In the Thurian Age of King Kull, the Serpent Men are not merely monsters; they are the remnants of a pre-human empire built on alchemy, sorcery, and the worship of the Great Serpent. Their treasures reflect a civilization that was ancient when the first humans were still shivering in caves.This blog entry picks right up from D100 Conan era Eldritch Spirits & Forbidden Rituals Tables For Castles & Crusades Rpg Including Treasures, Curses, Side Effects and Patrons
This D100 table provides a mix of mundane valuables, alchemical oddities, and legendary relics suitable for a Kull-era campaign.
D100 Serpent Men Relics & Treasures
| D100 | Item Category | Description |
| 01-15 | Common Valuables | Serpentine Currency & Jewelry: Hand-minted coins of "Old Valusia" made of green gold; obsidian mirrors; finger-rings carved from a single piece of jade; silver armbands shaped like constricting pythons. |
| 16-30 | Alchemical Tools | Vials of Transmutation: Vials containing the "Venom of Change" used to soften stone or harden flesh; concentrated hallucinogens distilled from swamp orchids; a silver burner for "Smoke of the Unseen." |
| 31-45 | Warped Weaponry | Ancient Arms: Scimitars made of "Star-Metal" that never dull; blowguns carved from human thighbones; arrows tipped with the petrified fangs of prehistoric vipers; bronze shields embossed with the hypnotic "Eye of Set." |
| 46-60 | Occult Curios | Idols and Fetishes: Small soapstone figurines of the Great Serpent; human skulls dipped in molten gold and inscribed with "The Words that Unweave"; scrolls of papyrus that hiss when unrolled. |
| 61-75 | The Regalia of Deceit | Disguise Artifacts: Silken robes that shimmer with illusory patterns; masks of thin human skin that, when worn, allow the user to mimic a specific noble; vials of "Warm Blood" elixir to hide a cold-blooded nature. |
| 76-85 | Relics of the First Empire | The Emerald Tablets: Fragments of green stone containing forgotten geometry and the history of the Pre-Cataclysmic world; the Staff of the First Brood, topped with a ruby that glows near humans. |
| 86-95 | Sorcerous Instruments | The Mirror of Tuzun Thune (Shard): A silvered fragment that shows a viewer's true soul or a location in the Forbidden Swamp; a Flute of the Black Abyss whose music charms reptiles. |
| 96-99 | Grand Treasures | The Scepter of Eallal: The lost scepter of a slain Valusian king, stolen by Serpent Men. It grants the wielder the "Voice of Command" but slowly turns their eyes slitted and yellow. |
| 100 | The Ultimate Relic | The Heart of the Serpent: A pulsing, fist-sized emerald. It is said to contain the life-force of an Elder Serpent. It grants near-immortality but requires a sacrifice of "True Man" blood every new moon. |
Lore Note: "Ka Nama Kaa Lajerama"
When dealing with these items, remember that any Serpent Man (or a human transformed by their magic) will recoil in physical pain if the phrase "Ka Nama Kaa Lajerama" is spoken. This phrase is the ultimate "Word of Unweaving" and will often cause Serpent Men artifacts to momentarily lose their enchantments.
Types of Loot Found in Serpent Sanctuaries
The Forbidden Swamp Cache: Heavy on organic materials, poisons, and prehistoric ivory.
Valusian Palace Secret Rooms: High-quality silks, forged documents, and political assassination tools.
Temples of the Great Serpent: Basalt altars, sacrificial daggers, and heavy gold icons.
n the lore of the Thurian Age, Eallal was a king of Valusia who reigned long before Kull.
The Scepter of Eallal is more than a symbol of office; it is a conduit of ancient Valusian sovereignty and a trophy of the Serpent Men’s greatest infiltration.
The Scepter of Eallal
Object: A three-foot rod of polished "Sun-Gold" (a heavy, reddish alloy) topped with a massive, uncapped diamond held in the claws of four golden eagles.
1. Properties and Powers
The Scepter was designed to enhance the natural authority of the True Kings of Valusia. In the hands of a human, it acts as a beacon of order; in the hands of a Serpent Man, it is a tool of subversion.
The Voice of Command: The wielder’s voice carries an unnatural resonance. In any social encounter, the wielder has a supernatural advantage to command, intimidate, or persuade.
The Aura of Legitimacy: While holding the Scepter, the wielder is perceived as the "rightful" leader of any group they stand before. This can bypass traditional checks of rank or lineage unless challenged by a stronger magical will.
True Sight (Dormant): Legend says that if the diamond is bathed in the blood of a Serpent Man, it will glow with a cold blue light, revealing any disguised Serpent Men within $30$ feet.
2. The Serpent's Taint (The Curse)
Because the Scepter was held by the Serpent Priest who murdered Eallal, it has been "poisoned" by centuries in their lightless pits.
The Slow Transformation: For every month a human possesses the Scepter, they must succeed on a test of Will. Failure results in a subtle physical change:
First failure: Eyes become flecked with gold and pupils begin to narrow.
