Taranaich
01-30-2008, 04:50
This is kind of a pseudo-preview since most of the stuff here has been posted in the original Hyborian Age: Total War thread, but I thought I'd put it here for any new members who haven't seen them.
Wonders of the Hyborian Age tend to come in two types: Constructed and Natural. Obviously the most important difference between the two is that one is made by human (or otherwise) hands, the other formed by the natural whims of the cosmos. While most constructed wonders can be sacked, pillaged or even demolished for their treasures and resources, natural wonders cannot. The only way a natural wonder could be destroyed is through sorcery, which would require the very foundations of the earth to be shaken, though there is little to gain from such enormous magicks unless there are a large population of pilgrims nearby for a grand blood sacrifice.
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The Iron Tower
The grim Iron Tower stood apart from the citadel, amid a maze of narrow streets and crowding houses where the meaner structures, appropriating a space from which the more fastidious shrank, had invaded a portion of the city ordinarily alien to them. The Tower was in reality a castle, an ancient, formidable pile of heavy stone and black iron, which had itself served as the citadel in an earlier, ruder century. - The Hour of the Dragon
The Iron Tower of Tarantia was formerly the citadel of the Aquilonians in earlier times. An ancient, forbidding construction of stone and black iron, it is in one of the more ancient districts of the city, surrounded by a maze of dark alleys and streets. By the time of Conan, the Iron Tower is the city's most notorious prison, where the political enemies of Aquilonia were held and executed, and had been so for a millenium. The Tower is virtually impenetrable, save for a highly secret entrance from a dilapidated watchtower three streets away known only by a dozen at most. Conan himself was imprisoned here during his time as a mercenary by the jealous King Namedides, learning the secret entrance when Aquilonian dissenters helped him escape.
20% public order bonus due to law
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The King's Altar
Xaltotun mounted a hill on the left side of the valley, near the wide mouth. This hill rose higher than the others, and was known as the King's Altar, for a reason long forgotten. Only Xaltotun knew, and his memory dated back three thousand years... They laid her on an ancient stone, which was curiously like an altar, and which crowned the summit of the hill. For long centuries it had stood there, worn by the elements until many doubted that it was anything but a curiously shapen natural rock. But what it was, and why it stood there, Xaltotun remembered from of old..." - The Hour of the Dragon
The King's altar is a mysterious landmark in the south of Aquilonia near the Goralian Hills. It is a hill with a curiously-shaped rock on the summit resembling an altar. The origins and original purpose of the hill are long lost to history, save to those students of the dark arts who seek out such forbidden knowledge. At the Battle at the Valley of Lions, Xaltotun planned to unleash beings of horrific power to crush the 50,000 strong Aquilonian army, before he was thwarted with the Heart of Ahriman. It is possible that a sorcerer of similar power might succeed where he failed.
Allows the summoning of greater sorcerous units when a Temple of Set or Temple of the Old Ones is constructed.
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The Scarlet Citadel
"Before midnight they crossed the Ophirean border and at dawn the spires of Khorshemish stood up gleaming and rose-tinted on the south-eastern horizon, the slim towers overawed by the grim scarlet citadel that at a distance was like a splash of bright blood in the sky. That was the castle of Tsotha. Only one narrow street, paved with marble and guarded by heavy iron gates, led up to it, where it crowned the hill dominating the city. The sides of that hill were too sheer to be climbed elsewhere. From the walls of the citadel one could look down on the broad white streets of the city, on minaretted mosques, shops, temples, mansions, and markets. One could look down, too, on the palaces of the king, set in broad gardens, high-walled, luxurious riots of fruit trees and blossoms, through which artificial streams murmured, and silvery fountains rippled incessantly. Over all brooded the citadel, like a condor stooping above its prey, intent on its own dark meditations." - The Scarlet Citadel
The Scarlet Citadel is a mighty fortification that overlooks Khorshemish in Koth. Below it are the Halls of Hell, a vast subterranean network of caves that are home to terrifying beings of earthly and unearthly origin. Originally under the auspices of Tsotha-Lanti, since his defeat at the Siege of Shamar it has been largely abandoned, with no man brave enough to approach the citadel without the sorcerer's presence. A sufficiently skilled sorcerer could attempt to harness and even control the terrible beings in the Halls of Hell.
