OSR Campaign Commentary - Clark Ashton Smith's Hyperborea, The Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan, The (1932), & The Hyperborea rpg

 "Give, give, O magnanimous and liberal lord of the poor," cried the beggar.

Avoosl Wuthoqquan, the richest and most avaricious money-lender in all Commoriom, and, by that token, in the whole of Hyperborea, was startled from his train of reverie by the sharp, eerie, cicada-like voice. He eyed the supplicant with acidulous disfavor. His meditations, as he walked homeward that evening, had been splendidly replete with the shining of costly metals, with coins and ingots and gold-work and argentry, and the flaming or sparkling of many-tinted gems in rills, rivers and cascades, all flowing toward the coffers of Avoosl Wuthoqquan. Now the vision had flown; and this untimely and obstreporous voice was imploring for alms.

"I have nothing for you." His tones were like the grating of a shut clasp.

"Only two pazoors, O generous one, and I will prophesy."

• Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan, The (1932) By Clark Aston Smith 
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   Today on the blog I wanted to revisit Clark Aston Smith's Hyperborean cycle. Which we covered back in May 27,23 on this blog. And one of Clark's best tales Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan, The (1932) & how it could relate to the Hyperborea rpg. The implication in the tale is that the doomed money lender is very much a part of the cycle of destruction of Hyperborea that the rest of the tale's cycle covers. We get a guided tour of the hot volcanic & humid jungles of Hyperborea. And the implication is that fool's doom is sealed outside of the borders of Commorium. 
  Hyperborea is the seat of far older species then humans and this of course is the realm of the Great Old One Tsathoggua. Because this is exactly the sort of entity that Avoosl Wuthoqquanruns into and meets his doom with. 
  And it begs the question, did the Hyperboreans who settled within the borders of Hyperborea during the Miocene times on purpose? Simply take over a rich & fertile  area that had been the home of elder entities that was now at the end of it's cycle? Or did the gods plan Hyperborea as a part of a grander cosmic cycle?And where does this leave adventurers if the Hyperboreans fled thier old world of Hyperborea?
  Is the gateway of Sarnath actually a gate back to the frozen waste lands of Hyperborea now guarded by demons of  the Great Old One Tsathoggua & far worse entities? The frozen wastes could hold incredible riches that are claimed by the frozen monsters and horrors that hold them. 
  And this is the realm of the White Worm and it's pethora of horrors. These places could hold occult secrets and spells from the heyday of Hyperborea. This is a place rife with adventure possibilities. 

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  The Hyperborean wastland corrisponds to the ancient map of Hyperborea. Where ancient cities's ruins lay waiting for fools to venture in. 
  And then there's the fact that the gods or demons will seek back thier former offerings as our Avoosl Wuthoqquanruns found out. 
  The lure of adventure however along with the riches could prove far to much of a temptation. 
  And there there is the possibility of time travel with the spice of magic where the adventurers travel back in time to the heyday of Hyperborea. This could also prove diasterous as the doom of Hyperborea will not be denied. So thier own doom may come sooner then later. So the  Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan, The (1932) could act as a primer in the doom of those adventurers who seek the shores of Hyperborea. 

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