Luriumer, the Seventh

He handed his bloody dagger to Skahn knowing the lieutenant would have someone else clean and sharpen the blade. With the screams of the boy he just skinned ringing in his head the general sat down in his chair. He drank deeply from the mug of dark, bitter ale. The taste of the ale matched the general’s mood. Boys! The only opponent with the courage to face him are young, stupid boys.

He wiped the blood off his hands and took another drink. He wondered how his grandchildren were doing. The boy tonight was younger than his namesake grandson, Luriumer, IX, the ninth in a long line of soldiers of the Khan. He longed to be back lying in the sun on the shores of Lake Suppopri with his long-suffering wife, Maeve. He missed the comfort of her body next to his.

The Plains of Lethe were the crowning achievement of his career. The forces of Greth were men, at least. He was proud to dance the dance of death with Inanna that day on the Plains of Lethe. The army of Greth deserved to die. The soldiers of the Khan were soldiers for life. The forces of Greth were only men in armor holding weapons, not soldiers. But at least they were not boys!

The tanner would soon add another skin to his collection. He remembered the first man to feel his blade. They caught that bastard in the act of raping a young girl who could not have been more than five years old. He was proud when the lieutenant gave him the honor of skinning the rapist. He wanted that sick bastard to suffer. He managed to get most of the skin off before the rapist died. It was hard to remember, but it was not until his fourth or fifth time before he could remove all the skin and keep them alive, at least for a while. He remembered his pride of skinning the rapist lasted only a few short minutes. Then the lieutenant told him what he had to do next. They had no healers or healing potions. The poor girl was in agony from the abuse from the rapist. She would live her last few hours in terrible pain. His efforts to comfort the poor young girl increased her terror. The touch of a man terrified the girl. He managed to calm her. He remembered her sobs as he held her. He was quick. The blade slipped between her ribs and up through her heart in one quick motion. His action was merciful. The accusing look from the girl’s eyes as she died in his arms haunted him for days. Killing the boys was another act of mercy that would haunt him. He wanted to kill the parents of the boys. The boys should have been home in bed not out trying to assassinate someone. He hated the cloak-and-dagger attacks. He was a soldier, not a baby sitter. He longed for a good sword fight. Now he needed to look under every rock for an assassin. Boys! What next? Does he need someone to search the bottom of the latrine before he can take a shit?

He took another drink of ale. The death of a few boys was better than slaughtering another small town full of cowardly civilians.

He hoped the rumors were false and there was nothing here. The commanders of the Greth army were not just incompetent, they were amazingly stupid and naive. Broficult held the proof the commanders of the Greth army tried to use the Gimp’s staff during the battle on the Plains of Lethe. He knew they were desperate. But using an artifact from one of the Assimilated Ones was insane. The signs were there for everyone to see. It was obvious Bryce the Wizard lost his mind because of the staff. Only an artifact from one of the Assimilated causes that type of madness. Someone took all of Bryce’s notes and library. That was another thing to worry about. Bryce mumbled something about using the power of the Blind Seer to make an Eye to find the staff.

He took another deep drink of the bitter ale. Greth used powers from two of the Assimilated Ones: the Blind Seer and the Gimp. What next? Where they stupid enough to try and raise and free the Assimilator himself? Every child in the Khanate learn the story of the Assimilator. The Assimilator viewed the Khanate as beasts, so he created beasts to destroy the Khanate. The Assimilator created and unleased the Tronlth to destroy the tribes of the Khanate. The Tronlth nearly succeeded. The binding of the Assimilator and the Assimilated Ones allowed the Khanate to domesticate the Tronlth. Tronlth now provide milk, cheese, meat, and leather. The Assimilator made the Tronlth almost immune to magic. Few spells affect a Tronlth. Now the Tronlth are the symbol of the power of the Khanate.

Luriumer emptied the mug. It was going to be a long day. Getting rid of Thapent can wait. He needed to warn the Rabshaka (Commander of the Marazzar army) that Greth dug up the Gimps staff. Retrieving the staff had to weaken the spells binding the Assimilated Ones. He shuddered at the thought of the Gimp getting free.

