“I met a
traveller from an antique land,
Who said — “Two
vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the
desert…”
– Ozymandias, by
Percy Bysshe Shelly
 |
| B4 The Lost City |
There are works
of perceived perfection in all forms of fiction. So too even in adventure
modules – although those which attain that distinction differs depending on who
creates their list.
Some cite G1 Steading
of the Hill Giant Chief or S1 Tomb of Horrors as the greatest
adventure ever, others T1 Village of Hommlet, or N1 Against the Cult
of the Reptile God, or L1 The Secret of Bone Hill. It’s possible
that most might agree that B2 Keep of the Borderlands deserves such
lofty distinction, others not. Which adventures are might depend on how old the
speaker is. Most people of a certain age might lean towards the earliest
publications when considering the best of the best of adventures, myself being
one of them (see those mentioned above for proof of that).
It might come as
no surprise then that I’d rank Tom Moldvay’s B4 The Lost City among
those works of perceived perfection – notice I keep saying “perceived.” It
might be a masterpiece, in its way. I love its vision; I even love its scope;
but it’s not without its flaws. Hence “perceived.”
There are
aspects of this adventure module that fall far short of perfection, to my mind.
It’s a creature of its time: a dungeon crawl. Not a bad thing; indeed, dungeon
crawls are what we cut our teeth on, back in the day. In that it succeeds – kind
of. It’s chalk full of tricks and traps, carrion crawlers and undead, and a
degenerate culture that can be sunk or saved, depending on how the DM wants to
run it, or how the players react to it. Where B4 fails, in my opinion, is in
its timeline, its crazy-quilt lower tiers, its verisimilitude, and in its
inclusion of certain undead (that the PCs will be wholly unprepared for, given
their lowly levels). Where it succeeds is in its potential. Perhaps that’s
because it leans heavily on its pulp origins, pulp origins that its author, the
much-acclaimed Tom Moldvay, loved so much.
Lost, and in
dire need of shelter and succour, our heroes stumble upon their salvation, if
what they find can be called salvation.
Lost in the desert! The only hope for survival lies in
a ruined city rising out of the sands. Food, water, and wealth await heroic
adventurers inside an ancient pyramid ruled by a strange race of masked beings.
[B4 – 1]
It’s an old
trope now – maybe it was an old trope then, too.
Days ago, your group of adventurers joined a desert
caravan. Halfway across the desert, a terrible sandstorm struck, separating
your party from the rest of the caravan. When the storm died down, you found
you were alone. The caravan was nowhere in sight. The desert was
unrecognizable, as the dunes had been blown into new patterns. You were lost. You headed east, the same way the caravan was headed
before the storm. Days passed. Your mounts died and you soon drank the last of
your water. The end of the desert was not in sight.
The second day after your water ran out, you stumbled
upon a number of stone blocks sticking out of a sand dune. Investigation showed
that the sand covered the remains of a tall stone wall. On the other side of
the stone wall was a ruined city. [B4 – 4]
When I suggest that this is an old trope, it is: It should
remind readers of Robert E. Howard’s “Red Nails,” even if the circumstance and
geography couldn’t be more different. Conan, in Howard’s pulp classic finds
himself at the foot of a long-lost city. But it’s a city choked by jungle, not suffocated
by shifting sands.
 |
| Red Nails, The Dragon |
"If
you'll take your hands off me long enough to climb up on that peak," she
said presently, "you'll see something that will surprise you."He cast her a
questioning glance, then obeyed with a shrug of his massive shoulders. Clinging
to the spire-like pinnacle, he stared out over the forest roof. […]
He stood a
long moment in silence, posed like a bronze statue on the rock.
"It's a
walled city, right enough," he muttered presently. […]
The sun was high above the eastern horizon when they
stood before the great gate in the northern wall, in the shadow of the lofty
rampart. Rust flecked the iron bracings of the mighty bronze portal. Spiderwebs
glistened thickly on hinge and sill and bolted panel. [Red Nails, Robert E
Howard]
Our heroes find
themselves in similar circumstances, laying eyes on the remains of the lost
city of Cynidicea, its ruins poking out of drifting dunes, and its pyramid that
once towered over it. They’re the first to do so in centuries, perhaps even
longer.
