D&D General GM's Closet for the CONAN RPG
SARBOTH NECTAR
When prepared, it is a deadly liquid poison. 8-10 ounces, swallowed, will kill a man quickly. Should there be a save? That's up to the GM.
The Sarboth plant is only found in Kell, which is a province of the Emorian Empire. That lies east of the Vilayet in what is known in the west as Hyrkania.
Source: Queen Sonja Vol. 5: Ascendancy
When prepared, it is a deadly liquid poison. 8-10 ounces, swallowed, will kill a man quickly. Should there be a save? That's up to the GM.
The Sarboth plant is only found in Kell, which is a province of the Emorian Empire. That lies east of the Vilayet in what is known in the west as Hyrkania.
Source: Queen Sonja Vol. 5: Ascendancy
HYRKANIA CITY STATES AND POCKET KINGDOMS
The Queen Sonja comic series, by Dynamite, fills in some of the details of the lands east of the Vilayet. We know, from the early Marvel comics (and Red Sonja's introduction in those same comics) that one of the City States that lays on the east bank of the Vilayet Sea is Pah-Disha. Another, also on the coast, is Makkalet. Sonja grew up, thieving, on the streets of Pah-Disha.
The Queen Sonja comics reveal a kingdom named Sogaria, where Sonja takes the throne and becomes queen. She rules from the royal city of Issindi.
Farther east, on Sogaria's border, lies the Emorian Empire, which is a collection of smaller kingdoms. Two of these kingdoms are Tirket and Kell. Gabon is the capital of Tirket, while Nicolla is the royal city of Kell. Both these peoples hate each other. Even though they are both members of the Emorian Empire, they have deep, ancestral hatred among the two races.
Game-wise, all of the people in this region are Hyrkanians. But, the Hyrkanian race in the core rulebook is geared towards the northern steppe horsemen. An enterprising GM who has read these comics may want to create some splinter races, giving them some differences, treating them the way the Hyborians are treated in the game (an Argosian is different from an Aquilonian, and both are different than Zingarans, etc.).
The races in this part of the world of of mixed blood, but there is a strong far eastern influence (from Khitai). Yet, many Hyrkanians are white and have round eyes, like Red Sonja and Tamara from the 2011 Conan movie. A Hyrkanian city-state is shown at the end of that film.
An adviser to the Emperor of the Emorian Empire is an incredibly powerful sorcerer named Solas, who lives in the Tower of Kolistri. Solas consorts with demons, and his art allows him to teleport fairly effortlessly.
An area near Emora and Sogaria is the Druid Lands. People never enter that dark realm. It is said that dark magics abound!
Antonious it the Emperor of Emora.
The Queen Sonja comic series, by Dynamite, fills in some of the details of the lands east of the Vilayet. We know, from the early Marvel comics (and Red Sonja's introduction in those same comics) that one of the City States that lays on the east bank of the Vilayet Sea is Pah-Disha. Another, also on the coast, is Makkalet. Sonja grew up, thieving, on the streets of Pah-Disha.
The Queen Sonja comics reveal a kingdom named Sogaria, where Sonja takes the throne and becomes queen. She rules from the royal city of Issindi.
Farther east, on Sogaria's border, lies the Emorian Empire, which is a collection of smaller kingdoms. Two of these kingdoms are Tirket and Kell. Gabon is the capital of Tirket, while Nicolla is the royal city of Kell. Both these peoples hate each other. Even though they are both members of the Emorian Empire, they have deep, ancestral hatred among the two races.
Game-wise, all of the people in this region are Hyrkanians. But, the Hyrkanian race in the core rulebook is geared towards the northern steppe horsemen. An enterprising GM who has read these comics may want to create some splinter races, giving them some differences, treating them the way the Hyborians are treated in the game (an Argosian is different from an Aquilonian, and both are different than Zingarans, etc.).
The races in this part of the world of of mixed blood, but there is a strong far eastern influence (from Khitai). Yet, many Hyrkanians are white and have round eyes, like Red Sonja and Tamara from the 2011 Conan movie. A Hyrkanian city-state is shown at the end of that film.
An adviser to the Emperor of the Emorian Empire is an incredibly powerful sorcerer named Solas, who lives in the Tower of Kolistri. Solas consorts with demons, and his art allows him to teleport fairly effortlessly.
An area near Emora and Sogaria is the Druid Lands. People never enter that dark realm. It is said that dark magics abound!
Antonious it the Emperor of Emora.
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SANDBOX STYGIA!
If you want to get your hands on Volume 10 & 11 of the Dark Horse published Chronicles of Conan, you will have not only a fantastic read (these are some of the best Conan stories I've read by Marvel from any date, past or present), but you will also have a grand source of information from which you can build a sandbox adventure for your game!
