STYGIAN ADVENTURE HOOKS

[EricKRod]

Hey guy's, just finished my Stygian adventure titled "The Staff of Ibis". Hopefully Ian and the other guy's at Mongoose will like it. I'm sorry I haven't been the helpful Games Master that I should have been. I know Shadizar Adventure Hooks was a while ago, but Im hoping to post more stuff now that I'm not writing any more adventures for awhile.

Let me know what you guy's think.

Eric in Vegas

Stygian Adventure Hooks

1) Tal’ib is called the ‘City in the Waste’ and has been a haunted ruin in eastern Shem for over 300 years. Several scholars and historians have mounted an expedition to the haunted ruins to learn more about ancient culture of Yb. Almost two months ago, a messenger from the expedition returned to the city of Shushan with the news that an ancient underground vault had been found and untold riches and archaic lore were soon to be uncovered. Since that time, no new messengers have arrived and several search parties have been sent to Tal’ib, but none have returned.
2) Merchants, soldiers and common slaves have all been seen fleeing the Purple Lotus Swamps of Stygia. An area long thought haunted, the swamp has provided the mystical Purple Lotus plant to the wealthy and decadent of Stygia for years. Survivors tell of ghosts and phantasms that come out of the swamp and suck the very life force from their victims. King Ctesphon IV has ordered several noble lords and priests of Set to clear out the swamp of its haunted denizens. These lords and priest have begun hiring mercenaries and adventures for the task ahead.
3) The ‘Whip of Derketo’ is one of the most sacred artefacts of the Goddess of seduction; and it is missing. Her priestesses are in an uproar and are vowing that all that had a hand in the theft will be tortured from now to the end of eternity. Several sources say that ‘Abradul’, also known as ‘The Weasel’, has stolen the whip and plans to sell it in the markets of Shadizar to the highest bidder. Several rewards have been offered for the return of the whip and several incentives from the sisterhood of Derketo have sent hundreds of bounty hunters, mercenaries and other thieves looking for Abradul.
4) Rumours persist of god Ibis gathering his strength for a renewed battle against followers of Set. Several under-priests of Ibis, sent by the high priest ‘Kalanthes’, have begun to hire mercenaries and gather followers from other sympathetic temples to their banner. Kalanthes believes that Set has spread his darkness too far and has lost control of several important areas of religious significance. All mercenaries and adventures wishing to join the campaign are told to go to the ruins of the ancient city of Kaetta, in southern Shem along the Stygian border.
5) Several towns and villages around the city of Set have reported strange disappearances and abductions by unknown persons. Over 100 villagers and townsfolk are reported missing and no clues can be found to determine who is at fault. Several priests of Set have been called in to use their magic and auguries to determine what has happened to the missing people. However, their magic seems to fail and they cannot scry who is at fault. Their magic does point to a trail that leads far south, toward the ancient ruins of Pteion. Many believe that the ancient foes of men, the Serpent-men of Velusia are behind the missing people and local villagers are looking for mercenaries or adventures to discover the truth.
6) New rumours of black tribesmen gathering near the Stygian border have raised alarms in Sukhmet, a Stygian town along the Kush border. Several Stygian lords have sent emissaries across the border to placate the wild Darfari tribesmen; however it has had little effect. Returning diplomats have stated that a new war-leader has risen among the tribesman who calls himself ‘Sumbe-Re’ which is Darfari for ‘The Slayer of Serpents’. Already several towns and villages along the border have fled behind the walls of Sukhmet and adventures and mercenaries are being sought for the battle that is sure to come.
7) Kheshatta is known as the city of magicians. It has been host to hundreds of dark sorcerers and wizards for ages. Recently several dark sorcerers have been found dead, their bodies turned to ash as if burned by a great fire. Many are speculating that it is a simple internal conflict between one cabal or another. However two day’s ago the second most powerful magician in Kheshatta, ‘Urthren Ulmor’ was found murdered the same way, except that he managed to inscribe a word upon a piece of parchment before he died; ‘Turgoth’. Turgoth was leader of the Black Pearl cabal of Sorcerers over 200 years ago. He was killed by wizards from several different cabals and his treasures split among them. At least, the sorcerers thought him killed, blasted by sorcerous fires and eventually dragged down to hell by summoned servitor demons. Many sorcerers have fled Kheshatta, however a few have decided to stay and are looking for stout warriors or mercenaries to protect them from this evil from their past.

 

[The King]

hooks n° 1, 2, 5 and 6 are interesting. The implication of the gods is to important in the others. This could be acceptable in a pastiche but this is not really "Howard-like" in my opinion. As in Lovecraft's tales, gods are present, their evil perhaps even palpable, but they never appear as avatar or as a concrete power because their very nature would turn all men mad. That's why great Cthulhu is only perceived in dreams.

Moreover many gods of the Hyborians age are ancient heroes that were later deified (Boris of the Hyborian tribes, and Bel are examples).

But of course do run your Conan game as you wish because you are your master of your own Hyborian world.

 

[EricKRod]

The King,

You really should use more descriptive words when judging other peoples writing. You should say "I liked it" or "I didn't like it", but never "interesting". That shows a true disinterest to what you just read and to the writer who spent the time writing it.