Centuries ago, Cynidicea was the capital of a rich and
fertile kingdom. Its people reclaimed much land from the desert, especially
during the reign of King Alexander—the last and greatest king of Cynidicea. [B4
– 3]
The people prospered, and the nation achieved great
advances in magic, science, and technology.
As with all cultures, it didn’t last. [Elder Evils
– 144]
[Forgive the 3e intrusion. There are a number of
resources out there other than the Moldvay’s original that further flesh out
his adventure, if you’re so inclined to let them.]
Upon King Alexander's death, a huge pyramid was raised
in his honor. This pyramid was the largest and most important building in the
city. [B4 – 3]
One wonders how they came to complete such an impressive
engineering feat without having worked their way up to it, but such was the way
of adventures: one needs a bit of a backstory and a starting point, and
Alexander’s pyramid fits the bill. Anyway, construction of a pyramid began…
The fall of Cynidicea began on the day that workers,
digging under the great pyramid, chanced upon the lair of a strange monster
called Zargon. [B4 – 3]
… chancing upon this elder being was the worst thing that
could have happened to the now doomed people of Cynidicea.
 |
| Zargon |
Although Zargon is ancient, it is no god. It is a
cunning creature that discovered its "godhood" makes it easier to get
victims. Zargon was worshipped by primitive peoples in early times, but
retreated underground when the primitives were wiped out by the ancestors of
the Cynidiceans. Zargon remained in a strange hibernation for many years. By
chance, the Cynidiceans built the pyramid on the spot where Zargon's original
shrine stood, and the later digging of the Cynidicean slaves awakened the
creature. [B4 – 23]
Me being me, I wonder who those earlier primitives were,
but they are not part of our story.
Getting back to
the Cynidiceans, Zargon seduced them, and tainted them.
The kingdom’s success bred complacency and decadence,
and the population plunged itself into excess. This laxity enabled a
bloodthirsty cult to come to power and perform unspeakable sacrifices to their
dark god, Zargon. [Elder Evils – 144]
In time, a strange cult arose that worshipped the
monster as a god. The cult viewed the monster's victims as religious
sacrifices. [B4 – 3]
For years, the kingdom declined, languishing under the
yoke of oppression, until a great barbarian horde smashed the nation,
slaughtered the people, and scattered them across the lands. [Elder Evils –
144]
The only people of Cynidicea who survived its
destruction were those who had fled underground to the vast catacombs under the
city. There, led by Priests of Zargon, the Cynidiceans tried to rebuild the
city. [B4 – 3]
 |
| Cynidicians |
They’ve been
down there a long time. B4 says centuries, but not how many. It must have been
extremely long, though, given their fate.
 |
| A Decadent and Dying Race |
The Cynidiceans are a dying race. Each new generation
is smaller than the last. Most Cynidiceans have forgotten that an outside world
exists, living most of their lives in weird dreams. The times when they seem
normal, tending their fields and animals, are becoming fewer and fewer as the
dreams replace reality. Their unusual costumes and masks only strengthen their
dream worlds. [B4 – 3]
The worshippers of Zargon began to look for strange
pleasures. They sought oblivion in rare wines and bizarre drugs. [B4 – 3]
Roughly a
thousand Cynidicians remain in the lost city. The average Cynidicean has pale
skin, snow-white hair, low-light vision, and light sensitivity [.] [Dungeon #315 – 88]
Generation after generation of Cynidiceans have lived
out their lives underground. Though still human, their skin has become very
pale and their hair is bone-white. The Cynidiceans have developed infravision
and, like goblins, attack with a penalty of -1 to hit when fighting in full
daylight.
 |
| Every Cynidicean wears a stylized mask... |
Every Cynidicean wears a stylized mask, usually of an
animal or human face. Some are made of wood, some of paper [mâché], and some of
metal. They are decorated with beads, bones, feathers, and jewels. Most
Cynidiceans wear fancy clothes, flashy jewelry, and carry short swords. Some
paint their bodies with bright colors. [B4 – 3]
Long story
short, the Cynidiceans have been isolated for a very long time, long enough to
have adapted to their new home and isolation.