Allows the summoning of greater sorcerous units when an Awesome Temple of the Old Ones is constructed
50% public order bonus due to fear
20% Discount to sorcerous unit recruitment
Allows the summoning of Devils of the Outer Dark
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The Mountains of the Dead
"My brother had not painted a skull black for you and hurled it into the fire that burns for ever on Gullah's black altar. He had not whispered your name to the black ghosts that haunt the uplands of the Dark Land. But a bat has flown over the Mountains of the Dead and drawn your image in blood on the white tiger's hide that hangs before the long hut where sleep the Four Brothers of the Night. The great serpents coil about their feet and the stars burn like fireflies in their hair." - Beyond the Black River
The Mountains of the Dead are believed to be a range of mountains in the northwestern Pictish Wilderness with a terrible reputation. No men have ever traversed their treacherous peaks, and it is rumoured that creatures long extinct in the rest of the world somehow survive there, and can be called upon by the Children of Jhebbal-Sag.
20% public order bonus due to fear
Allows the summoning of Ghost Snakes, Black Apes, Sabretooths, Swamp-Devils and Dragons when a Grove of Jhebbal-Sag is constructed
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The Tomb of Tranicos
The Tomb of Tranicos is a lost cave filled with the treasure of the legendary pirate lord Tranicos. Those few who have entered the cursed tomb have claimed to see Tranicos himself and his crew seated around a table, their bodies eerily preserved after a century. The treasure could feasibly be plundered, were it not for the hideous deadly air that fills the cave to thwart any trespasser's attempt to loot the treasure of Tranicos. As it is, the superstitious Picts are too wary of the site for it to be of much use, though an enterprising civilization could gain a vast amount of wealth if they conquer the province in which it is situated.
Any non-barbaric faction who conquers the Eagle Tribe and creates an "Expedition to the Cave of Tranicos" will discover wonders and treasures unparalleled by the plunder of any other pirate: In addition to many glorious items which boost their acclaim, the total wealth of the gold, gems and trinkets will amount to 1,000,000 lunas - truly a king's ransom.
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Temple of Ishtar
"She has abolished the worship of Ishtar, and turned the temple into a shrine of idolatry. She has destroyed the ivory image of the goddess which these eastern Hyborians worship (and which, inferior as it is to the true religion of Mitra which we Western nations recognize, is still superior to the devil-worship of the Shemites) and filled the temple of Ishtar with obscene images of every imaginable sort - gods and goddesses of the night, portrayed in all the salacious and perverse poses and with all the revolting characteristics that a degenerate brain could conceive." - A Witch Shall Be Born
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Temple of Set
"The street broadened, and Conan was aware that he was getting into the part of the city dedicated to the temples. The great structures reared their black bulks against the dim stars, grim, in-describably menacing in the flare of the few torches." - The Hour of the Dragon
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Grand Harbour of Messantia
"It was evening when Conan rode leisurely through the streets that marched down to the waterfront. At the ends of these streets he saw the wharves and the masts and sails of ships. He smelled salt water for the first time in years, heard the thrum of cordage and the creak of spars in the breeze that was kicking up whitecaps out beyond the headlands. Again the urge of far wandering tugged at his heart." - The Hour of the Dragon
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Mountains of Ymir
""Swear not so often by Ymir," uneasily muttered a warrior, glancing at the distant mountains. "This is his land and the god bides among yonder mountains, the legends say."" - The Frost-Giant's Daughter
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The City of the Dead
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Traitor's Common
""When I come to Aquilonia again he will be but a headless corpse
rotting on Traitor's Common," Conan ground his teeth." - The Scarlet Citadel
Conan is generally considered to be a just and progressive king by the populace of Aquilonia: his taxes are the lowest in the world, his subjects protected by civil rights laws, and freedom of expression and religion unparalleled. Nonetheless, he is also a ruthless and unforgiving statesmen to those who dare break the laws he upholds: an aspect exemplified by the horrific spectacle of Traitor's Common. This is a field outside the city walls of Tarantia covered with a grim forest of gibbets, on which the rotting and headless corpses of traitors, rebels, conspirators and other political enemies are hung for the vultures. Considering the strife and turmoil of Aquilonia's recent history, the scavengers fly thick on this grim landmark, making a potent deterrent for potential rebels, and reassuring the public that lawbreakers will be dealt with mercilessly. As well as the law bonuses, the carcasses of malcontents provide a convenient distraction for vermin, and so provide a minor increase in public health.