This sandbox will be set in Stygia, featuring two City States--two of the only City States which do not fall under Luxur's rule. In fact, you can add some additional action and/or intrigue to your sandbox by introducing King Ctesphon's efforts to bring these two City States under the rule of greater Stygia. You can bring in Thoth-Amon, too, if you want, and/or some other Sorcerers of the Black Ring.
The two cities will mark the East-West borders of your sandbox.
Harakht.
On the east side of your map, out in the open, you have Harakht. The city lies south of the River Styx. The terrain is swampy, full of crocodiles and vipers. The city rises where the land becomes more firm, in the valley before the mountains.
Harakht is home to the Hawk Riders. These are giant hawks--only a handful of them exist--trained as aerial mounts for the elite riders.
This City State is ruled by two brothers, King Hor-neb and the high priest of the hawk god, Mer-ath. There is intrigue between them as Hor-neb is the stronger of the two. He rules by force, while Mer-ath is more subtle, preferring manipulation. Both want to be the sole king of Harakht.
Neftha the slave girl, is a schemer. But, you can't blame her. She's been a slave her entire life, and she is interested in two things: Survival first, then bettering the conditions of her life. Can you trust her?
Gol-thir is the Keeper of the Stone. He is a giant--a true giant--ironically living in the ground, in the Pit of Shadows where the sacred stone is kept.
Attalus.
The western side of your sandbox will feature the mountains behind Harakht. Through a secret mountain pass likes the Lost Valley of Iskander and the City State of Attalus.
This place has an interesting background. Alexander The Great founded the place. Somehow--through sorcery or some other means--the conquering king from ancient Greece went back in time with his army and found himself in this valley. He founded a city here, Attalus, and to this day it is ruled by those of the lineage of the Greek General that Alexander left in command of the city.
The greek ethnicity of the place is evident to this day, as isolated the city is from the rest of the darker Stygians. Attalus trades with one other City State, the independent Harakht, who endeavors to keep its knowledge of the lost valley secret, per the wishes of the Attalus king.
The Eyes of Set are a pair gems, shaped as eyeballs, kept by the rulers of each city. They symbolize the connection each city has with the other. In your game, you can make them magical--it would fit. Each city keeps one of the Eyes. When a new ruler comes to sit on the throne, an envoy is sent to the other city, and the Eyes are exchanged. In this way, Eyes of Set are forever kept separated (what would happen if they are brought together?), both changing hands for location in the other city.
Hun-ya-di is a one-eyed priest from Harakht who lusts to capture Attalus for himself. What if he took an Eye of Set and placed it in his empty socket? Hun-ya-di leads an army of faithful, all skilled with the Stygian longbow. In the comic, he takes this force and attacks Attalus.
Bardylis is a blonde female citizen of Attalus.
Ptolemy is Attalus' king.
Ablah is a fork-tongued trinket trader from Harakht who traffics with Attalus.
Viper's Head.
At the base of the mountain lies a large swampy region separating Attalus from Harakht. The Viper river flows through this region giving the surrounding thick forested area its name, Viper's Head. It is said that a colony of First Men live, secluded in this area.
Viper's Head is also home to several tribes of Kushites, and recent rumor says that these tribes have been united under the Kushite shaman, Toroa, who wields the power of his dark god, Damballah.
Sabia is known as the Bride of Damballah, who can mesmerize a man through her Dance of the Skull.
GAMING MATERIALS
Besides the two Volumes of The Chronicles of Conan that I mention above and a copy of the core rules, I suggest you use these other two supplements when creating your sandbox.
Stygia: Serpent of the South. This is a hardback sourcebook for the kingdom.
Bestiary of the Hyborian Age. This is a hardback collection beasties to put into your game. You'll find crocks and vipers and darker, unholy things that are eager to gobble up your player characters. You can combine this with the Bestiary chapter in the core rulebook.
You may also find useful....
The Scrolls of Skelos / Secrets of Skelos. These are two softback books devoted to sorcery. Secrets is a Second Edition re-writing of Scrolls, but it adds so much more material that I consider them two separate books (though there is a good bit of cross-over). Either book, by itself, is helpful.
If you want to get your hands on Volume 10 & 11 of the Dark Horse published Chronicles of Conan, you will have not only a fantastic read (these are some of the best Conan stories I've read by Marvel from any date, past or present), but you will also have a grand source of information from which you can build a sandbox adventure for your game!
This sandbox will be set in Stygia, featuring two City States--two of the only City States which do not fall under Luxur's rule. In fact, you can add some additional action and/or intrigue to your sandbox by introducing King Ctesphon's efforts to bring these two City States under the rule of greater Stygia. You can bring in Thoth-Amon, too, if you want, and/or some other Sorcerers of the Black Ring.
