The Voyage of the Margo

http://www.Bibracte.dreamwater.org/ATWAS/Margo.jpg

Jason was an opportunist as we all know... Just ask Medea. It is a fact that much of what he claimed to have done had all been done before and not by a crew of Greek Supermen. No, but by a band of colorful misfits thrown together by tragic circumstance when The Mountain blew its top!

The Margo now lies at anchor in the harbor of Rhodes. The Great Colossus casts it's shadow across her noble bow.

Captain Orestes has paid off his loyal crew after their last voyage and now, with only his Bosun by his side, he awaits the return of Squid and whoever he's been able to enlist in the seafront taverns to make up a new crew for the next adventure... into the lands of myth and legend.

JOURNEY TO THE NEW WORLD!

CREW NEEDED!

*************************

If you would like to come aboard, PM either Maid of Marvels or ariosto before posting.

Thanks,
"The Crew"

Captain Orrey Orestes - ariosto
Black Dianae - Dianae of Cruachan
Squid Didius - Orion Hunter aka "Unregistered"
Messalina - Maid of Marvels
Axeus - Tibvo
Princess Daquiri Saffire Stavrinos - StarXChyld

Have fun but keep it in the spirit of the times. All things in moderation.

Messalina

http://www.Bibracte.dreamwater.org/ATWAS/MessalinaL.jpgMessalina woke with a pounding headache. Damn that Thracian wine! It did it to her every time and she hadn't learned yet.

Pushing back the covers, Messa swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up to get her... bare legs? She closed her eyes tightly and looked down through a tiny slit in her eyes. Bare EVERYTHING! Where in the name of all the gods were her clothes? Forget the clothes, where was SHE???

Think, Messalina! Think! Her head was spinning. No. Not spinning... What was that rocking? She was on a... Messalina hurried up on deck to see a group of people gathered there.

Foggy memories from the night before slowly began to emerge as the fresh air hit her. Damn that man! He said this was a private yacht!! Rushing to the side of the ship, she leaned over as far as she could without falling overboard. And just in the nick of time.

Wiping her mouth on her sleeve, she shook her head in sad disbelief. Oh. This was NOT going to be a good day.

A new class of recruits

was being herded aboard by Squid and his ever loyal pal Shark. It wasn't the greatest bunch he had ever found, but in the waterfront bars of Rhodes you couldn't afford to be all the particular.

Leading them up the gangway, he left Shark to see to their billets as he went aft to the pilot's table. Here was where Squid did most of his work at sea. All his charts and carefully copied sailing directions were there in a locked trunk.

Suddenly there was the pounding of feet running across the deck. He looked up to see a good looking redhead dash to the side and then start to heave her guts out over the side. Wiping her mouth, she turned and started yelling for Jacques.

Squid smiled to himself as the girl suddenly realized that she was naked on deck and that every eye of every scurvy dog Squid had brought on board was now turned on her. "Jacques? Where are you?"

"Awright you lot! I know you've all seen a naked girl before. So get back to work fore the Skipper takes it in his head to turn the bosun loose on yers." Squid snarled. "Ye think I'm a tough bastard now, but you'll think I'm a bleedin saint after you've tangled with Black Dianae."

Leaving the crew to think on that, and the redhead to continue her quest for Jacques, Squid went back to his charts and his sundial.

Squid

"Er...uh...Squid?" Shark stood expectantly by the chart table. "Are you having a bad day?"

"And just why would you say that?" Squid shot back with a snarl.

"Um, well fer one thing, Girlie there did have clothes on. Not many, I'll admit, but she did. And fer another, Dianae is the first mate now. Jacques is bosun. Orrey said so when we paid off the last lot. Remember?"

"Oh yeah, I do remember him saying something like that as he headed down the gangway. I guess it was that girl on either arm that interfered with me hearing it all. And as fer Red...are you sure she weren't ....."

"No Squid, she weren't. Tell you what. Wait here, and I'll see if I can find you a stiff drink. That should improve yer outlook on things."

"Jest bring the bottle. That should be about right fer the way I feel this morning." Squid grunted in reply.