20 public order bonus due to law
10 public order bonues due to happiness
5 public health bonus
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The Black Pyramids
"Behind them the black towers of Khemi rose gloomily against the stars that were mirrored in the waters of the harbor; ahead of them the desert stretched away in dim darkness; somewhere a jackal yapped. The quick-passing sandals of the silent neophytes made no noise in the sand. They might have been ghosts, moving toward that colossal pyramid that rose out of the murk of the desert. There was no sound over all the sleeping land." - The Hour of the Dragon
The black pyramids of Khemi are the pinnacle of Stygian architectural achievement, the grand buildings rivalling mountains in size and magnificence. Built in the fashion of the pre-human enslavers of the Lemurians, these great buildings function as the grandiose tombs of Stygia's kings and notables, and also as places of worship and dark practices for the Black Ring of Set. Unlike the more ancient Haunted Pyramids and other pre-human constructions, the Black Ring has some measure of control over what goes on in the Black Pyramids, being largely responsible themselves for the horrors that dwell within. As such, they are more reliable sources of black magic and knowledge, and can offer some assistance in the summoning of demons and monsters.
10% reduction to summon sorcerous units
10% reduction to build temples
Time to replenish sorcerous recruitment pool reduced
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The City of Ghouls
"Conan lay and stared, half expecting it to vanish like a figure of a dream, and then a chill of recollection crept along his spine. Half-forgotten memories surged back, of grisly tales whispered of the shapes that haunted these uninhabited forests at the foot of the hills that mark the Zingaran-Argossean border. Ghouls, man called them, eaters of human flesh, spawn of darkness, children of unholy matings of a lost and forgotten race with the demons of the underworld. Somewhere in these primitive forests were the ruins of an ancient, accursed city, men whispered, and among its tombs slunk gray, anthropomorphic shadows - Conan shuddered strongly." - The Hour of the Dragon
Ghouls form a unique and intimate role in the history of humanity. They seem to have always lurked in the shadows and nights just beyond human perception, sightings and myths of the creatures being found from the Thurian Age, through to the Hyborian Age, and even in modern times. They feature in Cimmerian folklore along with goblins and necromancers - and like goblins and necromancers, they have a basis in terrifying reality.
On the Argossean-Zingaran border, there is an uninhabited forest on the foothills avoided by humans due to an abnormal concentration of the monsters: within the dark depths is an ancient city overtaken by the ghouls, who rule in a hideous mockery of human society. The origin of the city is shrouded: it could be an Acheronian city whose ghoulish servants revolted and destroyed their masters; it could be a Valusian city conquered by a roving pack in the upheaval of the Cataclysm; it could even older than that. If the city is conquered by a Hyborian, Barbaric or Hyrkanian nation then the ghouls will be exterminated, and the city plundered of riches: but the option of recruiting ghouls from the subterranean tunnels and burrows beneath is always an option. If an ancient nation such as Stygia or the Picts conquers it, however, the sorcerers and shamans of that army will enslave the ghouls, quickly forming a population of labourers and warriors before human settlers and soldiers can be settled and recruited.
Allows the summoning of Ghouls
10% reduction to summon Ghouls
Time to replenish Ghoul recruitment pool reduced
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The Hall of Iron Statues
"They gazed in wonder. No legends named such a building on any island of Vilayet. They approached it warily, seeing that moss and lichen crawled over the stones, and the broken roof gaped to the sky. On all sides lay bits and shards of masonry, half hidden in the waving grass, giving the impression that once many buildings rose there, perhaps a whole town. But now only the long hall-like structure rose against the sky, and its walls leaned drunkenly among the crawling vines.
