Clark Ashton Smith - Some Ideas and Descriptions

[jasonzavoda]

Clark Ashton Smith - Some Ideas and Descriptions from his Stories

SPOILER WARNING!

If you have not read this story TURN BACK NOW! or risk losing forever the unspoiled appreciation of Clark Ashton Smith's prose.

Inspired by the rules and setting of the Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyberborea boxed set and the discussion of the same on the OD&D Forum I have started sifting through my collection of Clark Ashton Smith for ideas.

The Abominations of Yondo
(This story first appeared in print in the April 1926 issue of Overland Monthly but the typescript is dated February 5th 1925)

Cactus-Forest [WD]
Fungi, Monstrous [MON]
Insects, Long-Legged [MON]
Lake, Weird [RVR]
Monstrous Thing [MON]
Ong (Lion Headed) [Deity]
Ong, Inquisitors of [ORG]
Vipers, Pale-Green [MON]
Yondo, Desert of [PLC]


Cactus-Forest
Ong
Ong, Inquistors of

"It was noon of a vernal day when I came forth from that interminable cactus-forest in which the inquisitors of Ong had left me, and saw at my feet the grey beginnings of Yondo."

Yondo, Desert of

"The sand of the desert of Yondo is not as the sand of other deserts; for Yondo lies nearest of all to the world's rim; and strange winds, blowing from a gulf no astronomer may hope to fathom, have sown its ruinous fields with the grey dust of corroding planets, the black ashes of extinguished suns. The dark orb-like mountains which rise from its pitted and wrinkled plain are not all its own, for some are fallen asteroids half-buried in that abysmal sand. Things have crept in from nether space, whose incursion is forbid by watchful gods of all proper and well-ordered lands; but there are no such gods in Yondo, where live the hoary genii of stars abolished, and decrepit demons left homeless by the destruction of their antiquated hells."

Cactus-Forest
Fungi, Monstrous
Vipers, Pale-Green

"...in that fantastic wood, I had found no token or memory of spring; and the swollen, fulvous, dying and half-rotten growths through which i had pushed my way, were like no other cacti; but bore shapes of abomination scarcely to be described. The very air was heavy with stagnant odors of decay; and leprous lichens mottled the black soil and russet vegetation with increasing frequency. Pale-green vipers lifted their heads from prostrate cactus-boles, and watched me with eyes of bright ochre that had no lids or pupils. These things had disquieted me for hours past; and I did not like the monstrous fungi, with hueless stems and nodding heads of poisonous mauve, which grew from sodden lips of fetid tarns; and the sinister ripples spreading and fading on the yellow water at my approach..."

Insects, Long-Legged

"I went forward, sinking at each step in a loathly softness, and followed by certain long-legged insects that I had met among the cacti. These insects were the color of a week-old corpse, and were as large as tarantulas; but when I turned and trod upon the foremost, a mephitic stench arose that was more nauseous even than their color."

Lake, Weird

"Topping one of the any mound-like ridges, I saw the waters of a weird lake, unfathomably dark and green as malachite, and set with bars of profulgent salt. These waters lay far beneath me in a cup-like basin; but almost at my feet on the wave-worn slopes were heaps of that ancient salt; and I knew that the lake was only the bitter and ebbing dregs of some former sea. Climbing down, I came to the dark waters, and began to lave my hands; but there was a sharp and corrosive sting in that immemorial brine, and I desisted quickly, preferring the desert dust that had wrapped about me like a slow shroud."

Monstrous Thing

"It was then that I heard a diabolic chuckle on the hillside above me. The sound began with a sharp abruptness that startled me beyond all reason, and continued endlessly, never varying its single note, like that mirth of some idiotic demon. I looked up, and saw the mouth of a dark cave, fanged with green stalactites, which I had not perceived before. The sound appeared to come from within this cave.

...with all the rapidity of nightmare, a monstrous Thing emerged. It had a pale, hairless, egg-shaped body, large as that of a gravid she-goat; and this body was mounted on nine long, wavering legs with many flanges, like the legs of some enormous spider. The creature ran past me to the water's edge; and I saw that there were no eyes in its oddly sloping face, but two knife-like ears rose high above its head, and a thin, wrinkled snout hung down across its mouth, whose flabby lips, parted in that eternal chuckle, revealed rows of bat's teeth."