Captain Orestes

"BLAST AN AVAST THERE!"
The trajectory of Messalina's discharge narrowly missed the bandy legged , broad chested sea captain as he swaggered up the gangway.
He'd have launched into an even more colorful diatrabe had not the woman's ashen green face compelled him to a compassion that he usually did his best to hide.

"Ahrrr...'ere now Las, I told ya not to drink that swill!
DUCK!",
He yelled for the Margo's cook,
"DUCK!"
A furtive, rat faced, dirty man appeared scrubbing his hands in his apron.
" Bring the wench a draft a that cod liver oil an' goats milk that we..."

Messalina lept for the rail as her gorge rose once again.

"GOD DAMMIT! NOT TO WINDWARD!...NOT TO...."
Too late...

"Duck break out a 'ose and 'ose 'er down...God's blood!
...No not 'er, not 'er! The deck, me pretty deck...clean it up!"

Taking the wretched woman by the arm, Captain Orrey maneuvered her below, brushing past Squid bending over the Chart table.
"Strike a course for Alexandria, we'll sail as soon as Dianae get's her with the draft of rowers from the lazaretto."
Squid dropped his calipers,
"Cap ain't that where they keep the looneys!"
"Put a fookin' oar in their 'ands and there as sane as the rest! "
He said slamming his cabin door.

"Now." He said putting his hands on his hips.
"Let's take those 'oderous trifles oof ye, an I'll scrub ya clean m'self!"

OOC...The Margo is almost set to sail away into the lusty waters of Greek myth.
We are still shipping crew so if you'd like to man an oar or oar a man please PM me or Maid of Marvels.

All Aboard!

ooc: I Pmed the maid and have not yet gotten a reply..

Is it Heroes or Gyroes?

'Ah yes, Messalina's puking, Squid's eyeing the latest and cheapest charts, the Capt'n's cursing the mess splattered all over his ship, and here I am, still stuck with that Damned rat! Situation Normal!' Dianae of Cruachan chortled to her self, while dragging three more limp-dicked swabs aboard the MARGO.

'That Does it!' a high-pitched and annoyingly familiar voice chirped in Dianae's ear. 'Next time you decide you wanna go pub-crawling, WARN Me! I Don't appreciate some Over-grown Barbarian trying to make a quick snack of My tender Flesh!'

"What are you complaining about, Rodent?! At Least he tried to swallow ye Raw!" the tall First Mate of the MARGO laughed out loud, drawing a pained look from the Navigator and his cohort in crime

Squid hollered, "Hey, Di, ye wanna tone it down to a quiet roar? An' What in the Name of Zeus's Busy Balls is that yer draggin onto the MARGO?! I Think ye better throw 'em back!"

Then the deep-throated bellow that was Capt'n Orrey added to the noise, "TELL ME YE GOT RID O' THAT FARGIN' RAT!!!"

Dianae started laughing uproariously while the rodent in question, 'Ratty' by name, burst into a scorching tirade of rattish swearing that added a whole new twist to the concept of performing acts that where physically impossible.

'Yeah, situation normal, alright!'

Messalina

http://www.Bibracte.dreamwater.org/ATWAS/MessalinaL.jpgThere is a ruckus topside and Orrey stopped leering and ogling long enough to listen. "TELL ME YE GOT RID O' THAT FARGIN' RAT!!!" he bellowed before turning back to Messa with a sheepish grin.

The Amazonian Dianae's reputation preceded her. Uh huh... and that rat that was always running up under her armor. She was an odd one, Messalina thought to herself. 'Course most of Orrey's crew was odd to hear it told.

Messalina squinted at the Captain, "Do I know you?" Gods her head hurt! She remembered little past the first amphora of Thracian wine the night before.

"Oh, nevermind!" It occurred to her that it didn't much matter if he looked familiar or not just this moment. She'd sort it all out later. "Bath? Did you say bath?? Sweet goddess, I would love a bath! And is there someone aboard who does manicures as well? I seem to have chipped a nail somewhere along the way."