Whatever doors had once guarded its portals had long rotted away. Conan and his companion stood in the broad entrance and stared inside. Sunlight streamed in through gaps in the walls and roof, making the interior a dim weave of light and shadow. Grasping his sword firmly, Conan entered, with the slouching gait of a hunting panther, sunken head and noiseless feet." - Iron Shadows in the Moonlight
The islands of the Vilayet have a bewildering number of ruins formed of green stones. The most notable of these are the ruins on Xapur, and the Isle of Iron Statues. The ruins of a city can be found here, dominated by a great hall populated by uncannily lifelike statues of a black iron-like metal, though far more durable and with seemingly no sign of erosion after centuries. At certain times and with certain magical rites, these statues can be brough to life, and form a virtually unstoppable batallion of warriors - provided the sorcerers can keep them under control.
Allows the recruitment of a single unit of Iron Statues
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The Haunted Pyramids
"Conan's heart beat quicker as he gazed at the grim black wedge that stood etched against the stars, and his impatience to close with Thutothmes in whatever conflict the meeting might mean was not unmixed with a fear of the unknown. No man could approach one of those somber piles of black stone without apprehension. The very name was a symbol of repellent horror among the northern nations, and legends hinted that the Stygians did not build them; that they were in the land at whatever immeasurably ancient date the dark-skinned people came into the land of the great river." - The Hour of the Dragon
The Haunted Pyramids are terrible structures, shunned by all but the most determined or mad worshippers of Set. Constructed by the mysterious and ancient race who enslaved the Lemurian ancestors of the Stygians, few men have entered the dark subterranean tombs under these monstrous buildings - fewer still survived, and fewest of all with their sanity wholly intact.
Exactly which of the pre-human civilizations who ruled in what is now Stygia is a source of debate among Hyborian scholars: some maintain that it is the work of the Giant-Kings, others the Serpent Men. Whichever of those eldritch peoples built the Haunted Pyramids, they are undoubtedly filled with nameless horrors from the darkest pits of prehistoric ages: a glorious source of power and wisdom to the wise sorcerer, but just as easily a gateway for the Outer Dark to engulf the world in blackest night.
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Xapur
"Men seldom visited Xapur. It was uninhabited, all but forgotten, merely one among the myriad isles which dotted the great inland sea. Men called it Xapur, the Fortified, because of its ruins, remnants of some prehistoric kingdom, lost and forgotten before the conquering Hyborians had ridden southward. None knew who reared those stones, though dim legends lingered among the Yuetshi which half intelligibly suggested a connection of immeasurable antiquity between the fishers and the unknown island kingdom. - The Devil in Iron
The island known as Xapur is a foreboding island in the southern Vilayet, one of many populated by mysterious cyclopean ruins built of jade-like stone. Though for centuries the origin of these eerie ruins was lost, Conan's experiences on the island revealed the history of the ruins: Xapur was Dagon, the capital of the ancient empire of Dagonia.
The primitive Dagonians were a simple culture, probably fishermen, and seemed a largely inauspicious culture when the devil Khosatral Khel came upon them. Khosatral Khel was a being from the Outer Dark who came to the Hyborian Age. Like all devils he had to assume an earthly form, but his essence was so powerful and volatile that organic flesh was not sufficient to contain: he assumed the appearance of a man, but the flesh, bone and blood was replaced by iron. With a form unassailable by earthly weapons and the terrible sorcery of a devil, he imposed himself as a god among the Dagonians, teaching them culture and civilization and extending Dagon's rule over the Vilayet. After many ages, the ancestral Yuetshi appeared on the shores, and were enslaved after a brutal war to be sacrificed to Khosatral. A generation later, a mysterious priest of the Yuetshi not of their race, and came to the island bearing a terrible Yuetshi knife forged from a meteor. Against that weapon the magic of Khosatrel was useless, and Dagonia was conquered by their Yuetshi slaves. The Yuetshi priest had not slain Khosatral, rather held him inanimate with the blade on his breast, where it remained until just before Conan arrived on the island...
Though Khosatral Khel has been driven from the world and his empire lost forever, the ruins and topography of Xapur are nonetheless formidable. Most Turanians prefer to keep close to the coast, but the natural fortifications and ruins maybe be useful in establishing an island outpost - as well as the treasure which may still remain in the bowels of the ruins.