In the few short pages of the Abominations of Yondo there is much more about the desert and its horrific denizens. Asteroid pits, ruined cities and ruined temples, mausoleums broke and surrounded by rotting cypresses. Shadow creatures, beckoning statues, vapors with the sickening odor of corruption, empty suits of armor marching across the desert, mummies of ancient kings ridden by ape-like demonic beasts with distorted bodies.

An obvious scenario idea is for the players to be driven through the mutated cactus-forest with the desert of Yondo their only means of escape, but Yondo can be the setting for many adventures. The story is a description of Yondo's horrors but it hints at greater terrors and perhaps great rewards for those who would dare explore its shattered fanes and ruined necropoli.

[mabon5127]

This is good stuff! You have a great eye for pulling and separating the various elements. I particularly like the long legged insect description. Who knows what color the week old corpse is? I sure don't but it conjures horrible and creepy in an instant! Well done!

Morgan

[jasonzavoda]

Aug 27, 2012 18:43:49 GMT -6 mabon5127 said:

This is good stuff! You have a great eye for pulling and separating the various elements. I particularly like the long legged insect description. Who knows what color the week old corpse is? I sure don't but it conjures horrible and creepy in an instant! Well done!

Morgan

Thanks! Years of indexing work I hope have helped me spot the pertinent information in a story, supplement or module, but CAS seems easy to work with.

I was lucky enough to acquire the CAS 5 volume nightshade books set and have been reading through it. There is so much information in his stories it is overwhelming (in the same way that Vance's Dying Earth has an overwhelming amount of information. I am currently working on a Vancian reference encyclopedia as well. I definitely agree that Vance was influenced by CAS).

The CAS material I'm compiling isn't encyclopedic, simply whatever references catch my eye. I hope that people go in search of CAS (an cheap extensive collection is available on kindle) H.P. Lovecraft (an almost complete collection of his work is available on kindle as well) Robert E. Howard (the Del Rey collection that contains his unravaged work is available and worth collecting).

After looking at the names thread I will probably do a quick sift-through of the del-rey Howard's for a list of names. There is actually a small section of these books on how Howard chose the names for his characters which is worth tracking down.

Everyone should make the effort to read the original material.They are fantastic to say the least. CAS, HPL, REH, but also A. Merritt, Doyle, Burroughs, Vance, M. John Harrison, all seem to be great resources for an ASSH campaign and d**n good stories.

[Ghul]

Great work, Jason. As you continue to delve into things, you will find some elements of your quoted material included in Hyperborea. In Vol. VI, I would point you to the Black Waste and also Sharath. Thank you for taking the time to post your research. I eagerly await more! Have an exalt!

Cheers,
Jeff T.

[kesher]

That is truly one of the all-time great weird tales. "...the size of a gravid she-goat." Oh yes.

[Ghul]

He had me at "profulgent salt".

[jasonzavoda]

2). SADASTOR

Charnadis (Demon) - [MON]
Lyspial (Siren) - [MON]
Sadastor (Planet) - [PLC]

Charnadis
Sadastor

"...I found a vast and winding valley that plunged even deeplier into the abysses of this dreadful world. It was walled with perpendicular cliffs and buttresses and pinnacles of rusty-red stone, that were fretted into a million bizarrely sinister forms by the sinking of the olden seas. I flew slowly among these cliffs as the wound ever downward in tortuous spirals for mile on mile of utter and irredeemable desolation, and the light grew dimmer above me as ledge on ledge and battlement on battlement of that strange red stone upreared themselves between my wings and the heavens. Here, when I rounded a sudden turn of the precipice, in the profoundest depth where the rays of the sun fell only for a brief while at noon, and the rocks were purple with everlasting shadow, I found a pool of dark-green water - the last remnant of the former ocean, ebbing still amid steep, insuperable walls. And from this pool there cried a voice, in accents that were subtly sweet as the mortal wine of the mandragora, and faint as the murmuring of shells."


