The Sea People's

[spunkgyu]

Inspired by Urist New Horizons and the dead New frontiers.

I was considering writing a reverse tale where it was a ship of *Beleri* adventurers who stumbled across a Soia teleporter and got sent to Earth. But because that was set many, many centuries earlier than 700 AD, they would arrive just in time to go raiding and plundering around the Eastern Mediterranean... and go down in human history as the mysterious 'Sea Peoples'!

If you won't write it I will.

SpoilerShow

Synopsis: A Diral of young Soroin has just finished the isolation period and is now ready to fulfill the trial of combat. They have been sent to raid the trade cities of Malia, but they find themselves in an ancient Soia ruin and are transported far away from home. They see themselves in a strange new world with strange new people.

“” for speak
<> for sanzai
Prolog: Soia Shenanigans

It was time, it had been two years since the diral first sent out. It seemed so easy, we were gonna claim our rightful place under the stars. Stormcloud boasted that the whole diral would make it all 50 of us. There was no obstacle too great for us to overcome, but if it was easy all loroi would be warriors. Our merry group fell apart, some due to cowardice and others due to sickness. Now there were only 27 left and our greatest challenge was to soon come.

<It is over here I remember it!> Jade sent, the diral was to meet up with the elders then they would tell us our trial of combat. It was a shame so many had already left but I took solace in the fact that meant only the best remains.

The path down into the town was nostalgic. The luscious greenery and well trodden ground beneath our feet was a hint of civilization me and my sisters had not seen in years. Soon the forest gave way to the marches of misesa and where some herders brought the mirrors to the market. The dirt was hard under constant use by traders and travelers.

<Hey Bravehunt you used to hide under that bush> Stormcloud mocked me. <You used to win every hunting game until that miro looked under it and you shrieked in terror> laughter lit up the little patch of woodland. <I thought a lightning bolt had smited you> Jade added letting another round of laughter pass.

<Oh! You dare join in? I remember when you were sleeping we snuck in a miro’s cub and when you woke up you flew a mannal up and hit the ceiling> I remarked she was quite audacious for joining. I had the most memories of her failings. We turned at the old spike crossing. Our path was not into the town but to the sacred woods nearby. Where the borros grew their juicy fruit and I used to lay with my crèche mate there. The road we walked was overgrown; it was rarely used and even then, only for ceremonial occasions.

We saw one of the oldest elders there, Sunfire was sitting on the old fallen log at the back. There was a small fire circle at the centre as we filled in around it. She was there like a sight of providence that we had a glorious future to come. She was the greatest warrior our small town had ever had with the largest home for her descendants second only to the clan head.

<A larger amount than I expected lived> She remarks without tact uncaring of the dead. <You have a special task for trial> Sanzai sent confused feelings throughout our group, we had not failed that badly had we? There was a lot worse. Before us the last diral returned with 14 warriors.

<It is not a punshintment> She sents stopping our confusion. <The city needs someone who can blend in. We old warriors are too well known in Malia to sneak into their lands to raid> It was then Stone saw a hidden warrior behind her hidden among the foliage.

<Look> She sent with suspicion.
She was hidden under a lotai so we could not see her. <You are well prepared for this> the clanhead said as she lifted her lotai. The hidden warrior was the great leader herself!. <Half the warriors that go through this test fail>. She walked out onto the open as feelings of excitement busted out in sanzai.

Pride busted our ranks with this. To be praised by the clan leader herself was unheard of for a diral. She continues <I have a special task for your combat trial normally I would send your group to raid deep into the forest clans; However, a unique opportunity presents itself with your group> I stood up tall at that as we prepared for the great honor we were given.

<You are to raid the Malia sea cities they have forged an alliance with the sea peoples. Their lands remain ripe for pundler> She needed no convincing of us. We young and hot blooded girls were ready to sail out to sea.<Come back with the head of their warriors one for each of you at least>

<Follow me> she sent as she moved not waiting for us to hear her. We were brought to the outskirts of the town. The grass gave way to the rocky shore near the seaside. On the shores pulled up from the tide line by a few dozen mannal was our ship. <You have been given your ship> She sternly told us <We do not usually give out handouts don't make us regret it>

Our raiding vessel was a Karve easy to use. Jade had near perfect memory; she used the star to navigate the forest and even the dumbest in our diral knew all the major constellations in case we needed to separate.