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The City of the Black Ones
"Slope after slope he traversed, each with its even sward and clustered groves. The general trend was always upward, though he ascended and descended the gentle inclines with monotonous regularity. The array of rounded shoulders and shallow declivities was bewildering and apparently endless. But at last he advanced up what he believed was the highest summit on the island, and halted at the sight of green shining walls and towers, which, until he had reached the spot on which he then stood, had merged so perfectly with the green landscape as to be invisible, even to his keen sight." - The Pool of the Black One
The Isle of the Black Ones is a mysterious island far to the west of the Thurian continent, possibly somewhere in the modern Antilles. Few ships venture so far west, even the intrepid explorers of Zingara and Argos or the wily adventurers of the Red Brotherhood or Barachas, but occassionally one will venture to the islands in the far west, or even to the nameless continent beyond. However, these expeditions are rare due to past experience with the denizens of these islands, most notorious of which are the Black Ones.
Who or what the Black Ones are is shrouded in mystery, as is their history, and the reasons for their unusual "body-shrinking" practise which claimed many hundreds of unlucky humans, and since all but the Shaman were slaughtered by Conan and his freebooters, may be forever a mystery. However, the ruins of their great city, destroyed in the Shaman's rage, may yet yield treasures and wonders not forged by human hands - as well as dangerous and powerful artifacts.
Without Pictures:
Dagoth Hill
"... Men say that a dancing-girl of Shadizar slept too near the pre-human ruins on Dagoth Hill and woke in the grip of a black demon; from that unholy union was spawned an accursed hybrid men call Tsotha-lanti..." - The Scarlet Citadel
The Hall of Epemitreus
"Now the mists grew lighter and he saw that he was in a great dark corridor that seemed to be cut in solid black stone. It was unlighted, but by some magic he could see plainly. The floor, ceiling and walls were highly polished and gleamed dull, and they were carved with the figures of ancient heroes and half-forgotten gods. He shuddered to see the vast shadowy outlines of the Nameless Old Ones, and he knew somehow that mortal feet had not traversed the corridor for centuries.
He came upon a wide stair carved in the solid rock, and the sides of the shaft were adorned with esoteric symbols so ancient and horrific that King Conan's skin crawled. The steps were carven each with the abhorrent figure of the Old Serpent, Set, so that at each step he planted his heel on the head of the Snake, as it was intended from old times. But he was none the less at ease for all that." - The Phoenix on the Sword
While there is ample evidence pointing to the very real existence of some of the darkest and most terrible deities in the Hyborian Age, there is considerable doubt in the case of Mitra, the most prominent god of the Hyborians. Some skeptics say Mitra does not exist, and is a mere invention by the priests or half-remembered warrior king of old, but the evidence pointing to Mitra's actuality is compelling, mostly through the miracles of Epimitreus. From his hall in black-hearted Golamira the sword-arm of Mitra intervenes when the shadow of Set grows dark over his people, most famously in his assistance of Conan when he was beset by a demon sent by Thoth-Amon.
Unlike many wonders of the Hyborian Age, the very existence of the Hall of Epimitreus is a closely-guarded secret, only the innermost circle of the Cult of Mitra knowing of it, the true location of the Hall long lost since Epimitreus' burial fifteen hundred years before Conan. Nonetheless, the powerful magic of Epimitreus means that Aquilonia will always have a stalwart defense against the dark sorceries of Set, and the people of Mitra will always have hope even in the darkest of times.
Cannot be destroyed
20% religious conversion to Mitra
The Tomb of Thugra Khotan
"The base of this dome was a gigantic pedestal of marble rising from what had once been a terraced eminence on the banks of the ancient river. Broad steps led up to a great bronze door in the dome, which rested on its base like the half of some titanic egg. The dome itself was of pure ivory, which shone as if unknown hands kept it polished. Likewise shone the spired gold cap of the pinnacle, and the inscription which sprawled about the curve of the dome in golden hieroglyphics yards long. No man on earth could read those characters, but Shevatas shuddered at the dim conjectures they raised..." - Black Colossus
Thugra Khotan was a powerful sorcerer from the days of the Old Stygian Empire, and the ruler of Kuthchemes. When the Hyborians attacked Kuthchemes, Thugra swallowed poison, and was entombed in a great marble sepulchre he prepared for such eventualities. This great tomb was locked by his masked priests, and for three thousand years Thugra Khotan lay dead in his tomb. Only the legendary thief Shevatas unlocked the secrets of the tomb's portal, for which he paid with his life - and unleashed a newly awakened Thugra Khotan. He then formed a great desert horde, and planned to wreak his revenge on the Khorajans, the descendants of the barbarians who destroyed his city. Unfortunately for him, Mitra became aware of his resurrection, and set plans in motion to bring about the Veiled One's undoing.