The two cities will mark the East-West borders of your sandbox.
Harakht.
On the east side of your map, out in the open, you have Harakht. The city lies south of the River Styx. The terrain is swampy, full of crocodiles and vipers. The city rises where the land becomes more firm, in the valley before the mountains.
Harakht is home to the Hawk Riders. These are giant hawks--only a handful of them exist--trained as aerial mounts for the elite riders.
This City State is ruled by two brothers, King Hor-neb and the high priest of the hawk god, Mer-ath. There is intrigue between them as Hor-neb is the stronger of the two. He rules by force, while Mer-ath is more subtle, preferring manipulation. Both want to be the sole king of Harakht.
Neftha the slave girl, is a schemer. But, you can't blame her. She's been a slave her entire life, and she is interested in two things: Survival first, then bettering the conditions of her life. Can you trust her?
Gol-thir is the Keeper of the Stone. He is a giant--a true giant--ironically living in the ground, in the Pit of Shadows where the sacred stone is kept.
Attalus.
The western side of your sandbox will feature the mountains behind Harakht. Through a secret mountain pass likes the Lost Valley of Iskander and the City State of Attalus.
This place has an interesting background. Alexander The Great founded the place. Somehow--through sorcery or some other means--the conquering king from ancient Greece went back in time with his army and found himself in this valley. He founded a city here, Attalus, and to this day it is ruled by those of the lineage of the Greek General that Alexander left in command of the city.
The greek ethnicity of the place is evident to this day, as isolated the city is from the rest of the darker Stygians. Attalus trades with one other City State, the independent Harakht, who endeavors to keep its knowledge of the lost valley secret, per the wishes of the Attalus king.
The Eyes of Set are a pair gems, shaped as eyeballs, kept by the rulers of each city. They symbolize the connection each city has with the other. In your game, you can make them magical--it would fit. Each city keeps one of the Eyes. When a new ruler comes to sit on the throne, an envoy is sent to the other city, and the Eyes are exchanged. In this way, Eyes of Set are forever kept separated (what would happen if they are brought together?), both changing hands for location in the other city.
Hun-ya-di is a one-eyed priest from Harakht who lusts to capture Attalus for himself. What if he took an Eye of Set and placed it in his empty socket? Hun-ya-di leads an army of faithful, all skilled with the Stygian longbow. In the comic, he takes this force and attacks Attalus.
Bardylis is a blonde female citizen of Attalus.
Ptolemy is Attalus' king.
Ablah is a fork-tongued trinket trader from Harakht who traffics with Attalus.
Viper's Head.
At the base of the mountain lies a large swampy region separating Attalus from Harakht. The Viper river flows through this region giving the surrounding thick forested area its name, Viper's Head. It is said that a colony of First Men live, secluded in this area.
Viper's Head is also home to several tribes of Kushites, and recent rumor says that these tribes have been united under the Kushite shaman, Toroa, who wields the power of his dark god, Damballah.
Sabia is known as the Bride of Damballah, who can mesmerize a man through her Dance of the Skull.
GAMING MATERIALS
Besides the two Volumes of The Chronicles of Conan that I mention above and a copy of the core rules, I suggest you use these other two supplements when creating your sandbox.
Stygia: Serpent of the South. This is a hardback sourcebook for the kingdom.
Bestiary of the Hyborian Age. This is a hardback collection beasties to put into your game. You'll find crocks and vipers and darker, unholy things that are eager to gobble up your player characters. You can combine this with the Bestiary chapter in the core rulebook.
You may also find useful....
The Scrolls of Skelos / Secrets of Skelos. These are two softback books devoted to sorcery. Secrets is a Second Edition re-writing of Scrolls, but it adds so much more material that I consider them two separate books (though there is a good bit of cross-over). Either book, by itself, is helpful.
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THE HOUR OF THE DRAGON
The Lion Banner sways and falls in the horror-haunted gloom;
A Scarlet Dragon rustles by, borne on Winds of Doom;
In heaps the shining horsemen lie, where the thrusting lances break;
And deep in the haunted mountains, the lost, black Gods awake.
Dead hands grope in the shadows, the starts turn pale with fright;
For this is the Dragon's Hour, the triumph of Fear and Night.
The Lion Banner sways and falls in the horror-haunted gloom;
A Scarlet Dragon rustles by, borne on Winds of Doom;
In heaps the shining horsemen lie, where the thrusting lances break;
And deep in the haunted mountains, the lost, black Gods awake.
Dead hands grope in the shadows, the starts turn pale with fright;
For this is the Dragon's Hour, the triumph of Fear and Night.
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