Lyspial

"...I am a siren, and my name is Lyspial. Of the seas wherein I swam and sported at leisure many centuries ago, and whose gallant mariners I drew to an enchanted death on the shores of my disastrous isle, there remains only this fallen pool. Alas! For the pool dwindles daily, and when it wholly gone I too must perish."


ADVENTURE IDEA

The Treasure of Sadastor

In a deep valley the demon Charnadis hides his treasure hoard on an isle at the center of a red lake. Each new moon the demon sacrifices a beautiful maiden so that he may remain on this plane of existence. Prevent the sacrifice and Charnadis will be dispelled and his treasure will be for the taking.

If only it were that simple.

At the center of a small lake of accursed water in the valley of Sadastor lies the isle of Lyspial, a vampiress-siren. She is bound to her lake and isle and must feed from the blood-red waters. It is she who sacrifices any that can be brought or lured to her isle. At its center is a small manor house and behind the manor a tall ash-tree. From this tree she hangs her victims by their heels while their blood and life essence flow from their slashed throats. A channel runs from the tree down to the waters of her lake.

Charnadis is the willing paramour and servant of Lyspial. The great winged demon has servants of his own, both human and demonic. The humans, members of a cult which worship Charnadis, spread rumors of the treasure of Charnadis and gather slaves to be sacrificed to Lyspial. But Lyspial hungers for men and women of strength and power as well as the blood of slaves, so that the rumors that bring treasure hunters and adventurers are as desired as a steady flow of life and blood of lesser men and women. Charnadis also steals a few succulent maidens for his own desires and for Lyspial to sacrifice.

The valley of Sadastor is home to a tribe of wild-men who worship Lyspial. They live in a series of caves that honeycomb the valley. They are armed with poisoned blow-pipes and arrows, nets, jars of enchanted smoke that make men sleep, etc... to aid in the capture of anyone entering the valley. They do not attack the human cultists and the slave caravans which they recognize by certain signs and emblems that the cultists use and wear within the valley.

Charnadis has at his command lesser demons and his human cultists.

Lyspial has at her command Charnadis, his servants, the tribe of wild-men and all within the valley. Within the lake there are many lacedon ghouls, the tree and the top of the manor is home to several harpys, and Lyspial has charmed several adventurers (future sacrifices) who attend her within her small manor-house and will fight for her.

The manor has many small luxuries and treasures but in a chamber beneath her bedroom is a treasure vault containing a respectable amount of gold and jewels and a number of magic items, weapons and armor gathered from slain adventurers. A greater gorgon guards this treasure.

[kesher]

Freaking awesome--keep it going!

"...ever deeplier..."

[mythos]

Jason,
Amazing write up. Excellent work!

[Ghul]

That is an inspired and inspiring adventure idea, Jason. I would absolutely run my group through that adventure. Sounds like it is in the mid- to higher-level range. Thank you for sharing! You've really captured a flavor that resonates CAS. Look forward to hearing more . . .

[jasonzavoda]

Thanks Guys! More to come, though not every CAS story in the Nightshade books fantasy collection are actually fantasy. (Some are horror, some are science fiction, but CAS' sci-fi is more fantasy than sci-fi and some are very short).

I am trying to get a group of players together here to start a Hyperborean campaign at low level and I am working on converting Gygax's Village of Hommlet for their base of adventure; a place I am familiar with while I get comfortable with Hyberborea. But I will probably write up this Treasure of Sadastor adventure now and post it, and maybe get some feedback before springing it on my players.

I run a campaign with slow level advancement. As a DM I don't enjoy the game as much at very high level and prefer to savor the experience of low and mid level adventuring. I hope this adventure idea can be toned down if people do not want it as high level. The lacedon's could be replaced with lizardmen or just lesser undead. The demon could be a magician posing as a demon, etc...

[jasonzavoda]

3). The Last Incantation
(Written Sept 23 1929, Published in Weird Tales June 1930)

Malygris (Mage) - NPC
Meros Valley - [PLC]
Nylissa - [NPC]
Poseidonous - [PLC]
Susran (capital of Poseidonos) - [TWN]
Zemander (stream) - [RVR]

Malygris
Poseidonous
Susran

"Malygris the magician sat in the topmost room of his tower that was builded on a conical hill above the heart of Susran, capital of Poseidonis. Wrought of a dark stone mined from deep in the earth, perdurable and hard as the fabled adamant, this tower loomed above all others, and flung its shadow far on the roofs and domes of the city, even as the sinister power of Malygris had thrown its darkness on the minds of men.