Although Thugra Khotan has been slain (for now) and it is likely most of his treasures have been plundered by the victorious Khorajans, there are some dark passages and rooms even the brave Hyborians shunned - likely with good reason. While Kuthchemes is deserted right now, there is little left to attract conquerers save dark knowledge and artifacts: not a great incentive for a king, but a good one for a sorcerer. Indeed, unless the priests of Mitra have taken precautions to destroy Thugra Khotan entirely, his remains may still lay with Conan's sword in his breast - and few sorcerers let death get in the way of their goals...
Venarium
"My uncle was at Venarium when the Cimmerians swarmed over the walls. He was one of the few who escaped that slaughter. I've heard him tell the tale, many a time. The barbarians swept out of the hills in a ravening horde, without warning, and stormed Venarium with such fury none could stand before them. Men, women, and children were butchered. Venarium was reduced to a mass of charred ruins, as it is to this day." - Beyond the Black River
Blackened stones, burnt timbers and charred bones are all that remain of Venarium, a doomed colonization attempt by the Aquilonians into southern Cimmeria. Within days of the invasion word spread throughout Cimmeria, and within weeks the Cimmerians came. The settlement was barely finished when a vast horde of Cimmerians swarmed over it, slaughtering every living thing and putting the place to the torch. It was one of the darkest days in Aquilonian history, and one which still causes problems for King Conan - who himself was one of the horde that breached the walls of Venarium.
Venarium does not offer any particular bonuses other than a small public order bonus to happiness when controlled by the Cimmerians. The Cimmerians take grim pride in their destruction of Venarium, and it serves as a dark memorial to Cimmerian unity in the face of invasion. If taken by the Aquilonians, it will be rebuilt as a memorial to their fallen, and offer a similar public order bonus.
5% Public Order Bonus due to Happiness
Wonders of the Hyborian Age tend to come in two types: Constructed and Natural. Obviously the most important difference between the two is that one is made by human (or otherwise) hands, the other formed by the natural whims of the cosmos. While most constructed wonders can be sacked, pillaged or even demolished for their treasures and resources, natural wonders cannot. The only way a natural wonder could be destroyed is through sorcery, which would require the very foundations of the earth to be shaken, though there is little to gain from such enormous magicks unless there are a large population of pilgrims nearby for a grand blood sacrifice.
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/3028/wonderaquiloniairontoweoz6.jpg
The Iron Tower
The grim Iron Tower stood apart from the citadel, amid a maze of narrow streets and crowding houses where the meaner structures, appropriating a space from which the more fastidious shrank, had invaded a portion of the city ordinarily alien to them. The Tower was in reality a castle, an ancient, formidable pile of heavy stone and black iron, which had itself served as the citadel in an earlier, ruder century. - The Hour of the Dragon
The Iron Tower of Tarantia was formerly the citadel of the Aquilonians in earlier times. An ancient, forbidding construction of stone and black iron, it is in one of the more ancient districts of the city, surrounded by a maze of dark alleys and streets. By the time of Conan, the Iron Tower is the city's most notorious prison, where the political enemies of Aquilonia were held and executed, and had been so for a millenium. The Tower is virtually impenetrable, save for a highly secret entrance from a dilapidated watchtower three streets away known only by a dozen at most. Conan himself was imprisoned here during his time as a mercenary by the jealous King Namedides, learning the secret entrance when Aquilonian dissenters helped him escape.