<Rest for now> Sunfire told us. <you have a long journey ahead>

We sent out to our old camp site in the woods prepared for the day of triumph soon we were to be warriors. The way back was filled with happy chatter from sanzai as we settled for the night.

As we woke we tore down our campsite and packed it up. We took some dry wood and a firestarter. We had raided foreign villages and gotten some steel from them.

<Captain, what is the plan?> Stone asked. <We drag in the ship to hide from the water and find a small village> I say.

<Nonsense!> Stromcloud says<I say we charge in to one of their trading port and raise it to the ground!> Cheers went up at that. <We cannot take on
an entire city by ourselves> I sent indubiously.

<We are to be warriors not farmers> Opal stated <While charging in head on it a dumb idea let us at least bring gold back with us instead of crops> Support for her idea floated about in sanzai.

<Find let us find a place to bunker down and we can think up of a plan> I said unwilling to argue about the future. <At least let us bring back treasures> some one else sent.

<We will bring back something to impress> I assured them. As we pulled up to our ship. A small group of warriors were there waiting for us. I saw our mothers there ready to see us off.

<My daughter> Mother greed me. Warm with love we sent our emotions over. Our reunion was not long and we left with a promise we would return to cut our hair.

Jade was brought to the sign as the sailors explained to her the navigation route and how to traverse the sea. We didn’t have enough time to eat our meals, so we packed them up and stored them onboard. We got out Leather armour and the steel swords and other weapons we had looted.

<Set mast foot> I ordered them. The winds were light today. It would take us too long if we were to stop for food, but if we hurried we could be there by nightfall. We tightened the shrouds as we ventured off to the north.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the horizon we see a small white ceramic building with small sections of moss growing on its damaged exterior. It was a small sandy island filled with the ruin of the Soia, small chunks from the ruin littered the beach. Most of the island was covered by the ruin with only a few mannals of sand on the outside before the building started.

<We go east from here> Jade told us <From here the currents pull directly to Malia>. The crew shifted the mast foot towards the island and ready the anchor. There wasn’t room to pull the ship on land.

<Let us stop here and eat before we head out> I told them. We had made great time as the winds picked up as we left. There was time to relax and to prepare our armour. As we sailed to find a good place to stop we saw the north side was collapsed. The whole ruin was a square shape of a single storey; there was no sign of how it was made. Altho it was mildly wrecked it looked like it was a single marble chunk with no signs of bricks or of the tools used to crave it existed on the exterior.

<Jade, what do you know about this ruin?> Opal asked as she released the anchor. Two more jumped out the ship to pull it into the beach as the seafloor leveled out onto land here.

<Not much, the site is covered in strange hieroglyphics and it has an underground area. It is one of the Soia’s places> She says. The diral walked into the ruin; it had a large collapse in its walls; at the north the area was mildly mossy; the island was small, about 512 or so mannals. There was no soil, only stones and sand, small broken off ceramics littered the ground. Deeper inside there was an opening that led under the water table.

<We’ll eat here> Glowberry sent. We had packed mostly salted meat and there was plenty. The interior of the ruin had a clear firehole where people before us had started fires. The inside, unlike the outside of the ruin, had graffiti on it. Various words and crude symbols of body parts. The opening deeper in led to stairs to a basement inside.

<I bet you're too much of a pussy to go all the down> Stormcloud challenged me. As she vaulted into the lower sections <Am not> I resonated offended at the comment as I followed her. The stairs led to a large room about the same size as the island itself. The lower sections are unusually humid although they are below sea level. The walls were lined with runic symbols and strange lines. In the center there was a circle lined with geometric shapes.

<What is this?> I questioned the group. A few other members of my diral followed us in.

