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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Daztur" data-source="post: 6118219" data-attributes="member: 55680">All of the below inspired by The Abomination of Yondo by Clark Ashton SmithNote: Clark Ashton Smith is awesome, I'm just starting to read through his stuff but he looks like he might inch past Vance and Lovecraft, I'm pretty impressed so far...The Zealots’ TowerHex 07.33 In this desolate stretch of desert a band of zealots exiled from the Golden Realm for excessive enthusiasm are working on converting an abandoned wizard tower into a lighthouse, where they burn the dung of ghost buffalos through the long desert nights. The zealots eat no meat and treat gnolls, elves and other soulless creatures fairly but they attempt to abduct any humans they come across. They are difficult to fight for the steel armor that they wear under their dark robes shines so brilliantly that it dazzles the eyes. They are immune to this effect because they are all blind (except for their one-eyed chief). Their prisoners are brought back to the tower and locked into a cell that has no windows except for a long six-inch slit in the wall that connects the cell to an adjacent morgue through which grave worms slither. After a few days imprisonment, captives are asked if they are willing to “abandon the darkness and walk in the light of the King.” Those who agree are brought to the roof of the tower at midday their eyes forced open with hooks while their limbs are bound with cords of dragon gut so that they have no choice but to stare into the sun until thoroughly blind. This way they are taught to see the light of the King in Splendor with their heart and soul, rather than their feeble eyes. Connections:-A nearby hermit distrusts this sect and will warn travellers of it (11.32).-Ghost buffalos are also prominently displayed on the engravings on the walls of the Temple of the Hunt (14.27). Hooks:-What are ghost buffalos? Anything special about their dung?-Do elves, gnolls and other such creatures really not have souls or is that only the dogma of this sect?-Who is the one-eyed chief?-Who has been blinded in this way?-Why do they tie people down with dragon gut, wouldn’t rope be cheaper? The Forest of AbominationsAdditional information about Hex 12.28 The Breath of the Earth is far more than a mile deep and none has ever seen the bottom for no such bottom exists. Instead, those who peer over the edge of this vast sinkhole can see the perambulations of strange stars and the feeble gleams of a thousand dying earths. The hot wind that blows out of this hole in the world is laden with the grey dust of corroded planets and the lifeless ash of decayed hells. For miles in every direction the proper yellow sand of the Singing Wastes is overlaid with a thick layer of blasphemous grey that slowly spreads outwards year by year. The moisture that comes from the pit nourishes the growth of cacti, which grow in wild profusion for miles around but at the same time the grey dust sickens them. As a result, the cacti grow great and swollen with half-dead limbs, obscene growths, poisonous black mold and stinking abscesses. They make it very difficult for intruders to pass through, which makes the area around the Breath of the Earth a natural place for the winged Nekh to gather. Strange creatures can be found here, many of which even the Nekh hesitate to eat. There are pallid vipers that burrow in the cacti and watch passerby with eyes of orange jewels that have neither pupils nor lids. There are spider-limbed lizards the color of week-old corpses that give off a debilitating reek if killed. And there are miniature flightless birds whose eggs (if unfertilized and baked) are difficult to distinguish from pearls. Connections:-Rugose Pignose (17.07) is being slowly digested by some cacti mold and begs passersby for death. Coming to close would not be wise.-The prophesies of Jarmond of the Knife (29.14.18) discuss the alignments of stars that are not of this world but which can be seen through the hole known as the Breath of the Earth. Hooks:-What could an astrologer learn by looking at these alien stars?-Aside from the pearl-like eggs, is there anything of value here?-Do the Nekh stand guard over this hole in the world or allow alien intelligences to pass?-What was Rugose Pignose doing here?The Mound of YendHex 11.27 The Forest of Abominations (see above) extends into this hex. Near the middle of it is a strange mountain, pitted and grey, that looks like no rock ever seen in the Singing Wastes. If examined closely it be seen that it is not a mountain at all but rather a great spherical boulder sunk in the sands of the waste.  Connection:-Powder created by grinding down the rock of the Mound of Yend is highly poisonous to plants, especially the oak trees so beloved by goblins (11.01). Hooks:-Did the rock come through the hole in the world at the bottom of the Breath of the Earth? Are there any similar rocks around?-Anything special about it or is it just a giant rock?-Does anything live on it?-What’s Yend? The Ghoul-Haunted RuinsHex 11.28 In this portion of the Forest of Abominations (see above) lies a crumbled city of broken monoliths, statues with hands raised in praise sunk in the dust and temples fouled with dug-up bones.  Little lives here now but feral hyenas and a band of ghouls. Their leader is an immensely obese creature far too fat to walk who is especially skilled at illusion (19.31.02). He is willing to provide the lesser members of his band as guides to travellers if they pay him thrice their weight in fresh corpse.The ghouls also claim any dead bodies (except those of Nehk which they fear) that are being carried through their territory. Of course, being ghouls, they may well attack even those who pay up. Hooks:-Who built this city?-Will the ghouls keep up their end of the bargain? What secrets can they guide travelers to? The Least OceanHex 12.29 In this stretch of the Forest of Abominations is the last remnants of the great ocean in which the aboleths that have left their fossils in the Grey Mountains once swam. All that remains is a large brackish pool and the blocks of foul salt that litter the landscape. Like similar salt that can be found elsewhere, (see: 44.03, 46.02 and 00.06) eating it twists a man’s mind and robs them of their greatest passion so that drunkards lose their taste for wine and cowards willingly stroll into dragon dens after eating of it. Along the coast of the Least Ocean are a great number of beautiful statues sunk in the salty dust. Occasionally one makes a cry of extreme agony but they never move or pose any danger to travellers. If examined closely, travelers can often make out their own features in one of the statues but twisted into a rictus of madness, pain or ecstasy. Connection:-The Whispering Sisters (29.14.07) have a supply of this salt but are generally not very creative in its use and only make love-killing potions out of it. Hooks:-Does anything live in the Least Ocean?-Why does eating salt (or salt water) so often screw with people’s heads in this setting?-Where did all of the statues come from? Why do they scream?-Anyone else got into trouble or pulled of any interesting stunts by using this salt?</blockquote>

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