Second failure: Skin becomes dry, itchy, and slightly translucent.
Third failure: The wielder begins to feel a murderous revulsion toward the phrase "Ka Nama Kaa Lajerama."
Cold-Bloodedness: The wielder slowly loses the ability to feel empathy or heat. They seek out sun-drenched stones to warm themselves and view their subjects as mere "chattel" or "prey."
3. Current Status in the Kull Era
In the time of King Kull, the Scepter is a lost relic. The Serpent Men seek it to bolster the "rightful" claim of a puppet king they hope to install on the Topaz Throne.
Adventure Hook: A shadowy nobleman approaches the party, claiming to have a map to the "Tomb of Eallal" in the Forbidden Swamp. In reality, he is a Serpent Man seeking to recover the Scepter to use its Voice of Command to force Valusia’s armies to march into a trap.
Technical Specs (For Gaming Systems)
If you are using a D20-based system (like Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of or D&D), here are the suggested mechanics:
Type: Wondrous Item (Legendary)
Bonus: +5 to all Charisma-based checks involving leadership or law.
Active Ability: Once per day, the wielder can cast a high-level Command or Geas spell.
The Toll: Each use of the Voice of Command reduces the wielder's maximum HP by $1d4$ until they spend an hour resting in direct sunlight.
In the Thurian Age, Serpent Men do not merely lock their treasure chests; they weave layers of biological horror, ancient sorcery, and psychological traps around their hoard.
This table provides 100 guardians ranging from mindless constructs to eldritch horrors that King Kull himself would think twice about facing.
D100 Guardians of Serpent Treasures
| D100 | Guardian Type | Description |
| 01-10 | The Sloughing Dead | Zombies of the Pit: Human slaves preserved in alchemical vats. Their skin is replaced with translucent scales, and they emit a paralytic musk when struck. |
| 11-20 | Ophidian Beasts | Giant Constrictors: Massive, $50$-foot pythons fed on human hearts. Their scales are as hard as bronze and inscribed with protective runes. |
| 21-30 | The Mimicry Trap | Living Statues: Jade statues of Serpent Priests that animate when a "True Man" breathes near them. They fight with curved glass daggers. |
| 31-40 | Alchemical Horrors | The Gelatinous Shadow: A sentient, acidic ooze that clings to the ceiling, dropping onto intruders to dissolve armor and flesh instantly. |
| 41-50 | Hybrid Abominations | The Snake-Apes: Great white apes from the mountains of Valusia, surgically grafted with serpent heads and venomous fangs. |
| 51-60 | Cursed Echoes | The Hissing Ghost: The spirit of a Serpent Priest who refused to die. It cannot be harmed by steel, only by the "Word of Unweaving." |
| 61-70 | Bio-Mechanical | The Iron Cobra: A clockwork guardian powered by a trapped elemental. It fires needles coated in "Heart-Stop" poison from its hood. |
| 71-80 | Psychic Sentinels | The Brain-Leech: A small, pulsing organ suspended in a jar. It projects waves of suicidal despair or hypnotic suggestions to "leave and never return." |
| 81-90 | High Sorcery | The Illusionary Maze: The treasure is guarded by a "Shifting Room" where gravity fails and doorways lead back to the entrance unless a blood sacrifice is made. |
| 91-95 | The Ancient Ones | A Pre-Human Sleeper: A Serpent Man noble in deep hibernation. He awakes with the sorcerous power of a thousand years and a hunger for warm blood. |
| 96-99 | Outer Dark Entities | A Shadow of Set: A darkness that moves independently of light. It drains the heat from the room, freezing intruders solid before shattering them. |
| 100 | The Ultimate Terror | The Worm of the Earth: A colossal, blind subterranean deity-fragment. It swallows the entire treasure chamber (and the intruders) if the "True Word" isn't spoken. |
Three Unique Guardian Mechanics
The Hypnotic Hiss: Many Serpent Men guardians don't attack physically at first. They emit a low-frequency hiss that requires a Will/Resolve check. Success means you can act; failure means you stand mesmerized for $1d6$ rounds while the traps activate.
The Thermal Trigger: Serpent Men are cold-blooded. Their most secure vaults are kept at near-freezing temperatures. The traps and guardians are triggered by the body heat of "True Men." Carrying a torch or simply being a mammal is the "key" that turns the lock on the monsters.
The "Ka Nama" Backfire: If a player uses the forbidden phrase "Ka Nama Kaa Lajerama" against a guardian, there is a 10% chance the guardian enters a "Death Frenzy," doubling its attacks for $3$ rounds as it tries to silence the speaker before it dissolves.
Environment Modifier: The "Forbidden Swamp" Lair
If the treasure is found in the swamps rather than a Valusian basement, add these flavor elements:
The Floor is Alive: The "floor" is actually a carpet of venomous water-moccasins.
Toxic Spoiling: The treasure is coated in a contact poison that causes blindness within $1$ hour of touching the gold.
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