games includ ing d eta iled background n otes, hints on play and
du ngeon desig n, strategy and tactics, and will prove invaluable
fo r players a nd beginners alike. Take the plunge into adventure
a nd see w ha t fu n you can have!

FIGHTING FANTASY
THE fNTRODU CTORY ROLE-PLAYTNG GAME

Steve Jackson
The world of Fig hting Fantasy, people by Ores, dragons, zom-
bies a nd vampires, ha s captured the imagina tion of millions of
readers world-wide. Thrilling adventures of s word and sorcery
come to life in the Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, where the
read er is the hero, dicing with death and demo ns in search of
villa ins, treasure or freedom. Now YOU can create your own
Fighting Fantasy adventures and send your friends off on
d angerous mission s ' In this clearly w ritten handbook, there are
hints on devising co mba ts, m onsters to use, tricks a nd tactics,
as well as two mini-adventures complete with GamesMaster's
notes for yo u to s tart wi th.
 Steve Jackson 's
SORCERY!
1. Tiie Slia11111ta11ti 1-lills
Your sea rch for the legendary Crown of Kings takes you to the
Shamutan ti Hills. Alive with evi l creatures, law less wanderers
a nd bloodthirs ty m onste rs, the land is riddled with tricks and
traps wailing for the un wa ry traveller. Will you be able to cross
the hills safely a nd proceed to th e second part of the adventure
- o r will you perish in the attempt?

2. Khare·- Cityport of Traps

As a warrior rely ing on force o f a rms, or a wizard trained in
magi c, you must brave the terror of a city built to trap the
unwary. You will need all your wits about you to survive the
uni maginable horrors a head and to make sense of the clues
which may lead to your s uccess - or to your doom!

3. The Seven Serpe11 ts

Seven deadly and magical serpents speed ahead of you to warn
th e evi l Archmage of your coming. Will you be able to catch
them before they get there?

4. The Crown of Kings

At the end of your long trek, you face the unknown terrors of
the Mam pang Fortress. Hidden inside the keep is the Crown of
Kings - the ultimate goal of the Sorcery! epic. But beware! For if
you h ave nol defeated the Seven Serpents, your arrival has
bee n a nticipa ted . ..

Comple te ·with all the magical spells you will need,

each book can be playe d either on its own or as part of
the whol e epic.
 Fantasy Questbooks - 32 pages - full colour

ST ARFLIGHT ZE RO
Onvirl Fickling n11rl Perry Hi11to11
lll11st rnterl by Peter A ndrew /011es
O ne by one th e Free P la ne ts have fa lle n to the re lentless
adva nce of the dark s hips until on ly Caldora n and Palonar
remain . Then a las t, despairing message comes from Palonar
a nd Caldoran is o n its ow n. It seems that the invaders will soon
conqu er the last ou tpos t of res is tance, and th e only hope for the
survival of Ca ldoran is one last desperate mission - YOU are
part of the mi ss ion. As you s peed across the galaxy, all the
information yo u need is there, ingeniously hidden in both text
and pictu res and each s trand of the mys te ry unravels to reveal
the nex t. But are YOU s ha rp e no ug h to· crack it? Can YOU
complete the task you have been se t?

THE PATH OF PERIL

Onvirl Fickling nnd Perry Hinton
11/ustrnterl by Rnchel Birkett
A famous explore r has been fo ully murdered, and the lege n-
dary l31oodstone which he acquired unde r mysterious circum-
s ta nces, is missing .... It seems that the explorer expected to
meet a violen t end and prepared the way for YOU to track
down his murd e re r, but the clues he laid have become scattered
in the turmoil of his terrible death. Ca n Y 0 U complete the task
you have been set? Do YOU dare take up the challenge?
 OUT OF THE PIT
FIGHT I NG FANTASY MONSTERS

Steve Jackson n11d Inn Livingstone

From th e darkest corne rs, from the d eepes t pools and from
dungeons thoug ht o nly to exis t in nightmares come the Fight-
ing Fan tasy mo ns te rs - the downfall of many a brave warrior.
Two hundred a nd fi fty of th ese loa thsome creatures from the
w ild a nd dangerous worlds o f Figh ting Fan tasy are collected
here - som e a re o ld adversaries, many you have yet to meet -
each of th e m described in minu te detail. An indispensable
g uide for Fig ht ing Fa ntasy adventure rs!
 As the young hero, Altheus, scourge of the ungodly,
Y0 U have survived the Perils of Crete, slain the Minotaur
and are now triumphantly setting sail for Troezen ·.
and home.
But your voyage will be long and d.a ngerous. Bewar th
storms and perils that will surely beset you - the Clashing
Rocks, dark dangers of the Underworld, slavery and
shipwreck, as you struggle towards the fulfilment of
your noble quest!
AU you need is two dice, a pencil and an eraser to embark
on this heroic adventure in the land of myths and legends.
· Return of the Wanderer can be played on its own or as part .
of the whole Cretan Chronicles epic adventure, .

THE CRETAN CHRONICLES

1 Bloodfeud of Altheus
2 At the Court of King Minos
3 Return of the Wanderer