Messalina peeled off her clothes and looked around for the tub as a few galley slaves hurried in buckling under the weight of huge buckets. "Oooh... I love a place with running water. Do you have bubbles, too?"

With his tall, lusty, buxom first mate aboard Orrey felt much better. Even if the draft of wretches she brought with her looked like the scum of the earth and damned crazy too.

"Put em on the starboard side mate."

"I protest!"
A tall lean rower stood up from the ninth bench inside. The Rowers Union Shop Steward local 577.

"Gar , fukkit! It's 9a again!"
Orrey began to go crimson.

"I'll handle it Cap."
Bless 'er, he thought. That's a mate worth her weight in gold.

A disturbance on the foc'sle.
Messalina was standing naked, her nipples hardening in the fresh sea breeze, surrounded by attentive sailormen who were hauling a huge oaken tub from the galley and trying not to step on their tongues.

"Ere now! what's this?!"

"I need to bathe mon capitan."
The woman was outrageous! shameless! Not a shred of modesty!

"She needs to bathe mon capitan."
Echoed the crew.

"Shut up! ye sods an get back to sailorin'...
I'll bathe the wench!"

Squid

"Bathe? Did somebody say bathe?" Squid looked up from his charts towards the foredeck. Dianae had mustered the "new recruits" there, so Squid figured the mate was just going to have them hosed off and maybe drown a drooling idiot or two.

It was Orre's thundering and Dianae's cursing that changed his mind. Then he saw her. Messalina was standing there waiting for several of the deckapes to fill a huge wooden tub with water. And this time Squid knew he was right when he saw she was bare ass naked. Hangover or not, he wasn't blind!

"Squid! You got that course to Alexandria worked up yet?"

"Working on it Skipper! I'm a navigator, not a bloody miracle worker! If you'd buy charts printed on something thicker than ass wipe I could do my job better ya know."

Orrey just gave him a dirty look and walked away muttering about cost containment under his breath.

Cassius

Message deleted by request of an asshole who shall remain nameless.

Cost containment....right...

'Damn, I thought we'd lost that fargin' union steward at the last port of call! Definitly a plug nummus, that one!' the tall, sculpted First Mate of the MARGO rolled her eyes. Depositing the three wretches on the aft starboard, Dianae was stalking toward the wide-eyed 9A just as someone hailed from dockside. Someone Asking to be Hired?!

Dianae jerked to a stop, eyeing the the man and quickly decided that he had all the qualifications necessary. Two arms, two legs and he was Breathing! Not that she held that as a carved in stone requirement, considering some former crewmates on previous voyages...

"Hey, Capt'n Orrey!" she bellowed, nearly deafening the louts seated in rows 12 through7. "Hate ta interupt yer scrub-a-dubbin', but if ye'll set an eye to the dockside volunteer, I'll finish squarin' the crew away."

Orrey went several shades of crimson, roaring, "GODDAMMIT TA HELL! YER TIMIN' AN' BLASTED INTERUPTIONS ARE RUININ' ME PLEASURES!" His tirade faded into a low-level bellowing as he left a giggling Messalina splashing happily in her bath and threatened the surrounding deckapes with complete de-manning with a dull knife if they wandered too close to his 'property'. Which made 'Lina giggle even harder.

Turning her attention back to the now-nervous 9A, Dianae smilingly strolled up to the man, unchained him from his oar and escourted him to the bow of the ship. After a few minutes of quiet talking, accompanied by strange and worrysome hand-gestures, the still smiling First Mate returned the pasty-white union steward back to his oar and set his chains in place.

'Aye, with a touch of gentle persuasion here and there, I think this crew might shape up rather nicely!' Dianaes grinned wickedly.

Squid glanced up from his maps, eyeing the studiously quiet rowing crew and the grinning First Mate. Shaking his head and grinning himself, he nudged Shark. "Ye think Di's back to using her delicate, womanly charms on the crew?"

"Oh, Most definitly, Squid me Lad! Most Definitly!" Shark smiled.