Now Malygris was old, and all the baleful might of his enchantments, all the dreadful or curious demons under his control, all the fear that he had wrought in the hearts of kings and prelates,were no longer enough to assuage the black ennui of his days. In his chair that was fashioned from the ivory of mastodons, inset with terrible cryptic runes of red tourmalines and azure crystals, he stared moodily though the one lozenge-shaped window of fulvous glass. His white eyebrows were contracted to a single line on the umber parchment of his face, and beneath them his eyes were cold and green as the ice of ancient floes; his beard, half white, half of a black with glaucous gleams, fell nearly to his knees and hid many of the writhing serpentine characters inscribed in woven silver athwart the bosom of his violet robe. About him were scattered all the appurtenances of his art; the skulls of men and monsters; phials filled with black or amber liquids, whose sacrilegious use was known to none but himself; little drums of vulture-skin, and crotali made from the bones and teeth of the cockodrill, used as an accompaniment to certain incantations. The mosaic floor was partly covered with the skins of enormous black and silver apes; and above the door there hung the head of a unicorn in which dwelt the familiar demon Malygris, in the form of a coral viper with pale green belly and ashen mottlings. Books were piled everywhere; ancient volumes bound in serpent-skin, with verdigris-eaten clasps, that held the frightful lore of Atlantis, the pentacles that have power upon the demons of the earth and the moon, the spells that transmute or disintegrate the elements; and runes from a lost language of Hyperborea, which, when uttered aloud, were more deadly than poison or more potent than any philtre."

Nylissa

"...the girl Nylissa whom he had loved.


ADVENTURE IDEAS:

Rather than an adventure about Malygris I see this grim mage as a source for many adventures. In my Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea campaign I will have him as one of the most powerful magicians in Hyperborea. He will be a font of knowledge esoteric, sorcerous and nefarious with many agents across the land to assist him. The players can become his paid agents, or cross paths with them, or act as hired adventurers sent to find some rare item or component while Malygris sits in his tower and dreams dark dreams.

[Ghul]

Quite fitting, Jason -- A sort of Mordenkainen or Tenser for Hyperborea, eh? I think it works well.

[Ghul]

Jason, I wanted to mention that I, too, have the 5 volume CAS collection by Nightshade, and I am still finding stories buried within that I had never read before. It is an absolute gem, this collection.

[jasonzavoda]

Sept 3, 2012 17:25:24 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Jason, I wanted to mention that I, too, have the 5 volume CAS collection by Nightshade, and I am still finding stories buried within that I had never read before. It is an absolute gem, this collection.

I was lucky enough to get the one Geoffrey was selling. I'm on volume 3 so still a ways to go for me. It is available on kindle (and probably other e-readers) but there is also a 133 story Weird Tales set on kindle that I urge everyone to pick up if they don't have this 5 volume Nightshade collection. CAS is an incredible writer. I hope the bits and pieces of his prose that I am posting are tantalizing enough to encourage readers to go find the complete stories.

I have to say that I find your Hyperborea setting perfect for running a CAS inspired campaign. Rather than the fantasy/medieval my home campaign will be the fantastic. I have already started toying with ways to have expeditions from Lovecrafts Miskatonic University make their way into it. Perhaps have the follow-up expedition from At The Mountains of Madness stumble through an otherworldly gate in a great obelisk on the Leng Plateau.

[benoist]

Excellent thread! Thanks for sharing the inspiration, mate!

[jasonzavoda]

4). The End of the Story
(Written Oct 1, 1929 First Published in Weird Tales May 1930)

Nycea (Lamia) - [NPC][MON]

"She was not tall, but was formed with exquisite voluptuous purity of line and contour. Her eyes were of a dark sapphire blue, with molten depths into which the soul was fain to plunge as into the soft abysses of a summer ocean. The curve of her lips was enigmatic, a little mournful, and gravely tender as the lips of an antique Venus. Her hair, brownish rather than blond, fell over her neck and ears and forehead in delicious ripples confined by a plain fillet of silver. In her expression, there was a mixture of pride and voluptuousness, of regal imperiousness and feminine yielding. Her movements were all as effortlessness and graceful as those of a serpent."