Adding Role Playing to Melee

Consider the following scenario where the party opens the door into a room full of armed men performing some sort of initiation. The paragraphs following provide two different approaches to the melee.

Standard Melee

Fighter number three swings at the character with his sword.

Role Playing Melee

Mathcoel steps forward his iridescent blue eyes focused on the infidel that dared to defile the sacred initiation rite. As he swings his sword he screams, “Your ears will make my collection twenty-five!”

Lunsle, the fighter next to Mathcoel, grunts, “Mat, you can’t count number twelve because he died from being on fire.”

Mathcoel makes another swing and says, “Tell the dead I can’t count them.”

Combat is Personal

In a swords and sorcery game combat is personal. The combatants are usually only a few feet apart at most. You can see the eyes of your opponent. You can smell the perspiration in the air. A swing blunted by shield or armor produces the ringing sound of metal on metal. A blade cutting through flesh produces a muffled sound often followed by the groans from the victim.

A game master should name each and every intelligent opponent. The non-player characters should talk between themselves.

Mathcoel says, “Fighting is thirty work. I am going to enjoy drinking wine out of the cup made from this one’s head.”

Lunsle says, “That won’t make much of a cup after I split that skull with my axe.”

Melee Provides Opportunities to Advance the Plot

Chatter between the combatants provides the opportunity to introduce new non-player characters, weapons, equipment, and monsters.

Bompide shouts, “Ethy break off. Run back and tell the Croaker we need his help some of us are hurt. Tell Girey to bring the Optile.”

Ethy backs out of combat, gulps and asks, “The Optile?”

Bompide says, “Yes, the Optile. I think we need it to finish off these defilers.”

The party know if Ethy gets away in a few rounds something nasty is going to come to the aid of the non-player characters. Chatter provides opportunity to slip in clues to major plot points. For example, introducing the party to behind-the-scenes character they have not yet heard of.

Lunsle says, “I am going to gouge the eyes out of this one then skull-fuck him as an offering to the Blind Seer.”

Standard Melee is Boring

With a complex gaming system like D&D 4E combat takes a long time. The adventure should keep all the player alert and involved.

Bompide says, “Lunsle use your bow and put an arrow through both eyes of the big one in the back, he is casting spells.”

In almost every case, the non-player characters know the location better than the player characters. Use that knowledge.

Bompide says, “Ethy tell Girey they came in the back door of the initiation room. Send a squad to come in from behind. Make sure Girey takes out their healers and spell casters first.”

Let the Party Know the Score

Most of the time the party should win. Otherwise no one will want to play the game. Most of the time there is a point where it is obvious who will win of the melee.

Mathcoel clutches at the wound in his side and says, “Lunsle, tell Maura and Vara I loved them.”

Lunsle says, “The next time I fuck them I will tell them you were thinking of them when you died.”

Mathcoel gurgles blood and as he dies says, “Lunsle you’re a bastard!”

As Lunsle crumples to the floor he replies, “That is what my father always said.”

Sale of the Captives

Thapent asks, "Where did these come from?"


Bompide says, "They barged into an initiation and killed one of my men."


Thapent looks over the tiefling and dwarf and says, "She lost her tail. Hmm, didn'’t we hear the Marazzer had a reward for a tiefling without a tail?"


Bompide replied, "It was something like a thousand gold."


Thapent thinks for a minute and says, "You can always buy other subjects. Sell them to the Marazzer."


Bompide asks, "She might not make the trip."


Thapent says, "Well heal them first. Convince the Marazzer to pay you for the cost of bringing them in all healed."


Bompide asks, "What about her tail?"


Thapent says, "If the Marazzer don’t kill her it will eventually grow back. But don’t heal her tail. That is how they will recognize her."


Bompide asks, "Put the dead bodies in the barrels?"


Thapent says, "Of course, we need to replace the barrel they stole."