Castalia Metisthal

http://www.bardshouse.dreamwater.org/ManorHouse/MM Smudged.jpg

Castalia holds a slim sun darkened hand up to shade her eyes as she takes in the bold ship Margo.

'So, this will be my home for a while. Time to get myself acquainted.' Grabbing the multi-colored satchel by the handle, Castalia tosses it over the shoulder and weaves her way on board. Watching the bustling action on deck, her eyebrow raises questioningly at the beautiful woman bathing in the open, and a smile of amusement pulls upon her full lips at the sight of rowers being doused clean with sea water. Catching one of the sailors by the arm, Castalia asks, "Who do I speak with about passage on board?"

The man leers appreciatively at her and lust instantly overtakes whatever he had in his mind. He boldly rakes her body up and down with his hungry gaze. 'Another animal! What luck I have on attracting such filth.' Just as he begins to make his all too obvious move, Castalia sees a tall striking Amazon calling out orders. Stopping the advances of the walking ape with one sizzling glance, she makes her way to the Amazonian woman.

"Excuse me, I heard the Margo is taking on new help. I want to join the crew."

"Ye be more careful with that one then you were with the last mate!"
Orrey walks back from the rail as a thundering splash of water rises high into the air from the new crewman he just tossed over the side.

Joining Dianae in front of the now alarmed recruit he looked her up and down.
She looked him up and down.
There wasn't much of Orrey in that direction so it didn't take long. Compared to the majestic Amazon the Captain didn't amount to much.

"Can she reef and steer?"
He asked the mate as though Castalia wern't there.
"Dunno Cap, havn't asked her."

Orrey finally directed his one good eye at her.
"Can ye splice a bowline, haul the braces, clew up a mains'l?"

The girl nodded...sure she could.

"Make her the helmsman Mate. Wulf ain't around no more. The bleedin fart got himself a birth in the City jail."
'Sides...he thought, she's got a cute damn ass...look picturesque behind the Margo's wheel.

"ORREY!"
Mess was calling from her tub.
"Wash my back dear."

GOD'S BLOOD!...why'd I ever get 'ooked up with a blinkin' Oracle any way!

Slumgulion!

Rubbing her chin, Dianae considered the newest volunteer. 'Hmmm, a bit on the lean side through the shoulders, but has a good, strong-looking frame. Ah, what the hell, if the lass is game, I'd be the last one ta turn her away!'

Orrey swaggered up next to the tall Amazon and scrutinized the lass as well. Though he wasn't heroically tall as one would figure of such a far-wandering sea captain, he more than made up for it in a square frame and solidly packed muscle. And there was a VERY good reason her captain was banty-legged and wore breeks under his chiton.....There were some things Not ment for the Public view!

"Can she reef and steer?" he asked the mate as though Castalia weren't there.

"Dunno Cap, haven't asked her," Dianae admitted with a wry grin, while Orrey looked at the lass with his one good eye.

"Can ye splice a bowline, haul the braces, clew up a mains'l?"

The girl nodded, though the tall First Mate had the odd feeling that she understood most of what the capt'n said as bad Egyptian. Orry snorted, then said, "Make her the helmsman Mate. Wulf ain't around no more. The bleedin fart got himself a birth in the City jail."

"Is That where the lout ended up?!" Dianae grinned, then shook her head. "Well, figgered he'd found himself another pair of wives! What a farg-up!"

"ORREY!" Mess' was calling from her tub. "Wash my back dear."

Dianae started laughing at the frustrated look on her Capt'ns sea-weather face then escourted the now-wary Castalia aft, showing her where to stow her gear.

There was another, Louder disturbance on the foc'sle, involving much swearing, soapy bathwater flying in all directions and Mess' yelling, "Dammit Orrey! He Was Just Helping!"

'Ah yes, all was well upon the MARGO'

Axeus

OOC:
Name: Axeus
Age: 18 or older
Description: 5'8" Tall with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He is a gaunt young man, wearing rags.

IC:
His heart is hammering in his ears as he tears through the market streets.

They are just behind me!

Glancing back, he can see two large looking figures coming up the street, throwing people aside. Ducking into another side street, he barges through more bustling crowds until he breaks out into the open.