<looks like an altar> Glowberry sent like the ones elders sacrifice animals to the ancestors at> She stepped forward measuring the Intricate lines. The walls were dusty; they looked weak yet still held out against the water. The whole area should be flooded. It was well under the sea level, the walls were rough and bumpy. The whole area had various sections where the complex rune work was destroyed by age and erosion.

<Bravehunt! The circle is glowing> Jade panicked. I looked over but it was unnecessary. The whole room lit up like a flame. I saw a bright flash.

<Fuck!> This lasted for a few solons then it got dark.

<The stars are out> Opal mentioned before the rest of us could recover.
I looked in shock, it was just noon, how are the stars out? I looked to the consolation of the great warrior tempest gone.

<Bravehunt! I don’t recognize the sky!> Jade panicked and caused the rest of my diral to overreact. We were on the surface of a sandy island. It was flat and arid with low coverage of vegetation. Our boat and only way of escape was gone

<ALL OF YOU! STOP!> Stromcloub ejaculated, stopping us. <Now is not the time to be panicking we are to be warriors!> This strengthens our resilience.

I counted our numbers: Jade, Opal, Stormcloud, Stone, Glowberry, Brightwind, Rain, Well, and Lostarrow. Only half the diral followed with us, we had our weapons on us as well as our armour however we left our supplies.

<Should we set up camp?> Well asked, a fire would be best for heat in the night.

<Yes, although none of us are sleepy> None of us had a starter but we got the flame up anyway.

Soon morning came and we looked over where we were. <We're completely lost> Jade sent,<I've never heard of this place nor seen it>. The vegetation looked completely unique and the soil was very distinct. More clay than the ones at home and never mind the fact we were transported somewhere.

<I see boats over to the west> Opal sent. There was a large fleet of about 16 or so ships; they had a single triangle sail with long rows of oars on each side; it was unique.

<What tribe has sails like that?> I asked as we prepared our weapons.

<I don’t know I never heard or seen this kind of ship before> Jade sent.

Soon the fleet landed on our island they were hidden under the strongest lotai I had ever felt it was likely they were dead and lifeless. As they came near us I noticed their strange olive skin tone.

“Greetings, who are you?” I spoke.

[Urist]

Haha! I love it! Poor ~ten diral-kids, lost on an alien world...

(And poor Egypt, Mycenae, and Hittites, having to fight them!)

Pharaoh Meneptah, seeing ten rather fierce (and very blue) young women aiming spears and bows at him: "[What in Thoth's good name am I looking at, here?]"

Also, come to think of it... the Sea Peoples were attested to have attacked at just about the same time as the Trojan War was said to have been fought. Roughly ~1170-1200 BC. So...

Royal Odysseus, still trying to get home and now running into a group of women who also haven't been able to find their way back home after some strange event threw them wildly off-course: "First time?"

[spunkgyu]

The Trojan War is most likely a mythologized recollection of various Greek raids into Eastern Anatolia. There are tons of evidence for the presence of Greek raiders in eastern Anatolia but Odysseus as a person is unlikely to be real. And at least partially some of the sea people have been confirmed to be Greek Predecessors. (Tawagala letter and Assuwa rebellion). Paris of troy is sometimes called alexander and in 1280s bc there is record of a Alaksandu of Wilusa. He's likely the original Paris of Troy.

[spunkgyu]

Chapter 1: The Sea Nymphs

Clear sea and clear skies there were no clearer signs of Poseidon's favor than this at least that's what my father said. I was too busy being seasick to care. The old men rowing the ship laughed at my expense. The waves moved the ship up and down and up and down just giving me nausea. I was stuck here for the next week or so, what a horrid fate.

“Cheer up lad” Lord Agamemnon said, "You'll get used to this, how about you switch with your father? The hard labor will steal your stomach sickness" He motioned for dad to get up and pass on the oar to me.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Eratosthenes, these breaded ones have no room to mock you. I remember all their first stride into the water” I graded the long oar and began rowing. “Half of them were vomiting their stomach contents the whole trip. You're twice the man they are” he pointed over to Hermokrates.

