Castles & Crusades 'Valle de los reyes del antiguo dragón' Adventure Location

The influence of the classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fiend Folio is still felt even today. And classic that classic old school  influence translates itself into my alternative Earth Castles & Crusades game campaign.



Using the Fiend Folio along with Castles & Crusade's Classic Monsters & Treasure book the basic adventure location outline for my Victorious rpg game is starting to emerge. The result is a place twisted & very dangerous with lots of Ray Harryhausen DNA in the mix.

A dying French explorer stumbles from the swamps of Mexico with tales of native tribesmen who use advanced weapons sharper then steal & knives able to cut through armor like tissue paper. Only a lone group of adventurers takes notice against the backdrop of the loss of the second Second French Intervention in Mexico.  But elsewhere news reaches the ears of German Mexican officials & it filters back to Germany through the usual channels. The year is 1870 & Mexico is a war torn mess with French, Germany, & England dividing up the Mexico among themselves. Meanwhile the Mexican night are torn apart by tales of werewolves, ancient demon worshiping cults, & worse!

James Mishler's fourth installment, Monstrous Menaces #4: Hribixul, Memnech, and Quasi-Dragon, presents the Quasi-Dragon;

"Quasi-dragons, also known as false dragons, dragon-lizards, or dragon-serpents, are large, frilled and finned, scaled creatures with features of both serpent and lizard and dragon. It is thought that they are either a primitive ancestor to true dragons or a distant cousin thereof. In some lands they are plentiful enough that they are considered true dragons, and true dragons are considered to be the royalty of dragon-kind.

The typical quasi-dragon has a body like that of a lizard, with a neck as long as its body, and with a tail as long as neck and body combined. Its legs are short and stumpy, but quite strong, giving them a sinuous serpentine appearance. The head is crocodilian, with many long jagged teeth and a long red tongue. Some bear horns upon their head and frills around their neck, especially old males, and they have a long line of spikes down their back. Midway down their back, on either side of the spikes, are long fins, like those on various species of lizards; in some these take the appearance of vestigial wings."

But these monster kings  are going to be going through the James Ward's Tainted Lands filter! A cruel & dangerous mutant Quasi-Dragon king will be ruling a group of demon worshiping tribesmen whose barbaric rites will be reaching the ears of adventurers who will be seeking the incredible treasure of South American gold,relics, & more! The ancient dragon kings have ruled these kingdoms for thousands of years on another world.  All of this will connect into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's South American plateau of prehistoric danger 'The Lost World'



You can bet that Dwarven slayer's ears are listening from beyond the bar sipping beer listening to these tales of Dragon kings. They have come from another world to hunt far more dangerous prey.
The vampire queen 'The Cihuateteo' has been picking off various French,Mexican, English, soldiers with impunity. She's been having a war in my campaigns with her sisters on & off for ages. She was originally inspired as an NPC by this piece of Ken Kelly artwork. This was not my intent to violate the trade mark or copyright of the artist or the artwork owners. She and her sisters see themselves as the rightful owners of Mexico


They grow concerned about tales of an alien black pyramid whose read purple sands every day creep into the desert. And whose monsters mock the sanity of any man or woman! The blood she sups on rings with these tales! And her ghostly servants report back to her of strange men in the desert who murder French, Mexican, English, and anyone they come across!


The vampire queens only warred among themselves once upon a time this Cha'alt & its black pyramid have upset the delicate balance!