As were Howard’s
isolated and thoroughly degenerate natives in his lost city.
The man in no way resembled the figures depicted on
the friezes. He was slightly above middle height, very dark, though not
negroid. He was naked but for a scanty silk clout that only partly covered his
muscular hips, and a leather girdle, a hand's breadth broad, about his lean
waist. His long black hair hung in lank strands about his shoulders, giving him
a wild appearance. He was gaunt, but knots and cords of muscles stood out on
his arms and legs, without that fleshy padding that presents a pleasing
symmetry of contour. He was built with an economy that was almost repellent. [Red
Nails]
But this being D&D, our degenerates can’t be so degenerate
as to not be somewhat civilised – if they were thoroughly so, they might as
well be grimlocks and not what they are. It’s what passes as civilisation in
this hidden corner of the world that makes Cynidicea so interesting.
Factions of Cynidicea
A few Cynidiceans are nearly normal. These Cynidiceans
are trying to restore the worship of the old gods—Gorm, Usamigaras, and
Madarua. They hope to stop the slow death of their society and regain the past
glory of Cynidicea. [B4 – 3]
The Brotherhood of Gorm. Their god,
Gorm, is the god of war, storms, and justice. The followers of Gorm are male
fighters of Lawful alignment. All wear golden masks of the face of Gorm, a
long-haired, bearded man with a stern gaze. [B4 – 3]
Let’s call them Grecian warriors, or more likely, given
their roots in antiquity, Achaeans.
The Magi of Usamigaras. This faction
worships Usamigaras, the god of healing, messengers, and thieves. They are all
Neutral magic-users, wearing silver masks of the face of Usamigaras, the
smiling child. [B4 – 3]
Magic-users, obviously, although they feel like unsavoury
Howardian cultists.
The Warrior Maidens of Madarua. The
Maidens worship Madarua, goddess of birth, death, and the changing seasons.
They are Neutral female fighters. The Warrior Maidens wear bronze masks of
Madarua, a beautiful woman. [B4 – 3]
Amazons, without a doubt, a la Bêlit.
The three factions do not get along well. Each faction
is sure that only its members know the proper way to restore the lost greatness
of Cynidicea. Often, when members of different factions meet, they argue or
fight. It is possible for the three factions to cooperate, but such cooperation
is rare. [B4 – 3]
What makes the factions so inspiring is their politics
and infighting, and their leaders’ respective personalities.
12. GRAND MASTER OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF GORM
Kanadius is stern-looking but basically kindly. He
prefers to outmanuver [sic] opponents, but is brave if fighting is necessary.
He is somewhat absent-minded with unimportant details, but not with major ones.
He leads his men rather than orders them. Under his leadership, morale is high.
[B4 – 7]
The Magi of Usamigaras
14a. THE CHAMBER OF THE MAGI
Stout Auriga Sirkinos appears to be jolly and
fun-loving. His mirth actually hides a ruthless personality. He is a fanatic
who will do anything to promote the cult of Usamigaras and his own power. He
tries his best to hide this under a pleasant manner. While he will welcome the
party, he will also do his best to insure that he, personally, retains the most
power in the cult. However, if it comes to a choice between the Magi of
Usamigaras or the personal power of Auriga Sirkinos, he will choose personal
power. [B4 – 9]
23. WARRIOR MAIDENS OF MADARUA
Pandora prides herself on being a simple fighter. She
claims that swift action is the best solution to any problem. "When in
doubt, attack" she often says. Actually she is more subtle than she leads
people to believe. She always keeps track of the odds. While she often uses
force to settle problems, she tries to make sure that the odds are with her.
She raises the morale of any Warrior Maidens she is with [.] [B4 – 12]
What will the Cynidicean factions think of the PCs? They
won’t be freaked out by them: they’re familiar with gnomes and hobgoblins and
goblins, after all, so how could dwarves, elves, and halflings possibly be
perceived as monsters?
Hobgoblins are [servants of] the Priests of Zargon
(capturing prisoners, raiding another faction, or so on). [B4 – 8]
A thoul is a magical combination of a ghoul, a
hobgoblin, and a troll [.] Thouls look like hobgoblins. The party will think
these thouls are hobgoblins until they attack. […] The thouls serve the Priests
of Zargon. They hunt for prisoners to take back to the Underground City.