"...if you could behold her as she really is, you would see, in lieu of her voluptuous body, the folds of a foul and monstrous serpent."

ADVENTURE IDEAS:

The abbot of an ancient monastery sends out a call for help (via messengers throughout the region and to others of his order). Men from the nearby town have begun vanishing and now even some of his own monks have disappeared. One of the monks was bearing a minor relic which has allowed the abbot to divine its general location; in a wood of evil repute only a half-days march from the monastery. Within the wood are the ruins of a castle and it is within these ruins that the abbot believes the relic can be found, and perhaps the missing men.

The forest is home to giant ticks and toads, wolfs and weasels, snakes and spiders, all of whom seem determined to keep the players from reaching the ruins. There is a wildly overgrown path that shows signs of recent passage, the woods themselves are marshy and filled with tangles and briars, making it rough and slow going.

The ruins are no more than overgrown rubble except for a wide cleared area near their center (once the great hall of the castle). At the center of this clearing is a well-like circular stair that descends into darkness. Around these stairs dance a strange group of men, ape-men and men of Leng (about a half dozen of these satyrs). All are diseased, the ape-men and men of Leng with patchy, matted fur and all with weeping sores. Most are at half their normal hit points. If come upon unawares they will be dancing wildly about the stairs, two of the men of Leng playing pipes. But it is hard to reach the center clearing without rousing another dozen of the ape-men who rest among the thick growth and rubble. This rubble provides them with 3/4 cover and the ape-men will hoot, holler and throw stones (which are plentiful). If these ape-men are roused the men of Leng and others will scatter among the stones and do their best to keep any from reaching the stairs. All have been charmed by Nycea and will fight to the death with a smile upon their lips.

At the bottom of the steps is a maze of passages and rooms, the walls wet and crusted and a thick smell of corruption and decay ever present. Within the corridors and rooms stalk a pair of Manticores and nest of wererats who laired here before the coming of Nycea and now hide from her minions.

Nycea herself lairs deep within the ruins near an primordial well that descends unto a dark lake (an escape route for the ancient lamia). She is truly ancient, stronger with more hit dice and powers than a normal monster of her kind. She possesses several magical items, most notably an orb that allows her to scrye the surrounding land and use her powers to charm select males who will sneak away and come to her. Those so charmed bear the mark of Nycea visible only to others charmed by her, which allow them safe passage to her lair. Unfortunately Nycea is the carrier though not victim of a dread disease which she spreads to her more intimate minions. The disease causes 1d4 hit points of damage per day through fevers and weeping sores.

Nycea surrounds herself with charmed minions (all male) and snakes. Snakes, snakes, snakes, they adore Nycea and are drawn to her. snakes of all kinds surround and protect her.

The charmed monk with the relic (the fingerbone of a powerful cleric) wears this item about his neck in a lead cylinder. If opened it provides protection (10ft radius) to Nycea's charms and if she is struck in combat by this finger bone she will be dispelled in an explosion of light. The finger bone will disappear and reappear in the monastery.

while it is possible to defeat Nycea I like the idea of her as an illusive enemy that may haunt the players in future adventures.

[Ghul]

Very nice, Jason, and I'm sure you've inspected our "lamia" article in Vol. IV of AS&SH. Right away I'm struck wondering exactly how men of Leng found themselves in the predicament. CAS is ripe for picking as a literary influence for creating AS&SH adventures, and I really enjoy what you've been posting. You are evoking the precise mood and tone that we've tried to establish with AS&SH.

[jasonzavoda]

Sept 5, 2012 6:16:40 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Very nice, Jason, and I'm sure you've inspected our "lamia" article in Vol. IV of AS&SH. Right away I'm struck wondering exactly how men of Leng found themselves in the predicament. CAS is ripe for picking as a literary influence for creating AS&SH adventures, and I really enjoy what you've been posting. You are evoking the precise mood and tone that we've tried to establish with AS&SH.

Thanks very much, Jeff.

