Tower of the Elephant, with a twist.

[Supplement Four]

I'm looking ahead at the adventures I plan to run. I want to run Book of the Elephant soonest, as soon as all three parts are published in S&P.

And after that one, I'm going to run Tower of the Elephant. But, I've thought of a twist. In my game, Conan did take down the tower. The events in the Howard story happened (and now, Conan is King of Aquilonia).

The PCs in my campaign will be young (most likely--it's up to the players), born in Arenjun years after Yara's tower fell.

In the beginning of the Tower adventure module, it says to "pretend" that Conan didn't take down the tower. Well, I don't think I'll play it that way.

I think I'm going to pull some Twilight Zone on my players. I'm even going to send them the story (it's free on the net) via e-mail and encourage them to read it (for those who haven't--I know some have).

Events will take place as if Conan had never done his deed inside the tower. This will not jive with the PC's memory....they know the tower fell. And, they know that Cimmerian King...that one called "Conan"...is the one who is responsible for its fall, years ago, early in the king's life.

So...why is it that, upon the PCs return to Arenjun, the tower is there?

Why do all the people in Arenjun just look at the PC's with a cock-eyed look when they mention Conan's misfortune and his journey inside the tower?

And so...this will be a mystery. We'll play through the module, and while we're playing, they'll see a somewhat translucent form. A young, bare chested Cimmerian, in a loin cloth, taking the steps that Conan did--from the stories they heard while growing up--years ago.

But, the PCs will have to battle through the same demons as Conan. They can see him, barely, and only some times...but not all the time. And, it seems that Conan cannot see them.

And, when the adventure is completed, the PCs will "come to". Back to reality. The tower is still in a heap--just as they remembered from their youth.

Was it a dream?

Was is sorcery?

Were they really there?

Do you remember the end of the story The Frost Giant's Daughter? I'm going to end this adventure as that story ended...with a question mark.

Some things will point to the events really happening (especially if a PC is killed in the tower--he'll be gone when the others "wake").

And, this will draw their attention to something they saw in the governor's bedchambers (from Kovag-Re). A statuette of a man with the head of an elephant.

Since an elephant with many arms is one of the symbols of the Shemite god, Bel, the god of theives, they will think that th4e statuette is just another religious icon.

But...is it?

And, does Bel really have anything to do with this?

At this point, we don't know.

 

[Tathlum]

One quick thing.

After they fell the tower, what do the locals say? Was it them, was it Conan, or did the Tower fall hundreds of years ago?

 

[Supplement Four]

One quick thing.

After they fell the tower, what do the locals say? Was it them, was it Conan, or did the Tower fall hundreds of years ago?

I'm thinking of doing this like a "Twilight Zone" episode. When the scenario finishes, I want them to wonder if they really did it, or if they just collectively dreamed it.

I may even have them in some other part of Hyboria, have the wake up on a morning, and they're in Arenjun. This will cause a lot of questions. This will make them scratch their heads. Are they dreaming? Is sorcery involved.

I may even do something with Yag, since he didn't quite "die" at the end of the Conan short story. Remember, he's an alien being from another world who got here in a space ship that can go faster than the speed of light.

I may keep the descriptions in "dark fantasy" terms, but what may happen (I need to flesh this out) is that they time travel--or experience it in another reality--all due to the power of Yag.

I may even mesh the plot with the Book of the Elephant adventure in S&P.

Still chewing on all this. Plus, it's an adventure or two away...I've got time.

 

[flatscan]

I may even do something with Yag, since he didn't quite "die" at the end of the Conan short story. Remember, he's an alien being from another world who got here in a space ship that can go faster than the speed of light.

Spaceship? Yag-kosha had wings and flew to earth, the wings came off when he came to earth.

"I am very old, O man of the waste countries; long and long ago I came to this planet with others of my world, from the green planet Yag, which circles for ever in the outer fringe of this universe. We swept through space on mighty wings that drove us through the cosmos quicker than light, because we had warred with the kings of Yag and were defeated and outcast. But we could never return, for on earth our wings withered from our shoulders."

Also, why wouldn't the party just do what Conan did? Climb up through the top and avoid all the levels of foes. Fight one spider, talk to Yag-kosha and shrink Yara. Adventure done. I haven't read the Book of the Elephant, but does it segueway into the Tower easily? Can the Tower adventure be a continuation of the events in the Book of the Elephant?

 

[Supplement Four]

Spaceship? Yag-kosha had wings and flew to earth, the wings came off when he came to earth.

"I am very old, O man of the waste countries; long and long ago I came to this planet with others of my world, from the green planet Yag, which circles for ever in the outer fringe of this universe. We swept through space on mighty wings that drove us through the cosmos quicker than light, because we had warred with the kings of Yag and were defeated and outcast. But we could never return, for on earth our wings withered from our shoulders."

I read the above as Yag, the ages-old alien-to-earth, as speaking in terms that the young Conan can understand.

The "mighty wings" are starships that move faster than the speed of light.

Also, why wouldn't the party just do what Conan did? Climb up through the top and avoid all the levels of foes. Fight one spider, talk to Yag-kosha and shrink Yara. Adventure done. I haven't read the Book of the Elephant, but does it segueway into the Tower easily? Can the Tower adventure be a continuation of the events in the Book of the Elephant?

I haven't finishe dreading the Book of the Elephant yet, because parts II and III haven't been published yet. So, I don't know how they segueway.

As for the Tower, I plan on running it as the module describes, with some tweaks (and with the knowledge that they are walking in the incredible Conan's shoes).