20% public order bonus due to law
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The King's Altar
Xaltotun mounted a hill on the left side of the valley, near the wide mouth. This hill rose higher than the others, and was known as the King's Altar, for a reason long forgotten. Only Xaltotun knew, and his memory dated back three thousand years... They laid her on an ancient stone, which was curiously like an altar, and which crowned the summit of the hill. For long centuries it had stood there, worn by the elements until many doubted that it was anything but a curiously shapen natural rock. But what it was, and why it stood there, Xaltotun remembered from of old..." - The Hour of the Dragon
The King's altar is a mysterious landmark in the south of Aquilonia near the Goralian Hills. It is a hill with a curiously-shaped rock on the summit resembling an altar. The origins and original purpose of the hill are long lost to history, save to those students of the dark arts who seek out such forbidden knowledge. At the Battle at the Valley of Lions, Xaltotun planned to unleash beings of horrific power to crush the 50,000 strong Aquilonian army, before he was thwarted with the Heart of Ahriman. It is possible that a sorcerer of similar power might succeed where he failed.
Allows the summoning of greater sorcerous units when a Temple of Set or Temple of the Old Ones is constructed.
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The Scarlet Citadel
"Before midnight they crossed the Ophirean border and at dawn the spires of Khorshemish stood up gleaming and rose-tinted on the south-eastern horizon, the slim towers overawed by the grim scarlet citadel that at a distance was like a splash of bright blood in the sky. That was the castle of Tsotha. Only one narrow street, paved with marble and guarded by heavy iron gates, led up to it, where it crowned the hill dominating the city. The sides of that hill were too sheer to be climbed elsewhere. From the walls of the citadel one could look down on the broad white streets of the city, on minaretted mosques, shops, temples, mansions, and markets. One could look down, too, on the palaces of the king, set in broad gardens, high-walled, luxurious riots of fruit trees and blossoms, through which artificial streams murmured, and silvery fountains rippled incessantly. Over all brooded the citadel, like a condor stooping above its prey, intent on its own dark meditations." - The Scarlet Citadel
The Scarlet Citadel is a mighty fortification that overlooks Khorshemish in Koth. Below it are the Halls of Hell, a vast subterranean network of caves that are home to terrifying beings of earthly and unearthly origin. Originally under the auspices of Tsotha-Lanti, since his defeat at the Siege of Shamar it has been largely abandoned, with no man brave enough to approach the citadel without the sorcerer's presence. A sufficiently skilled sorcerer could attempt to harness and even control the terrible beings in the Halls of Hell.
Allows the summoning of greater sorcerous units when an Awesome Temple of the Old Ones is constructed
50% public order bonus due to fear
20% Discount to sorcerous unit recruitment
Allows the summoning of Devils of the Outer Dark
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The Mountains of the Dead
"My brother had not painted a skull black for you and hurled it into the fire that burns for ever on Gullah's black altar. He had not whispered your name to the black ghosts that haunt the uplands of the Dark Land. But a bat has flown over the Mountains of the Dead and drawn your image in blood on the white tiger's hide that hangs before the long hut where sleep the Four Brothers of the Night. The great serpents coil about their feet and the stars burn like fireflies in their hair." - Beyond the Black River
The Mountains of the Dead are believed to be a range of mountains in the northwestern Pictish Wilderness with a terrible reputation. No men have ever traversed their treacherous peaks, and it is rumoured that creatures long extinct in the rest of the world somehow survive there, and can be called upon by the Children of Jhebbal-Sag.
20% public order bonus due to fear
Allows the summoning of Ghost Snakes, Black Apes, Sabretooths, Swamp-Devils and Dragons when a Grove of Jhebbal-Sag is constructed
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The Tomb of Tranicos
The Tomb of Tranicos is a lost cave filled with the treasure of the legendary pirate lord Tranicos. Those few who have entered the cursed tomb have claimed to see Tranicos himself and his crew seated around a table, their bodies eerily preserved after a century. The treasure could feasibly be plundered, were it not for the hideous deadly air that fills the cave to thwart any trespasser's attempt to loot the treasure of Tranicos. As it is, the superstitious Picts are too wary of the site for it to be of much use, though an enterprising civilization could gain a vast amount of wealth if they conquer the province in which it is situated.
Any non-barbaric faction who conquers the Eagle Tribe and creates an "Expedition to the Cave of Tranicos" will discover wonders and treasures unparalleled by the plunder of any other pirate: In addition to many glorious items which boost their acclaim, the total wealth of the gold, gems and trinkets will amount to 1,000,000 lunas - truly a king's ransom.