Peloponnesian War as a Pattern

I patterned the war between Marazzer and Greth on the Peloponnesian War. At the very start of the campaign all the young men and women in Greth answered the call to duty to fight the invading forces of Marazzer. This is similar to the massive expeditionary force Athens sent to attack Syracuse in 415 BC with similar results. The Spartan army completely destroyed the Athenian force in 413 BC. In the World of Tiglath, I sped up the process by having the Marazzer use blitzkrieg tactics by employing their Tronlth.

The campaign emphasizes the social impacts on the world. One of my courses in collage studied the play Lysistrata (in the original Greek) by Aristophanes. The backdrop of the play is most of the young men in Athens died in the disastrous Sicilian Expedition. According to Wikipedia, approximately 14% of the population of the Soviet Union died in World War II. The defeat of Athens in the Sicilian Expedition disaster was smaller in number but much larger in percentage. In the World of Tiglath, there are few survivors from the forces of Greth. The forces of Marazzer took very few prisoners. I patterned Marazzer after the ancient Assyrians who flayed their captives and nailed their skins to the wall of the city. Marazzer flayed the few soldiers of Greth that surrendered.

What does this all mean for the players in the campaign?

All the characters are young. The only non-player characters the same age are from Marazzer or deserters. The party cannot blend in. They stand out because of their age. A common question from non-player characters is, “Were you at the battle on the Plains of Lethe?” The Plains of Lethe is the site of a major battle on the Peninsula of Pinge. The plains of Lethe are about one hundred miles North-East of Hosiger. The follow up question is always, “Did you know my son (or daughter)? Is he (she) still alive?”

This means all the non-player characters have built in prejudice about the players. Initially they want to know if the player characters have any news about members of their family. Then they wonder how are the player characters alive and their loved-ones dead or missing. The only other people the same age as the player characters are the soldiers of Marazzer. The average merchant is going to be wary because he thinks the characters are either deserters or informants from Marazzer or something worse.

The Theogony of Tiglath

Thepeh the God of the Void sprang into being from nothingness.

Origin of the Elemental Gods

Thepeh being both male and female mated with itself and brought forth the five elemental gods.

• Tabon the goddess of Air
• Dokic the goddess of Fire
• Runan the goddess of Earth
• Honici the goddess of Water
• Cutal the god of Aether

Tabon the goddess of Air

Since the wind blows in all directions, Tabon is associated with all the cardinal directions. Her temples are always cylindrical to reduce the air resistance. She is a well-endowed female with emerald green eyes and long, flowing blue hair. Her worshipers gather the blowing leaves of autumn as a sacrifice. During the spring and winter worshipers rip the heads and wings off of small birds as a sacrifice. Tabon is represented by the Queen piece in Teneth.

Dokic the goddess of Fire

Dokic is the goddess of fire and smithing. Her name means "She-Who-Shapes-The-Sacred-Land". She is a squat, red-skinned woman with purple eyes and short gray hair. She wears crystalline armor made of ruby. Her worshipers strive for a fine reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and functionality. Worshipers sacrifice sheep, goats, and cattle. The worshippers keep that meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering. Dokic is represented by the Bishop piece in Teneth.

Runan the goddess of Earth

Runan is the supernatural force of Earth. She is associated with dragons, cattle, magic, musicians, and trickery. She is a dark-skinned woman with yellow eyes. She wears a set of armor made of gold. Runan punishes oath-breakers. She feasts on the buried. Runan is represented by the Rook piece in Teneth.

Honici the goddess of Water

She is the goddess of water, rivers, seas, streams, storms, baptism, and midwifes. Her name means literally means "she of the jade colored skirt". She appears as a blue skinned woman with dark blue hair and eyes wearing an ornate green or jade colored skirt. She always carries a trident. After cutting the umbilical cord, the midwife would wash the new baby with customary greeting to the goddess Honici. Four days after the birth, the child was given a second bath and a name. She is known for her carefree nature and generosity. Worshippers generously give to all beggars. Honici is represented by the Knight piece in Teneth.

Cutal the god of Aether

He is the life-spark of all creatures and is the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere. Aether is responsible for all terrestrial creatures. Cutal masturbated and from his seed sprang humans, elves, dwarves, and all the other races. He always wears a blue toga and a blue pointy hat. He carries an ivory staff. Cutal is represented by the King piece in Teneth.