CAS is very ripe for the picking, I actually hadn't realized quite how inspiring his stories would be. A big part of that is the AS&SH setting which has me delving into a dozen writers. A. Merritt is also evocative but his short novels will take more work to pour through than CAS' s short stories. I think Merritt's 'Face in the Abyss' will provide a real wealth of material. Karl Edward Wagner's Kane stories also have a taste of Hyperborea to them. I've started re-reading 'Bloodstone'. His descriptive prose and his use of primordial alien races and their technology while writing in a fantasy setting seems made for invoking Hyperborean adventure. Like Merritt, Wagner's Bloodstone is a short novel (very highly recommended at that) and will take some time to sift through for description, names and ideas.

[Ghul]

Never read 'Bloodstone', but color me intrigued! Yes, Merritt can be quite valuable, and you may find various elements of AS&SH inspired by his work. First that comes to mind is "Kraken, the Dimensional Dweller", inspired by _Dwellers in the Mirage_.

[jasonzavoda]

Sept 5, 2012 19:45:33 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Never read 'Bloodstone', but color me intrigued! Yes, Merritt can be quite valuable, and you may find various elements of AS&SH inspired by his work. First that comes to mind is "Kraken, the Dimensional Dweller", inspired by _Dwellers in the Mirage_.

I am re-reading Dwellers in the Mirage on my kindle (it has been many years since I last read it). The Face in the Abyss I just finished a few weeks ago, but it is perfect for a Hyperborean campaign. Wagner's Kane is not to everyones taste. Bloodstone deals well with ancient alien technology reminding me a bit of the history carved into the walls in At the Mountains of Madness.

[jasmith]

Sept 5, 2012 19:45:33 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Never read 'Bloodstone', but color me intrigued! Yes, Merritt can be quite valuable, and you may find various elements of AS&SH inspired by his work. First that comes to mind is "Kraken, the Dimensional Dweller", inspired by _Dwellers in the Mirage_.

Man! We can rectify that! I've got some extra reading copies of Wagner's Bloodstone and Dark Crusade. PM or email me a mailing addy and I'll send them your way. K.E.W.'s Kane stories Rock!

They originally came from a smoking environment, so if that's an issue you may want to pass. Otherwise, I can mail them out next week.

[Ghul]

Sure thing, James. Would love to take you up on that:

Jeff Talanian
c/o North Wind Adventures
PO Box 697
E. Hampstead, NH 03826

Much appreciated.

[jasmith]

Sept 6, 2012 10:59:02 GMT -6 Ghul said:

Sure thing, James. Would love to take you up on that:

Jeff Talanian
c/o North Wind Adventures
PO Box 697
E. Hampstead, NH 03826

Much appreciated.

Cool! I'll mail either Tues or Wed next week.

[Ghul]

No rush, James. I've always wanted to delve into Wagner. I can imagine his work will have some influence on my home Hyperborea campaign.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

[jasonzavoda]

5a). The Tale of Satampra Zeiros
(Written Nov 16 1929, first published in Weird Tales Nov 1931)

Commoriom - [TWN]
Polarion - [PLC]
Satampra Zeiros - [NPC]
Tirouv Ompallios - [NPC]
Uzuldaroum - [TWN]
White Sybil of Polarion - [NPC]

"I, Satampra Zeiros of Uzuldarium shall write with my left hand, since I have no longer any other, the tale of everything that befell Tirouv Ompallios and myself in the shrine of the god... (see post 5b), which lies neglected by the worship of man in the jungle-taken suburbs of Commoriom, that long-deserted capital of the Hyperborean rulers. I shall write it with the violet juice of the suvana-palm, which turns to a blood-red rubric with the passage of years, on a strong vellum that is made from the skin of the mastodon, as a warning to all good thieves and adventurers who may hear some lying legend of the lost treasure of Commoriom and be tempted thereby."