[B4 – 16]
Goblins […] live in caves across the underground lake
from the Cynidiceans [….] The goblins serve Zargon [.] If no Cynidiceans
volunteer to go to Zargon, the goblins kidnap victims to feed the monster.
Otherwise, the goblins do not usually harm Cynidiceans. After all, if the
Cynidiceans died out, Zargon would start eating goblins! [B4 – 5]
[G]nomes have traveled underground to the Lost City
through the tunnels and canals that empty into the underground lake [.] [B4
– 5]
One imagines the Cynidiceans would view the PCs with
suspicion, regardless what the PCs look like; but the Cynidicean factions have
been beleaguered and largely ineffectual for a very long time – their perpetual
struggle is in perpetual stalemate – so they will obviously put what prejudices
they might have aside and endeavour to use the PCs to whatever advantage they
can hope to gain to get the upper hand against their rival factions, and
ultimately against the Cult of Zargon, so long as it’s “the right help.”
The Brotherhood of Gorm will take male fighters, male
dwarves, male halflings, and male elves as full members. The Magi of Usamigaras
will take any magic-user, elf, cleric, or thief. The Warrior Maidens will take
female fighters, female elves, female dwarves, and female halflings as full
members. Also, any character may become a lesser member of a faction, if
desired. Factions will not do as much for lesser members, and a lesser member
can never become powerful within a faction. [B4 – 3]
Grist for the mill, so to speak. It’s a powder keg ready
to blow, if played right. But only as part of a greater campaign. In a short adventure,
they are merely chess pieces to manipulate.
It ought be mentioned that this module is more than a
mere adventure. It’s a campaign setting. But it’s also a “mega-dungeon.” In its
shortest form, the adventure consists of only Tiers 1-5. Technically, the PCs
could stop there, they could find enough food and water to brave the dunes
again and high tail it out of the lost city and let the factions sort their own
mess out. Prudent low-level adventurers surely should do exactly that, given what
they may have encountered in these relatively “easy” levels.
Did I suggest
the upper levels were easy? If they were only infested with carrion crawlers
and stirges, one might think so (yeah, like carrion crawlers and stirges are a
walk in the park for 1st level characters – input sarcasm here). But
they are not. The pyramid is a tomb, after all, and what good is a tomb without
an menagerie of undead entombed within it?
 |
| Queen Zenobia |
32. QUEEN ZENOBIA'S BURIAL CHAMBERThe stone box contains the wooden coffin of Queen
Zenobia. If the coffin is opened, the party will find that Zenobia is now a
wight [.] She will attack on sight [.] A wight can only be hit by silvered or
magical weapons. [B4 – 14]
34. KING ALEXANDER'S BURIAL CHAMBER
The translucent, ghost-like figure is a banshee [.] The
banshee is a new monster. A banshee is a supernatural creature that warns
certain families of an approaching death or mourns for certain individuals
after their deaths. Banshees can only be hit by magical weapons or harmed by
magical spells. [B4 – 14]
The PCs will likely not have magic weapons at such low
levels. They probably won’t have silvered weapons, either. They certainly won’t
have either if this is their first adventure, and since Mr. Moldvay did not see
fit to include either in the rooms leading up to these encounters, one might
imagine the PCs tomb raiding days will come to a decidedly quick end as soon as
they discover either of these dearly departed regals.
Another concern of mine is the upper-Tier boss encounter.
It involves a possession.
45. BEDROOM
This was once the bedroom of Demetrius, a 6th level
cleric. Demetrius was an elder in the cult of Usamigaras. His twin brother,
Darius, was a 6th level cleric in the cult of Zargon. Years ago, Demetrius
vowed to destroy the cult of Zargon, especially his evil brother. But Demetrius
was assassinated before he could even begin his quest.