Destruction of the Void

The five elemental gods were appalled at the ugliness of their parent. The five conspired to destroy Thepeh rather than allow the birth of any more gods. While Thepeh was busy in a masturbatory self-impregnation the elemental gods used their power to rip their parent apart. Each of the elemental gods then consumed a portion of their father/mother. In the frenzy the elemental gods overlooked three pieces of their mother/father. From those pieces grew the gods of Death, Hate, and Vermin.

The Hidden Gods

Prior to birthing the five elemental gods, Thepeh gave birth to at least two offspring. For unknown reasons, Thepeh banished the first generation of gods. Cymag, one of the first generation gods, managed to escape from banishment after the destruction of Thepeh. No one knows the fate of the other first generation gods.

Cymag the god of Chaos

The evil emotions of every living being sustains Cymag. He is monomaniacal and completely single-minded in seeking the destruction of the elemental gods. Cymag has the body of a cobra with a leach like head. Surrounding his mouth are long tentacles.

The Spawned Gods

The elemental gods, Tabon, Dokic, Runan, Honici, and Cutal, ripped their parent Thepeh apart and devoured it. The fragments of Thepeh grew into the gods of Death, Hate, and Vermin.

Sytizi the god of Death

Sytizi is responsible for sickness in the world. He requires sacrifices of skulls. He catches dead bodies and takes them away to this lower world and then makes them his slaves. Any person who has ill-treated their parents, ascetics, holy persons, or elders appears before Sytizi for judgment. Sytizi makes drinking cups from the skulls of the unworthy which he uses to drink their blood. He appears as a skeleton in bone armor wielding two swords.

Lamuwa the goddess of Hate

She is hate, strife, and discord personified. Lamuwa stands on the center of beached vessels or battlefields and screams! The screams harden the hearts of the soldiers removing any thought of mercy. They no longer remember their fathers or their wives and children with the screams of Lamuwa ringing in their ears. Some describe her as “Strife insatiable.” Her anger is never satisfied. Lamuwa looks like a large humanoid bird.

Hysex the goddess of Vermin

Hysex controls the vermin in the world, rodents, insects, snakes, and creeping things. She has a grey reptilian body with goat like legs and the face of an insect. She carries a huge sword.

Tiefling Tail with Turnips

Ger gingerly approached Offal’s tent. His name was not really Offal, it was Offell, but everyone in the regiment called him Offal. Offal was not human. The regimental histories first mentioned Offal nearly one hundred years ago. Offal crafted the regiment’s ceremonial drinking cups from the skulls of the defeated enemies. A humanoid creature emerged from the tent. Ancient intricately carved black leather armor enveloped the boney frame. The dark armor provided a stark contrast to the pale variegated gray dry wrinkled skin.

Offal smiled showing jagged greenish teeth and said, “There is a spring in your step, Ger. Did you get some tail?”

A slight blush crossed Ger’s face as he replied, “In more ways than one.” Ger handed Offal a blood soaked rough canvas bag.

Offal opened the bag and pulled out a long, bloody tail. He carefully examined the tail and asked, “Tiefling?”

Ger nodded yes.

Offal brought the tail up to holes in his face that served as a nose, sniffed deeply, and said, “Young, female Tiefling.”

Ger smiled and replied, “That is why I have a spring in my step.”

Offal said, “I will give you twenty gold for it.”

Ger said, “No. I want it as a trophy.”

“Ah. I understand. That will cost you.”

“How much?” Ger asked.

Offal said, “I can tan the skin and stuff that for ten. If you want the bones as a periapt that will cost you another three hundred.”

Ger muttered, “I ain’t no officer. Can’t afford more than fifty.”

“Make it fifty-five, and I get to keep the meat.”

Inwardly Ger shuddered at the thought of Offal and the meat of the Tiefling. Ger said, “All I gots is fifty-three.”