“Hermokrates there passed out halfway through" He frowned, “Did not!” The whole ship laughed, “Don’t be ridiculous, you could barely walk for the next three days, your legs were so wobbly!” One of them mocked him. His face grew dark under the mockery “Well don’t be surprised when I don't retrieve the hot water for you old man!” That caused the old crew to gasp in terror.

“Don’t be so cruel you know my old knees can’t handle the walk!” He said frightened at the threat. “I raised you like my own son. You can’t do this to me!” He imported Hermokrates.

“Then you should watch your tongue," he said threateningly. Silencing the mockery of his honor for now. I knew these gossipy old men were never silent for long. It was only a matter of time till they found someone else to bully.

“What’s wrong, you're still worried about your first raid?” my father asked, noticing the tension in my shoulders. “Don’t worry about it,” He calmly said," You are new, you'll be with the experienced warriors”. The coast of Anatolia was a rather frightful place to be. Word has gotten around that the Hittites have lost control in their distant territories, but the feeling of killing another man was unlikely to be a simple one. Never mind the fact I was inexperienced in the art of war.

“Lad, don't worry about it,” one of the rowers said. “Even if shit goes down the local city won’t chase us down. They just shoo us like naughty children from the cookie jar.” The crew laughed at that. I felt a reassuring hand squeeze on my shoulder.

“Hey, I have been on 9 raids in my life and I’m not dead yet” My father said proudly trying to reassure me.

“Much to our dismay” Lord Agamemnon retorted. Father scoffed at him “I didn’t see you regret it when I saved you back in Illyria” He waved it off as they argued like an old married couple.

Ilios was going to be my first real test as a man. Hopefully I find success, but fate often ruins the plans of man. I can only do my best and hope it was enough.

“Over there” Said navigator said, “There should be a holy place to praise the wavemaker”. I got the goats ready for the ritual as we came up onto the island. “Agamemnon, we seem to have company,” Father said darkly. My heart dropped fighting so soon? I was still seasick. They were going to gut me. The lord ordered our men to prepare for battle the local tribes have been fighting with us over our islands for decades. He’ll be damned if he lets them win this time.

As we pulled up, we noticed they were wearing blue paint on their bodies and strange dyed hair. “What tribe is this Cosmas?” He said to father, as men prepared for battle, we had no archers with us, so we had to make landfall.

“I don’t know my lord, I've never heard of a tribe with this custom." We landed and the men marched out with weapons in hand. One of them marched towards us as both groups prepared for combat. The soil was rocky and hard around here it would hurt to fall down.

“Rales, lozener sate?” He or She asked, was it he? I looked closer and there was a small breast on them. And their hair was around shoulder length with red, green and purple color a most queer sight. They must be girls, but then why do they have strange weapons? They were grey in color unlike any metal I've ever seen. Their ears were elongated like bats with no earlobes; they were very uncanny looking.

Father went up and spoke to them “Do you understand Greek?” They did not so he tried again in Egyptian then Hittite and Phoenian after that he used Luwian. They did not understand any of them. They were as tall as any man at 3 pechys (160 cm). Were they Cimmerians or Amazons? Those were the only people I knew that let their women fight but I never heard of them dawning on such blue paint all over their bodies.

“I don’t think they're a rival tribe my lord” Father told Agamemnon motioning the troop to lay down arms. “They look like all women, and they don’t speak any of the trade languages. I have never heard that tongue in my life”. The height of them left them at eye level with most of the warriors leaving them with unease.

The strange women looked at them with confusion, and repeated their words,”Rales, lozener sate?” They saw we had lowered arms and followed suit. “Baropir, tobei nazel," she said as I looked at her. She was wearing leather armor with a bone dagger on a necklace around her neck. She was strangely dark blue. I had thought it to be paint but as she spoke, I noticed even her tongue and the inside of her mouth was blue.

“My lord,” I said as I pointed this out, “I see” He paused for thought. “They are not human, are they?” looking for support. “They look to be nymphs,” one of the hierophantes said. I looked at the all women group. A mysterious group of women on an island famous for being connected with the nymphs and the sea? I felt stupid for not considering it earlier now that I looked closely. They were clearly non-human.