Demetrius made a dying wish that his spirit live on
until Darius was destroyed. The spirit of Demetrius now rests in the white
robe. Any character touching the robe must make a save vs. Dragon Breath or be
taken over by the spirit of Demetrius. Demetrius will only possess the
character long enough to kill Darius (see room 58). [B4 – 17]
58. CLERIC'S CHAMBER
This room contains the evil cleric Darius and his
hobgoblin guards. [B4 – 20]
Demetrius will depart once Darius is dead, and the
white robe will disintegrate. The possessed character will be magically
restored to his or her own full hit points when Demetrius leaves. [B4 – 17]
This sort of thing always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The most likely way to defeat Darius and his hobgoblins appears to be the possession.
Otherwise… I’m not saying killing Darius is not doable without being possessed
by Demetrius and gaining access to his spells, but it’s going to be a tough go
without them.
 |
| Demetrius |
Personally, I prefer this encounter, even if it is less
“epic” than the other.
48. HIDDEN GUARDROOM
 |
| Wererats |
The four men are actually wererats [….] These
lycanthropes are disguised as Cynidiceans so they can safely rob the citizens
when they get a chance. If threatened, the wererats will change into giant rat
form and fight or run. Like other lycanthropes, wererats in animal form can
only be hit by silvered or magical weapons. [B4 – 18]
Having a warren of wererats eking out a living among the
factions is evocative, to say the least; but I also question whether any member
of any faction wouldn’t be infected with lycanthropy after too long.
That said, there’s that magic/silvered weapon issue,
again. Poor PCs. They just aren’t going to have an easy time of delving this
pyramid, are they?
I would not blame unseasoned adventurers if they’d had
their fill by then and cut and run. If they managed to survive, that is.
But what would be the fun in that?
There’s another pyramid below this initial one, where in the
adventure’s longer form Tiers 6-10 descend into the earth, the upper pyramid a
cake walk by comparison. The PCs will be on their own down there unless they
can solicit aid from one or more factions. And good luck with that.
TIERS 6-10
The Cynidiceans do not usually venture into the lower
tiers. These are the haunt of Zargon, the tentacled monster the Cynidiceans
worship. Cynidiceans found on these tiers will most likely be Zargon's prey, or
Priests of Zargon. [B4 – 21]
As mentioned, Tiers 6-10 are Zargon country and the
factions have absolutely no power down here. Evil clerics abound on Tier 6 (or
should I say Chaotic…). Below them even these fell priests hold little to no
sway. Ever more dire monsters dwell the deeper the PCs might plumb, until the
lowest levels are a veritable menagerie of what one might call Lovecraftian
horrors, culminating in the final battle with Zargon, himself. Rumour has it
that Lovecraft’s tales of eldritch horrors was the other inspiration for this
adventure.
Why are the rebel factions up here in the upper tiers of
the hollowed-out pyramid, anyway? Is it because they’re insurgents, and
insurgents are rarely welcome due to their seditious nature.
These Cynidiceans are trying to restore the worship of
the old gods—Gorm, Usamigaras, and Madarua. They hope to stop the slow death of
their society and regain the past glory of Cynidicea. [B4 – 3]
Honestly, there is no actual reason given why the rebels
are in the upper tiers of the pyramid. It’s not like they are hiding out. Each
has a stronghold in the city below. And why would all of their leaders be away
from their command posts, at the same time? They are there as an introduction
to what might be had as part of a larger story below.
Maybe a clue as to why they are present is in that they
are trying to free Cynidicea from the tyranny of Zargon. Perhaps they are each racing
to unearth a long lost relic that will help them defeat Zargon: scrolls, a
magic sword, or perhaps something as “mundane” as Alexander’s crown, as a
symbol for Cynidicea’s drug addled people to rally to.
The Priests of Zargon are a fourth faction. They are
found mainly in areas outside the basic adventure. The Priests of Zargon serve
the evil monster Zargon and control the underground city. [B4 – 3]
K: The Temple of Zargon
This the largest building in Cynidicea. It holds a
temple to Zargon and barred cells where prisoners are kept until the priests
feed them to Zargon. The temple services are poorly attended, but the Priests
of Zargon are still the strongest power in the underground city. [B4 – 24]
THE UNDERGROUND CITY
The surviving people based their new life around a
huge underground lake fed by channels cut through solid rock. Built in the
reign of King Alexander, the lake had been the original city's water supply. On
its shores, the people grew mushrooms and other edible fungi. They built houses
using stones from the ruins above. The new underground city was much smaller
than the ancient capital, but it was safer because it was hidden beneath the
desert sands. Above, drifting sands covered the original city, and Cynidicea
was lost in the vastness of the desert. [B4 – 3]
 |
| Descent to the City |
Will the PCs descend to Cynidicea proper? Will they
become mired in faction infighting? Or will they somehow find a way to bind
these disparate and bickering freedom fighters together and rally them against
their real enemy, the Cult of Zargon, and ultimately Zargon, itself?