Offal hefted the tail and said, “Must be a good ten pounds of meat.” He licked the bloody cut end of the tail. Licking his cracked lips with a purplish black tongue Offal said, “Ok, fifty-three it is.”

Ger handed Offal a small bag of coins.

Offal said, “Give me a couple of weeks.”

Ger left quickly.

Offal retrieved his finest scalpel. He honed the scalpel on an oilstone. Offal was careful to make sure no one saw the lubricant for the oil stone. He doubted the regiment would allow anyone to live who created oil by extracting it from the bodies of human babies. It only took a couple of drops to hone the scalpel.

Offal used the scalpel to remove the skin from the tail. Ger held the regimental record for skinning prisoners. Offal never entered the skinning competitions. He knew his decades of experience, speed, and skill would frighten the regiment and end his meal ticket.

Offal boned the tail putting all the bones in a large bowl. He took the bowl of bones over to a rack of amphora. He placed the bones in the bottom of an empty amphora. Offal pulled on a pair of heavy leather gloves before opening one of the sealed amphora. Carrion beetles normally ate dead flesh. Offal had scars on his hands proving the beetles could not tell he was alive. The confusion of the beetles was justified. Offal opened the amphora. He scooped up handfuls of detritus rich with beetles to cover the bones. Offal knew the beetles would expertly clean the bones of any remaining meat and connective tissue.

Offal now turned his attention to the meat. He dug through his pantry selecting some small turnips. He skewered the meat alternating chunks of the Tiefling with the small turnips. Offal liked his meat bloody rare and hot with burnt edges. The crisp texture of the turnips gave contrast to the tender meat. Offal reminisced, it was almost fifty years since his last taste of Tiefling flesh. Tiefling was sweeter and less gamey than Elf. Offal licked his dry, cracked lips enjoying the smooth texture of the meat. He savored the taste. The Marazzer provided ample human flesh. They gave Offal the bodies of the ones they skinned. In contrast, Tiefling was a special treat. Wistfully Offal hopefully thought about eating the heart and liver of the female Tiefling that provided the meat for the evening feast. He hoped Ger would soon bring him the rest of the Tiefling.

Over the next few days Offal tanned the skin and stuffed it with straw and cotton. He carefully pulled the cleaned bones from the amphora. Using gold and silver wire he wound the bones into a spiral pattern with the largest bones on the outer edge. He created the charm using arcane spells and infernal potions.

When complete, Offal admired his work. This was not the most powerful artifact Offal created over his decades but it was the most impressive he had made in years.

Finding a Map

In a previous adventure, the party joined up with Simon the merchant taking a load of fine wine to Hosigar. Accompanying Simon were his two hired mercenary guards: Curcio and Powa. The caravan made arrived after dark at Hosigar and found the gates of the city closed. Simon the merchant suggested the party stay at the Full Barrel Inn. The inn keeper, Nudar, welcomed the party and showed them to their rooms.

The party, desperate for coin, asks the customers in the Full Barrel Inn for leads for work. They learn the Ruffy is might have a job for some adventurers. The party also hears that Inoxim has some “questionable” work they might be interested in.

The party retires for the evening. Nudar, the inn keeper, gives everyone a warning, “Keep the windows closed to keep out the creatures from the swamp.” Nudar suggested it was safer to use the chamber pots and not visit the outhouse after dark.

Loud voices from downstairs awaken the party. Simon is frantic. Curcio and Powa left in the middle of the night and are missing. Simon entrusted his Letter of Introduction to the two mercenaries for safekeeping. Now the two are gone. Simon offers the party a reward to recover his Letter of Introduction.

The party heads off toward the swamp to the North-West. They see the circling buzzards which leads them to the bodies of the dead mercenaries. The mercenaries fought off several Stirges but in the end the Stirges won and sucked them dry. On the bodies the party finds Simon’s Letter of Introduction. They also find a hand-drawn map on a wax tablet with some instructions. The instructions read, “Give the small jewelry box to Kelash at the Three Eye Tavern. Do not open the jewelry box! The contents are dangerous. Kelash will give you 500 gold when you deliver the unopened jewelry box.”