The harbour!

"I can escape on a boat!" He says to himself as he frantically looks for a vessel which he estimates is large enough to take him far from this land.

There!

Sprinting over, he sees that the boat is called the Margo.

"Hey! Watch it!"

The commotion behind him grabs the boy's attention and he sees the two figures emerging from the side street. Not having a moment to lose, he dives onboard, landing at the feet of a tough looking woman...

Just as Orrey picked up the sponge that Mess had demanded he dive and get for her, (nearly being strangled by an octopus in the process). Dianae's long shadow fell across the tub.

"Aye mate?"
he said applying the sponge to two of the parts of Messalina's anatomy that he held very dear.

"Problem Cap."

He cast a baleful eye up at her.
"What?"

"The new girl...says she's a trained herbalist and doesn't want to steer."

"A 'erbalist!...not another blinkin witch! Not on my boat!!"

"Ouch Orrey!...don't squeeze so hard."
Mess squirmed in the tub.

"No Cap, I think an Herbalist is a sort of physician or something."

"Well damn me!...Ain't nobody sick!"
He thought a minute.

"Tell her t'take the wheel and get us outa this bloody place, then we'll talk about this
'erbalist business."

Dianae, walked to the quarterdeck...
"Let loose the anchor!...Oars...Back! Portside Now!
Make sail!"

With a seasick woman in a wooden tub on the focs'l and a reluctant Doctor at the helm, the margo begins to draw away from the dock when with a loud thump a completely disreputable looking rogue lands at Dianae's feet.

"Need another hand?"
he gasps...hopefully.

Messalina

http://www.Bibracte.dreamwater.org/ATWAS/MessalinaL.jpgPortside Now!!

Messa grinned and turned around, presenting her wiggling posterior for closer inspection by the Captain. "Orrey, honey... Are you taking me shopping? I heard of the quaintest little shop..."

A clatter on the deck distracted the captain from his mission once again. Dissapointed, Messalina stood, her body brushing against Orrey's face. His nose bumped along the length of her thighs as she turned. "You know how much I love sunbathing, but I think I'll just find a good scroll to read and try to get a tan."

Orrey headed for his favorite mast and began to bang his head. Messa sighed. He really needed to stop doing that.

Squid

Squid hadn't believed his ears. Someone had actually asked for passage on the Margo? What was the bleedin world coming to? Then as if to be taken in a one two punch, it had happened a second time. This time by a female.

She had come on board without as much as a "by yer leave," and had started palavering with Dianae. Then the skipper had to put his two drachmas in as well. Punchline? She was the new helmsman!Then the skipper in his ultimate wisdom had ordered the crew to cast off.

From up forard, the redhead had been getting in a bath and a good ogling from the rest of the crew. Squid hadn't heard what she said, but judging from the fact the the captain was giving himself excederin headache number 29 by butting the mast with his head, it must have been choice.

Now Squid looked up from his charts to see that Margo was wandering across the harbor like a drunken whore. Looking over at the helm explained why. The new helsman(woman?) was just standing there watching as the steering oar flopped from one side to the other.

For a second Squid considered joing the skipper at the mast. Then as a large Spartan amphorae carrier bore down on them he thought better of the idea. He grabbed the oar with one hand, and the new helmsman with the other. Tugging her by her blouse, he dragged her to the oar.

" 'Ere now. Ye takes the oar like this, and ye watches the bow (pointing forward to the nose of the Margo). Ye keeps the bow pointed out that way...(pointing to open water)...if yer wants to go to port, turn the oar to the left. Starboard, the other way. Got it?"

"Er ah...yes. I think so."

"Good. Any other questions?"

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?"

The girl half turned to him as he kept her at the steering oar.

"Can you let go of my boob now? I think I would be able to work better that way."

"Eh Wha???" Squid suddenly realized he had grabbed more than just a handful of material.

"Oh...er...ah....yeah. Gotta get back to me charts anyway..." Squid walked off towards the chart table, flexing his hands as he went.