“Who can stand against the might of Zargon the
Returner? Surely, no man is strong enough of courage and skill to face my
master in combat. No god would dare confront him, for he has brought low others
before. Nay, when Zargon awakens, all shall tremble as the world is born anew
in his foul image.”
—Dorn, Ascendant of Zargon [Elder Evils – 144]
That passage elevates Zargon from a mere parasite to near
god status, the true elder evil he ought to be, one cast down aeons ago by his
enemies and is struggling to rise again.
Despised by the baatezu, feared by the gods, and all
but forgotten by mortals, Zargon the Returner struggles to escape his prison to
once more conquer the earth and drown the world with rivers of his slime.
[Elder Evils – 144]
 |
| Cynidicia |
If the PCs do descend to the city, be prepared to work.
There is little said about it. There’s a simplistic and wholly inadequate map.
No buildings are mapped. There are only brief paragraphs describing certain
notable features, faction strongholds, and Zargon’s temple, and little else.
There are also a few paragraphs suggesting further adventures to be had, but no
suggestions on how to carry them out. I blame publishing issues, most
specifically page count. There’s only so much Moldvay could press into 28
pages. That said, he stuffed a whole lot into them.
What to do then? Find inspiration where you can: in the
4e sourcebook The Underdark, in the Menzoberranzan boxed set, in Skullport,
in Drow of the Underdark, and whatever else that might inspire you, even
the City of Greyhawk boxed set, and perhaps even B6 The Veiled
Society for city streets.
It won’t be an easy task fleshing out Cynidicea but it
will be a labour of love.
 |
| The Lost City |
Is B4
The Lost City a Greyhawk adventure module?
Of course not. It’s Basic D&D and was firmly placed in Mystara in “Return
to the Lost City,” in Dragon #315. But it can be easily retconned into the
Flanaess. I expect quite a few have over the decades.
But where?
Well, if one were so inclined to follow in the footsteps
of Robert E. Howard, a jungle setting could suffice.
They had emerged from the belt of leaves, and stared
down into the lower reaches of the forest. Above them the green roof spread its
dusky canopy. Below them the sunlight filtered in just enough to make a
jade-tinted twilight. The giant trunks of trees less than a hundred yards away
looked dim and ghostly. […]
The thicket was violently agitated, and Valeria
clutched Conan's arm hard. Ignorant of jungle-lore, she yet knew that no animal
she had ever seen could have shaken the tall brush like that. [Red Nails]
The Amedio would suit. There are lots of ruins hidden
under its canopy.
But if we are true to Moldvay’s text, a desert setting is
in order. The Bright Desert is far to small, to my thinking, for a city to be
lost in. That leaves either the Paynim Steppes (which aren’t actually a desert)
or the Sea of Dust. Personally, I think the Sea of Dust is ideal. It’s a vast,
windswept, inhospitable tract of desolation, where we know a lost civilisation
once thrived.
The Suel Imperium was located in what is now the Sea
of Dust. Wicked and decadent, this empire was destroyed during a war with the
Baklunish when the latter brought down the Rain of Colorless Fire, Suloise
survivors fled in all directions, many crossing the Hellfurnaces into the
Flanaess, where they met other Suel who had fled the long war much earlier.
[LGG – 8]
Sea of Dust:
A bleak desert of powdery gray ash fills this enormous basin that was formerly
the Suel Morning in the Sea of Dust Imperium. A fertile landscape once extended
for 1,000 miles west and south until it was inundated by the Rain of Colorless
Fire, sent in retaliation by the survivors of the Baklunish Empire after it had
been brought low by the Invoked Devastation cast by the Suloise a millennium
ago. What remains is an endless vista of ash and dust shaped into dunes.