Commoriom
Polarion
White Sybil of Polarion

"Now Commoriom, as all the world knows, was deserted many hundred years ago because of the prophecy of the White Sybil of Polarion, who foretold an undescribed and abominable doom for all mortal beings who should dare to tarry within its environs. Some say that this doom was a pestilence that would have come from the northern waste by the paths of the jungle tribes; others, that it was a form of madness; at any rate, no one, neither king nor priest nor merchant nor laborer nor thief, remained in Commorion to abide its arrival, but all departed in a single migration to found at a distance of a day's journey the new capital, Uzuldaroum. And strange tales are told, of horrors and terrors not to be faced or overcome by man, that haunt forevermore the shrines and mausoleums and palaces of Commoriom. And still it stands, a luster of marble, a magnificence of granite, all a-throng with spires and cupolas and obelisks that the mighty trees of the jungle have not yet overtowered, in a fertile inland valley of Hyperborea. And men say that in its unbroken vaults there lies entire and undespoiled as of yore the rich treasure of olden monarchs; that the high-built tombs retain the gems and electrum that were buried with their mummies; that the fanes have still their golden altar-vessels and furnishings, the idols their precious stones in war and mouth and nostril and naval."

"...we saw in the moonlight the gleam of marble cupolas above the tree-tops, and then between the boughs and boles the wan pillars of shadowy porticoes. A few more steps, and we trod upon the paven streets that ran transversely from the high-road we were following, into the tall, luxuriant woods on either side, where the fronds of mammoth palm-ferns overtopped the roofs of ancient houses.

We paused, and again the silence of an elder desolation claimed our lips. For the houses were white and still as sepulchers, and the deep shadows that lay around and upon them were chill and sinister and mysterious as the very shadow of death. It seemed that the sun could not have shone for ages in this place- that nothing warmer than the spectral beams of the cadaverous moon had touched the marble and granite ever since that universal migration prompted by the prophecy of the White Sybil of Polarion.

"I wish it were daylight," murmured Tirouv Ompallios. Hos low tomes were oddly sibilant, were unnaturally audible in the dead stillness."

ADVENTURE IDEAS:

The Treasures of Satampra Zeiros

The city of Kor is dead but for the bestial life of the ape-man. While some parts of the city have been rebuilt by a few thousand of these strangely human-like and advanced creatures, most of the city remains locked in jungle-choked ruin. The oldest and more outlying areas of Kor are home to a more savage breed of ape-man as well as the beasts of the wild, the giant-sloth, clouds of giant bats, the sabre-tooth...

In the comfort of the old inn, the Silver Eel, Satampra Zeiros the One-Handed, tells of the great treasures to be found in a nameless and forgotten temple located in the abandoned suburbs of Kor, and of the map he is willing to sell for a substantial amount of gold, and a share in the treasure itself.

While Satampra's map is accurate, if slightly out of date, the treasures he speaks of, the eyes of the dark idol in the abandoned temple (rubies as big as norsemen's shields) and the collected offerings of millenia piled at the idol's feet, are not simply there for the taking. The temple is not abandoned, and the dark idol is not nameless. The wild ape-men of Kor, driven from the rebuilt center of the city by their more evolved cousins, have opened the doors to this ancient, squat stone temple and have found a god.

The passage to Kor, according to Satampra's map, is down the river Vol and onto a small tributary that ends at a collection of broken stone piers near the east of the city at the edge of the old suburbs. This basin is home to a water snake of gigantic proportions. Vasha, her ancestors altered by the power of ancient mages of Kor, is a stupendous creatures several times the size (and hit dice) of a normal water snake. She is of moderate intelligence but high cunning. She will not risk herself unless she is sure of success, though she is willing to sacrifice her progeny (what else are children for?) in great numbers. These water snakes are double the size and hit dice of normal water snakes and infest the half-submerged ruins immediately surrounding the pier.

Vasha lairs in a cavern beneath the basin. It was several passages and chambers (including a hidden chamber where the research was done on her ancient kin). Her nest has an escape tunnel that leads to the Torg inlet which she will not hesitate to use. Vasha is a big coward at heart. Vasha is immune to charm spells and abilities and her children are highly resistant.

The overgrown houses, shops, barracks and boulevards have abundant animal life. Exploration of these ruined buildings will result in numerous encounters with wild animals defending their lairs. As with Vasha's children these animals are highly resistant to charm spells and abilities, but they are no more aggressive than any other wild beasts of Hyperborea (at least for now).

If the players have Satampra's map it will show a path through the jungle and ruins that leads through, what one were, major streets of the outer city. These paths lead to a clearing. These paths are suspiciously clear and show signs of recent passage.



