Legacies In Sand - C1 "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan" (1980), by Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason & I1: "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" (1981), by David "Zeb" Cook

The Hidden Shrine draws from a caricature of Aztec and Mayan culture, just as traditional D&D draws from a caricature of the European middle ages. In a retrospective, James Maliszewski wrote, “The Mesoamerican flavor gives the whole thing an ambiance quite unlike other D&D modules. The whole thing has an ‘alien,’ exotic quality to it, which I think adds greatly to its appeal.”

So my campaign is set in a twisted Castles & Crusades/Victorious rpg   1870's during the Franco Prussian war  but one of the first places that my plane jumping version of Tegel Manor is visiting is Mexico for the first leg of the campaign.


Now this isn't an accident. The reason for this is that deep in the jungle swamps of Mexico is a lost valley gate way leading to C1 "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan" (1980), by Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason.




Originally in my game the shrine belonged to  the quinametzin a race of giants found in 

Mesoamerican mythology. These giants are not gone but now a race of undead lich kings inhabiting certain forgotten demi planar valleys that dot along certain areas of Mexico. Their very active within the affairs of their own demi planes snatching explorers & the occasional adventurers from other worlds.
What's the connection to Tegel Manor?! Several artifacts belonging to the quinametzin are now among the Manor's collections of relics & artifacts. These were stolen by the Rumps & the giants want them back! There's been talk among fellow DM's that I should connect up G1 -3 Against the Giants By Gary Gygax  with this on going  campaign. Personally I think its a bit much at this point. I1 "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan" (1980), by Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason fits the 'Lost World' vibe that I'm going with for this war torn otherworldly campaign.




Instead I'm looking into possibly using  I1: "Dwellers of the Forbidden City" (1981), by David "Zeb" Cook in conjunction with  "The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan" (1980), by Harold Johnson and Jeff R. Leason. I've done this for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea in the past. But this time I'm weaving in the undead pulpy legacy of  the quinametzin kings into the mix.


I've already got the better part of a year's worth of campaign material already crammed into note books. But this is where Venger Satanis's  Cha'alt the interloper comes in. Rival adventurering parties from Cha'alt are already in the mix here. They'll be getting through the trips & traps of Mexico's adventure locations, supplying arms & armament, & causing my player's adventurers all kinds of mayhem! 

Several forces of Cha'alt loath the adventurers & have a couple of mecha waiting to take the party just outside the hidden valley's of the the quinametzin! There will be blood coming up! But whose remains to be seen!