Howling desert winds often whip the surface into choking clouds that strip
flesh from bone, making vision impossible and breathing a torment. This
environment is made even worse by the addition of volcanic ash and cinders that
rain down from the Hellfurnaces to cover the already ghastly landscape. Below
the dusty surface, the ash is packed and nearly hard as rock; no plant will
grow here. [LGG – 154,155]
We know there are people
living there, clinging to existence despite how unforgiving existence in the
Sea of Dust is, even on its fringe.
The fringes of this vast
basin also hold examples of humanity. A tall, slender folk of ebony hue dwells
on the southwest edge of the desert, pursuing a nomadic life where the caustic
dust gives way to fertile soil. Another human race lives under the shadow of
the Hellfurnaces on the desert's eastern border. These short, stocky people
cover their bodies with an odorous wax to protect against the caustic dust and
burning sun. [LGG – 155]
Either might have been the
barbarians that sacked the city after the Rain of Colourless Fire.
We also know that there are
those who’ve inexplicably braved that lethal sea in recent years.
Natives of the Sulhauts and explorers from distant
lands sometimes enter the Sea of Dust and explore its few ruins in search of
treasures of the ancient Suel Imperium. [LGG – 155]
Why? For ancient and esoteric knowledge, obviously.
The Society [of the Serpent] also has many ancient
texts and maps showing the location of dozens of abandoned (former member)
Wizard’s laboratories and strongholds, some of them in the Sea of Dust [.]
[Dragon #256 – 46]
570 CY
Indeed, brave souls have discovered
a well-preserved Suel settlement of modest size. Investigating further, they
ascertained that they had discovered the legendary Forgotten City of the Suel.
The city was blanketed in a white ash of caustic properties. […]
Eventually the band
stumbled across a mage-tower protruding from the ash. Unfortunately for the
searchers, many powerful wards were still in place within the tower, and these
tested Aelistrifel’s magic to the utmost. Ultimately, the party found a hidden
entrance to subterranean vaults. [Dragon #243 – 91]
It’s not too far a stretch to imagine
our “heroes” braving the Sea of Dust for that very reason, certainly not for
trade, because how lucrative could trade across the Sea actually be?
[Y]our group of adventurers joined a desert caravan.
[B4 – 4]
You headed east, the same way the caravan was headed
before the storm. [B4 – 4]
The storm stuck, they were separated from their caravan
and their struggle to survive began.
Then, just when they thought they might surely die, they catch
a flash across the sea of caustic sand…
That glint turns out to be three statues atop a buried
pyramid if a strong, bearded man [B4 – 3], a child [holding] a wand
in one hand and a handful of coins in the other [B4 – 3], and a
beautiful woman. In her hands she held a sheaf of wheat and a sword. [B4 –
3]
Gorm, Usamigara, and Madarua do not fit our narrative.
Kord (or Jascar), Wee Jas, and Brahm might.
[Dragon #87,88,90,92]
 |
| Lerara |
As to the Cynidiceans, I imagine they might be a branch
of Lerara. In fact, give that the underground city resides in the underoerth
and that there are innumerable tunnels and caverns leading out from its cavern,
it’s not too far a stretch to imagine that Cynidecea could very well be one of
their settlements.
Appearance: The Lerara, once an
attractive people, have degenerated thanks to a combination of inbreeding and
environmental pressures over the last thousand years. Though certainly human in
appearance, they are almost albinos, having chalk-white skin, very pale blue
eyes, and rough, silver-white hair. Many true, pink-eyed albinos live among
them. Most Lerara have receding chins and very small ears, a few having minor
deformities such as one less finger or a few extra toes. Their eyes, however,
have grown slightly larger and have a disturbing aspect when staring.
[Dragon #241 – 45]
Special Advantages: A Lerara’s
light-sensitive eyes are able to use a single candle flame or phosphorescent
fungus to see within a 50['] radius. A torch illuminates a radius of 150’ for
Lerara. [Dragon #241 – 46]
Languages: Leraran PCs speak a corrupt
form of ancient Suloise mixed with words borrowed from the drow. [Dragon
#241 – 45]
Habitat: Nearly all Lerara inhabit the
northern reaches of the vast cavern-and-tunnel system under the Hellfurnances,
along the Passage of Slerotin. [Dragon #241 – 45]
Indeed, Cynidicea might even be the embarkation point of
Slerotin’s Tunnel.