The clearing, at the end of a short three mile journey through the ruins, is a paved square with an old and worn squat black building made of basalt blocks. It is a short, three-tiered, ziggurat with a set of stairs leading directly to a pair of double doors at its top level. There are at least fifty bodies scattered about the square. Two of the largest clumps of the dead, comprising about a dozen bodies each, are charred and smoking. The others appear to be chopped, battered and broken. Other than a few exceptions the dead are ape-men, some clad in dark mangy capes (giant-bat skin).

The first non-ape-man body appears to be a youth, fair-haired perhaps nordic or kelt, the hands of an ape-man with a split-skull clutching his legs and the headless body of a second ape-man nearby. The youth has had his throat torn out. On his back is a large open pack which still contains food and some camping gear. He has an ordinary belt knife and clutches and unbloodied spear.

The second human body can be found at the foot of the ziggurat, a viking warrior. There are a half-dozen ape-man bodies around him, slain, apparently, by a large axe clutched in his right hand. A close examination of his body shows that his arms and legs are swollen and tinged with green. He wears an enchanted shirt of chainmail and his axe is also magical and runecarved.

There are no other visible entrances to the ziggurat other than the double-doors at the top of the stairs (although 2 secret and hidden passages are among the ruined buildings bordering the square). The long flight of stairs up to the doors is festooned with ape-man dead with a large pile of bodies before the doors. These bodies will need to be cleared before any attempt can be made to open the doors. As the players reach to drag away the last body an automaton of flesh springs up, tossing aside the corpse of the ape-man. It is only slightly damaged and will attack anyone approaching the door or directing ranged attacks against it.

The doors are shut with iron spikes and a crossbar from within. It will take 449 hp damage to batter them down. As the first blow against them falls (or if they are opened by any means) drums from the surrounding ruins begin to sound.

To be continued...

[Ghul]

Another excellent adventure seed, Jason, and I think it would work well as a full module. In my home campaign, I also drew from this same tale, placing a similar temple of Xathoqqua (Tsathoggua) on the island of Xenadon. Except I went with a shoggoth that assumed the shape of a snake; I was, however, tempted to try a naga. The island was ruled by a witch, which I based on the sorceress, Lur, from Merritt's Dwellers in the Mirage.

These exercises are quite inspiring, Jason. Please keep them going, at your leisure, of course.

[mythos]

Jason, another excellent write up for a CAS story. Once again I'm printing this off and adding it to my files for future adventures. Also, looking forward to any further write ups.

Ghul, would love to see your opinions of Wagner's Kane stories. After Howard he is my favorite Sword & Sorcery writer.

[jasonzavoda]

Sept 8, 2012 23:30:50 GMT -6 mythos said:

Jason, another excellent write up for a CAS story. Once again I'm printing this off and adding it to my files for future adventures. Also, looking forward to any further write ups.

Ghul, would love to see your opinions of Wagner's Kane stories. After Howard he is my favorite Sword & Sorcery writer.

Thanks, the second part is to come. It became a much more involved write-up and I wanted to split it in two. I may try to add some maps to it, but I am a graph paper mapping kind of DM and I'm not great at it. I plan to keep going story by story through my collection of CAS (this is only volume 1 of 5) so there should be quite a number to come, though some I skip that are strictly sci-fi or set in the early 20th century.

I plan on doing a list of Elric, Corum and Hawkmoon names and maybe some ideas from his setting. I am also working on a 1st level adventure for my campaign based on an REH Conan story that should be simple but hopefully enjoyable.

Wagner's Kane seems perfect for Hyperborea. The old alien technology mixed with sorcery and common humanity. Bloodstone is my favorite Kane story and it will be the first I work on. Wagner's prose is wonderful, not as fanciful as CAS but powerful. My Hyperborean campaign will definitely have influences from Wagner.

[Ghul]

You fellows have me pretty stoked to read Wagner's Kane. We have not really mentioned it yet, as I never really populated a true comprehensive "Appendix N" type of list, but are any of you fond of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's _Professor Challenger_ tales? I read them about 20 years ago, and sometimes I leaf through them for a bit of inspiration.