"Damn I must be loosing me sense o touch." he thought to himself. "I had me a handful and didn't even realize it. Either I'm getting old, or that was some real rotgut we was drinkin ashore last night. I'll have to talk to Shark about that. I've warned him before about that."

Reaching the table, he settled back to his work. Around him, the confusion that was the daily life of the Margo continued apace.

Castalia Metisthal



The tall scruffy sailor leaves Castalia by the wooden thing that sticks in the water. This does not seem too hard at all. If I want to go right...uhmmm... what was that word again? OH! Starboard... Meanwhile, Castalia brings the wooden bar sharply to the right--towards the harbor!!! Margo's boards groan as if she is in pain and leans dangerously close to the surface of the water! Everyone on the ship scrambles to grab something to give them purchase.

She gives out a scream that gets lost in the chorus of curses flying her way. Castalia quickly pulls the wooden oar in other direction and Margo's boards creak & screech more as it rights itself and lurches in the opposite direction!

"Not that way you stupid wench!" bellows the Captain Orrey.

"Ye gots ta do it slow!" yells the scruffy fellow who was teaching Castalia how to use the helm.

Her golden skin becomes red with embarrassment and is quickly chased by righteous anger. Blame me for something I do not know how to do! But I can do this! Raising her slim arms into the air, she calls out in a strange tongue.

"Illabahnarisk raeinifensthia rok zha taik oiwhaelkicshaen! Tae foisrkcan po po ta he ta hei tiknox TAI!"

The entire ship rises out of the water with a loud sucking sound, skims the surface as it flies out to sea at a fast clip, and falls abruptly back into the sea with a great big splash!

As soon as Margo sat still in the calming waters, the others rush to the helm to give the gypsy-like woman a talking to--

Only to find Squid already there before them, holding the unconscious female in a strange grasp. No one, not even Squid noticed how his hand holds more than a handful of material. They just cursed her more for being knocked out! What would be the point of yelling at someone who is asleep?

Axeus

He is about to explain to the woman why he is on her ship when he feels the whole ship lurch.

Lapetus' Bones! What is that?

Then the ship shoots forward, rapidly leaving both the harbour and his pursuers behind. Then just as abruptly, Axeus feels a slight falling sensation and a loud splash as the ship rocks side to side.

Cursing, the woman, along with the rest of the crew, rushes to the back of the ship, leaving Axeus behind, possibly forgotten. Before anyone else can see him (hopefully), he makes for cover...

Messalina

Messa was standing by the rail when the Margo lurched. There was no time for her to grab for purchase as she slid over the side unnoticed in the commotion on deck.

The Oracle tried to call for help, but the waves crashed over her and she slowly sank, leaving not a trace behind.

Or...

withdrawn pending settlement of small problem...patience please.

Orrey sat splaylegged on the deck after the surprising levitation and after the cascading water had finally thundered down around the violently rocking Margo.

The entire crew was dumbstruck as the enormous head and shoulders of Poseidon rose from the sea beside them.

"Hi Orrey, old Friend."
His voice filled the sails and the Margo lurched backwards.

I wanted to test you and your ship. Shall I do it again.

No! everyone chorused, the Margo could never take such a dunking again, she'd fall to splinters!

"Why'n hades didja do THAT!."
Orrey hopped to his feet livid with rage.

Now now calm down captain, you shalt question the Gods you know.
Posedon leaned close holding the ship in place with one giant finger pressed to the tip of the mast.
But...I'll tell you in due time. I wanted to see how well found your vessel is for you will be meeting forces the like of which you've never seen before on this voyage.

"'Ere now!...Just you wait! We're going to Alexandria to deliver 500 casks of olive oil! It's a bleedin' milk run!"

The God laughed and the Margo nearly capsized.
That's what you think!...Oh and here you may have need of your Oracle.
He placed a waterlogged and blue in the face Messalina on the foredeck.

She's all right but you might ask your helmsman to look after her, I believe the girl is quite good with healing herbs and spells.

And with that, leaving more questions than answers, his great shaggy green head disappeared beneath the waves.