577 CY
Some dozen years ago, a cavernous bore was found at
the foot of the Crystalmists in the western end of the realm. This tunnel,
which supposedly pierces the range and leads to the Sea of Dust [.] [LGG –
135]
Since the discovery of the Passage of Slerotin in 577
C.Y., an increasing number of adventurers and treasure-hunters have reached
Leraran society. [Dragon #241 – 45]
Maybe Cynidicea being the start of the Tunnel is a bit of
a stretch, but it does open a whole host of possibilities, doesn’t it? Deep
Gnomes, Drow, Derro, Duergar, etc.
What can I say, I do so love to imagine and tinker. It’s
in my nature. Given that, it’s not to hard to imagine that I would tinker here
too. Would I use the maps, as published. I have. But I stripped the monsters
down, judging that Moldvay’s “inhabitants” no longer held verisimilitude for
me. In their place, I would (and did) repopulate the upper pyramid with desert
creatures that wiggled their way in. I was liberal with undead in the middle,
just to ensure my players would give it wide berth until they were stronger and
better equipped. I also enhanced the lower “upper” levels with a warren of
wererats. And a giant ant colony.
 |
| Zargon the Returner |
The lower tiers were remade into a Lovecraftian dungeon
delve. No manticores. No chimeras. No blue dragons. Lots of puddings and slimes
and shriekers and the like, ghouls and ghasts and things that go bump in the
depths of the dark.
As to Cynidicea proper, I thought it too small, to
grid-like, too neat.
And as to King Alexander, I renamed him Ozymandias. You
know I did.
All in all, I did a complete rewrite. But that’s me. I do
like to tinker. Sadly, I did not run it to completion. Not even close.
Granted, one could just run B4 as is. It is a
masterpiece, after all. Designers have come back to it time and again: there is
a foreshortened version of it in B1-9
In Search of Adventure; it was
revisited in
Masque of Dreams in Dungeon #142, and in
Mystara: Return
to the Lost City in Dragon #315; made mention of alongside Zargon in 2007’s
Elder Evils sourcebook; was expanded and expounded upon in the
Vault ofPandius as
The Lost City Campaign
Sourcebook; and most recently, Goodman games gave it a full
treatment in its Original Adventures Reincarnated.
That’s a lot of love lavished on this aged gem. And it
deserves it.
So, is B4 The
Lost City in my top ten? It is.
I love it. It ticks so many of my boxes: a lost, degenerate civilisation; "chaotic" cultists; Lovecraftian horrors! So good!
Is it in your top ten list?
"Nothing
beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."
— Ozymandias,
by Percy Bysshe Shelly
One must always give credit where credit is due. This post is made
possible primarily by the Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard
Lakofka among them, and the new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E.
Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The
list is interminable.
The Art:
Cover art, by Jim Holloway, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Salvation, by Jim Holloway, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
The Dragon, by Howard S. Daley, from "Red Nails" in Weird Tales, 1936
Zargon, by Jim Holloway, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Cynidicians, by Jim Holloway, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Masque of Dreams details, by Michael M. Kaluta, from Dungeon #142, 2007
Queen Zenobia, by Jim Holloway, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Demetrius, by Jim Holloway, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Wererats, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Lost City cross-section, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Lost City map, from B4 The Lost City, 1982
Priestess of Zargon, by Michael M. Kaluta, from Dungeon #142, 2007
Lazarretti map detail, from Dragon Magazine #118 - 121, 2005
Elayne Mystica, by Valarie Valusek, from Dragon #139, 1988
Zargon, from Elder Evils, 2007
Sources:
9025 World of
Greyhawk Folio, 1980
1015 World of
Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
2009 Monster
Manual 1e, 1977, 1978
9049 B4 The
Lost City, 1982
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazeteer, 2000
Elder Evils,
2007
Dragon Magazine
#87,88,89,90,92,230,241,243,256,315
Dungeon
Magazine #142
Red Nails,
Robert E. Howard, 1936