“Well, Cosmas” Agamemnon said, “They weren't lying when you said this island was holy” He smiled at this.”Bring out the sacrifice! Let us show these sea nymphs we mean no harm!” The goat was brought out and the girls backed off.

It was a white goat up to hip height, with short horns that cured just behind the neck. It had a strong bread in front muddled with the natural grime of the earth. It was a healthy young buck perfect for sacrifice.

“Sate lozener, sallan dallete?” What appears to be the leader of the group said as the goat was brought out. The group looked frightened at our movements brandishing their weapons at us. The group was very vibrant. There were 9 of them and their hairs were the most unique thing I had ever seen. All the colors of the rainbow. The leaders discussed in whispers as the two groups observed each other.

“Eratosthenes' father beckoned me,”You will bring the goat to them”. He tugged it into my reach by the horns.

“Why” I said they may be girls, but they looked like they knew how to fight. I was not ready to protect my life.

“You're a young boy,” he continued. “If one of us went up to them they would get scared. You won’t”. He gave me the goat and a knife. I couldn't hesitate now. In one swift motion I slit the goat's throat and the girls looked at me with suspicion. I slowly approached them

“I mean no harm” I said softly, it was nerve wracking. I was alone in this. If I was attacked, I was too far to be saved. I marched right up to the leader, my father watching us, and handed her the goat she took it. The rest of the group graded around in a semicircle around me. They were eerily silent in their judgement of me not a word was said. I saw their glances at each other like they were having a conversation, yet no words were spoken.

“Lotai dorrir, begelen?” She finally asked me, looking me dead in the eyes. Cutting through the award silence.

“I don’t understand you” I responded. She went up and took my hand. Her skin was cold like she was out all night. She concentrated on something and I felt a strange feeling. She looked into my eyes for an uncomfortably long time. She didn't even blink, as time went on, she felt up my forearm. I blushed at her strange behavior.

I couldn't quite place my finger on what she was trying to do, but she let go before I could figure it out. “Deizei?” she asked, waiting for me to respond. “Deizei” I said at last not really knowing what else to say. She handed me one of their strange metal weapons. It was like iron in color, shiny and dense in weight, but it felt as sturdy as any bronze tool. Orichalcum maybe?

Father went up to us; they seemed braver now. He did a slight bow of the head to show good will. Then the nymphs led me to their campsite and a few of the men followed. They felt more comfortable with us here. They had a burnt flame surrounded by stones. One of the hierophantes lit the fire and said some prayers before leaving.

“Lein" the leader said as she pointed to the flame.

“Fire” I responded.

She pointed at herself. “Bravehunt” then at me “Eratosthenes” We did this until midday when Lord Agamemnon called us back. “Finding a wife?” He teased me as the men smiled around me.

“I had a great time with the nymphs, no need to tease me” I said as they giggled around me like little girls. What mighty warriors they all were. Luckily, they did not notice my blushing earlier otherwise it would have been hopeless to defeat their teasing.

“Well, if one thing is certain, this is a sign of Poseidon's favor" He said confidently, “We head north-east then up the coast to Ilios”. The crew went up onto the ship and pushed them down into the water below and boarded the ship.

Before I could join them, I felt a hand on my forearm. I turned around and saw Bravehunt. ‘Come?” She asked. I looked back at the ships. We had room and we could use some more rowers.

“Lad let them in,” Agamemnon said, seeing the incident. I waved for her to follow. She and her sisters followed us in. Unlike me they did not appear to have sea sickness. I suppose a sea nymph with sea sickness would be a joke, but it hurts to be upset by newcomers.

“Show them how to use the oars,” Hermokrates told me. We had a few spares for them.

“Here” I said, shifting over to one of the spares. The girls went over to me. I showed them how it works and let them try. They were stronger than I expected, easily doing the work of a man.

[Snoofman]

I am impressed by your commitment to historical details so far. And what a scene with the goat! Who knows what was going on in the diral’s minds at the sight of religious sacrifice. Probably thought they were being offered a raw meal.