So, in the future, please say you liked it or didn't like it and there wont be any hard feelings. Also I think you meant the god Bori not Boris. Or are you referring to the artist that did a lot of conan pastiche novel covers?

How did you like my other Conan adventures that were published by Mongoose? "The Dark Altar of Katar" given to SOC members and "Danger in the Westermarck" the first Conan adventure published in Signs & Portents?

Eric in Vegas

 

[The King]

You really should use more descriptive words when judging other peoples writing. You should say "I liked it" or "I didn't like it", but never "interesting". That shows a true disinterest to what you just read and to the writer who spent the time writing it.

I am (usually) a polite guy and won't definitly say "I don't like your ideas". If it were the case I wouldn't have posted a reply. Any one may have ideas and any idea may be exploited differently according to one's feelings. So I used the word interesting because a hook may develop in many different adventures. I can say I like an adventure (or not) but I can't like a hook until I have gone deeper and let my ideas grow from it.

So, in the future, please say you liked it or didn't like it and there wont be any hard feelings. Also I think you meant the god Bori not Boris. Or are you referring to the artist that did a lot of conan pastiche novel covers?

I didn't feel struck that hard.
Yes I meant Bori. Boris Valejo painted very good covers but he isn't Hyborian. By the way I could have added "Tarim the living" in the list of deified hero.

How did you like my other Conan adventures that were published by Mongoose? "The Dark Altar of Katar" given to SOC members and "Danger in the Westermarck" the first Conan adventure published in Signs & Portents?

I regret very much but I am no SOC members (came to late I guess) and didn't have the opportunity to access to Signs & Portents. But if I can read them it will be a pleasure to tell you if I like them.

By the way the other hooks (with an heavier implication of the gods) make me think of the rpg HeroQuest (the sequel to Runequest) were men go on heroic quests and may themselves become gods (or at last heroes) and have more close links to their gods.
Before Mongoose published Conan RPG (OGL) I wanted to give it a try and play HeroQuest in the Hyborian world. That is also why I can't say I didn't like your other hooks because I could use them in another way. :idea:

 

[XcomSquaddie]

Let me know what you guy's think.

Be careful what you ask for...

1) Tal’ib

This hook reminds me of Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness". Expedition announces great discovery, then all contact lost. Its versatile with a lot of room to tailor to different tastes.

2) Purple Lotus Swamps of Stygia

Ah, the Stygians. Always willing to hire (or enslave) someone else to do the fighting. And the bleeding and dying. A very Conan-esque hook and also adaptable to supernatural or non-supernatural agents.

3) The ‘Whip of Derketo’

This could be a howl, especially if the characters are "familiar" with Derketo worship. This is also a very Conan-esque hook. A religious item has been stolen. It does not say a magic item, just a religious item. The thief is not necessarily magical, just highly skilled. The priestesses are not calling down divine wrath upon the heathen, they're hiring mercenaries and offering rewards.

4) Rumours persist of god Ibis gathering his strength for a renewed battle against followers of Set.

This one sort of sounds un-Conan-esque, but it makes sense if you think about it. A priest of Ibis would make a statement like "the God Ibis is gathering his strength" even though we as players/GMs/readers would say "the followers of Ibis are gathering their strength".

Remember that the differences between Lovecraft's futile insanity and Howard's futile heroism lie mainly in the ending of the particular story. In a Conan story, even if the god Ibis was preparing for war, Ibis would turn out to be an incredibly powerful alien, human or creature, but one that could still be ass-whipped by a lone Cimmerian. Just think of the story "The God in the Bowl".

5) Abductions - Pteion - Serpent Men

Lost cities, jungles and snake men. What more could you want?

6) Sukhmet

Again, Stygians hiring cannon fodder. Not only do the heroes have to worry about being backstabbed by their Stygian employers, they are fighting Darfari cannibals. Of course, they could encounter some Darfari Cannibis, but that's another scenario altogether...

7) Kheshatta

Sounds like a scholar friendly (sort of) plot. Definitely Howardian, since the long dead wizards could have been in stasis, like those Archeronian wizards that keep popping up. Or someone could have stumbled onto some old scrolls or spellbooks.

All in all, I say "Well Done!"

 

[EricKRod]

Thanks for the awesome review, Darth. You read each part and commented in detail. When someone puts forth that much effort, whether they like it or not, they are definately helping out. Thanks again for the detailed comments. I owe you one. How's the old quote go? "That which does not kill us, or is too critical of our writing, makes us stronger?" :lol:

King- If you never got those adventures, then maybe I can send them to you. Just tell me you liked my ideas and I will email them to you.

Sorry, just kidding. I will send them to you whether you say you liked the plots or not. Just send me your email address. EricKRod@cox.net[/b]

 

[The King]

Thanks for the awesome review, Darth. You read each part and commented in detail. When someone puts forth that much effort, whether they like it or not, they are definately helping out. Thanks again for the detailed comments. I owe you one. How's the old quote go? "That which does not kill us, or is too critical of our writing, makes us stronger?" :lol:

I didn't know you wanted such detailed comments. The best is that you give me some time to develop your hooks into scenarios and then I will exactly tell you how I could use them and give them shape in my game (and will send you detailed synopses).