The player's PC's pierced the inner fields of the Mictlin empire & the undead moved as one! The party got into the inner line of the Xibalba. This session picks right up from
Aethel, the Sunken Core Inner Earth Sword & Sorcery Campaign Adventure Using both Castles & Crusades (C&C) and Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars (NSW) Rpg - Mictlan
The Setting: The Sunless Empire of Xibalba
Forget the "Lost World" trope of jungles and dinosaurs. This is a subterranean necro-state. The "Inner Earth" is a series of massive geode-caverns lit by the sickly green glow of phosphorescent fungi and rivers of liquid mercury.
The Conflict
The Golden Host: A stranded expedition of Conquistadors who found a "thin spot" in the world. They are desperate, low on black powder, and slowly being corrupted by the local gold, which is cursed.
The Lords of Mictlan: Undead priest-kings and their Jaguar-warrior thralls. They don't want to conquer the surface; they want to harvest "Fresh Souls" to keep their dying subterranean sun flickering.
Campaign Hook: The Descent of the 13th Company
The players are part of a secondary expedition sent to find a lost governor. Instead of the New World, they find a vertical shaft that drops miles into the crust.
The Twist: Magic works differently here. Divine casters find their prayers echoed by the "Death Lords," and Wizards find that their components decay at double speed due to the stagnant, ancient air.
New Mechanics & Hazards
To capture the feel of the Antediluvian minis, use these specific C&C rules:
| Hazard | SIEGE Check | Effect |
| Miasma of Mictlan | CON (Prime) | Failure results in 1 level of exhaustion as the lungs clog with tomb dust. |
| Obsidian Shards | DEX (Non-Prime) | The jagged terrain ruins boots and non-magical leather armor over time. |
| The Whispering Gold | WIS (Prime) | Seeing the Conquistador's loot requires a check to avoid greed-driven infighting. |
Key Factions (Using the Minis)
1. The Disgraced Tercios (Conquistador Minis)
These NPCs are survivors from the first wave. They have integrated Aztec-style obsidian plates into their rusted breastplates.
Leader: Captain Alvarado, a man who has replaced his lost eye with a "Smoking Mirror" (a scrying artifact).
Flavor: They use heavy crossbows because their arquebuses ran out of powder years ago.
2. The Bat-God Cult (The Macuahuitl-wielders)
The "undead" aesthetic of the minis works perfectly here. These aren't just zombies; they are high-level skeletal warriors who retain their tactical intelligence.
Tactics: They use "Guerilla Necromancy"—rising from the silt floors to ambush the party’s rear guard.
Bestiary Adaptations
Since Castles & Crusades is easily compatible with AD&D-style stats, you can reskin classic monsters to fit the Antediluvian sculpts:
Quetzalcoatl Spawn: Use Couatl stats, but change the alignment to Neutral Evil.
Jaguar Knights: Use Weretiger stats, but remove the lycanthropy; instead, give them a "Blood Frenzy" ability that grants +2 to hit when an opponent is below half HP.
The Hunger: Use Ghoul stats for the emaciated Conquistador thralls found in the dark.
Potential Adventure Arcs
The Mercury River: The party must bargain with a skeletal ferryman to cross a lake of liquid metal.
The Siege of Tamoanchan: The players must help the surviving Conquistadors defend a crumbling fortress against a tide of bat-winged horrors.
The Heart of the World: A final climb up a Great Teocalli (pyramid) to stop a ritual that would extinguish the surface sun.
GM Tip: Use the "Encumbrance" rules strictly. In the Inner Earth, the weight of your gold versus the weight of your water is a life-or-death choice.
Gemini said
To keep with the Castles & Crusades aesthetic, this villain is designed to be a "thinking" encounter—as much a corrupting influence as a physical threat. Using the Antediluvian minis as a guide, we’ll envision him as a tall, desiccated figure draped in feathered robes with a mask made of human bone.
The Death-Priest of Mictlan
HD: 7 (d8) AC: 18 (Obsidian-flecked robes & Bone Mask) Move: 30 ft. Level: 7 Primary Attributes: Mental (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) Attacks: 1 Macuahuitl (1d8 + 2) or Spell Special: Spellcasting, Gaze of the Xibalban Sun, Command Undead, Rebirth
Special Abilities
Spellcasting: The Priest functions as a 7th-level Cleric (Evil). Typical prepared spells include:
Level 1: Cause Fear, Command, Darkness
Level 2: Hold Person, Enthrall, Spiritual Weapon (Obsidian Dagger)
Level 3: Animate Dead, Bestow Curse
Level 4: Fear
Gaze of the Xibalban Sun: Once per encounter, the Priest can lift his mask to reveal a void of sickly green light. All enemies within 30 feet must make a Wisdom Save (CL 7) or be Stunned for 1d4 rounds by the cosmic horror of the Inner Earth.
Command Undead: As a standard action, the Priest can command any undead minis on the field (Jaguar Knights, etc.) to take an immediate move or attack action.
Rebirth (1/Day): If slain, the Priest’s spirit attempts to jump into the nearest "Cursed Gold" coin or idol. If the players take the loot without purifying it with a Paladin’s touch or Holy Water, the Priest begins to possess the carrier over the next 1d6 days.
Tactical Behavior
The Death-Priest is a "back-line" general. He will never engage in melee if his Jaguar Knight thralls are still standing. He uses Hold Person to freeze the party’s strongest fighter, then directs his undead to focus fire on the "Soft" targets (Wizards/Rogues).
If the Conquistador NPCs are present, the Priest will use his Charisma (Prime) to attempt to subvert them, whispering promises of eternal life and endless gold to break their morale.
Loot: The Obsidian Mirror
Upon his final death, the Priest leaves behind a polished obsidian mirror.
Property: Once per day, a user can cast Scrying.
The Price: Every time it is used, the user must succeed on a CON Save (CL 5) or permanently lose 1 point of Charisma as their skin takes on a pale, waxy, "underworld" sheen.
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