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Temple of Ishtar
"She has abolished the worship of Ishtar, and turned the temple into a shrine of idolatry. She has destroyed the ivory image of the goddess which these eastern Hyborians worship (and which, inferior as it is to the true religion of Mitra which we Western nations recognize, is still superior to the devil-worship of the Shemites) and filled the temple of Ishtar with obscene images of every imaginable sort - gods and goddesses of the night, portrayed in all the salacious and perverse poses and with all the revolting characteristics that a degenerate brain could conceive." - A Witch Shall Be Born
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Temple of Set
"The street broadened, and Conan was aware that he was getting into the part of the city dedicated to the temples. The great structures reared their black bulks against the dim stars, grim, in-describably menacing in the flare of the few torches." - The Hour of the Dragon
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Grand Harbour of Messantia
"It was evening when Conan rode leisurely through the streets that marched down to the waterfront. At the ends of these streets he saw the wharves and the masts and sails of ships. He smelled salt water for the first time in years, heard the thrum of cordage and the creak of spars in the breeze that was kicking up whitecaps out beyond the headlands. Again the urge of far wandering tugged at his heart." - The Hour of the Dragon
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Mountains of Ymir
""Swear not so often by Ymir," uneasily muttered a warrior, glancing at the distant mountains. "This is his land and the god bides among yonder mountains, the legends say."" - The Frost-Giant's Daughter
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The City of the Dead
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Traitor's Common
""When I come to Aquilonia again he will be but a headless corpse
rotting on Traitor's Common," Conan ground his teeth." - The Scarlet Citadel
Conan is generally considered to be a just and progressive king by the populace of Aquilonia: his taxes are the lowest in the world, his subjects protected by civil rights laws, and freedom of expression and religion unparalleled. Nonetheless, he is also a ruthless and unforgiving statesmen to those who dare break the laws he upholds: an aspect exemplified by the horrific spectacle of Traitor's Common. This is a field outside the city walls of Tarantia covered with a grim forest of gibbets, on which the rotting and headless corpses of traitors, rebels, conspirators and other political enemies are hung for the vultures. Considering the strife and turmoil of Aquilonia's recent history, the scavengers fly thick on this grim landmark, making a potent deterrent for potential rebels, and reassuring the public that lawbreakers will be dealt with mercilessly. As well as the law bonuses, the carcasses of malcontents provide a convenient distraction for vermin, and so provide a minor increase in public health.
20 public order bonus due to law
10 public order bonues due to happiness
5 public health bonus
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The Black Pyramids
"Behind them the black towers of Khemi rose gloomily against the stars that were mirrored in the waters of the harbor; ahead of them the desert stretched away in dim darkness; somewhere a jackal yapped. The quick-passing sandals of the silent neophytes made no noise in the sand. They might have been ghosts, moving toward that colossal pyramid that rose out of the murk of the desert. There was no sound over all the sleeping land." - The Hour of the Dragon
The black pyramids of Khemi are the pinnacle of Stygian architectural achievement, the grand buildings rivalling mountains in size and magnificence. Built in the fashion of the pre-human enslavers of the Lemurians, these great buildings function as the grandiose tombs of Stygia's kings and notables, and also as places of worship and dark practices for the Black Ring of Set. Unlike the more ancient Haunted Pyramids and other pre-human constructions, the Black Ring has some measure of control over what goes on in the Black Pyramids, being largely responsible themselves for the horrors that dwell within. As such, they are more reliable sources of black magic and knowledge, and can offer some assistance in the summoning of demons and monsters.
10% reduction to summon sorcerous units
10% reduction to build temples
Time to replenish sorcerous recruitment pool reduced
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The City of Ghouls
"Conan lay and stared, half expecting it to vanish like a figure of a dream, and then a chill of recollection crept along his spine. Half-forgotten memories surged back, of grisly tales whispered of the shapes that haunted these uninhabited forests at the foot of the hills that mark the Zingaran-Argossean border. Ghouls, man called them, eaters of human flesh, spawn of darkness, children of unholy matings of a lost and forgotten race with the demons of the underworld. Somewhere in these primitive forests were the ruins of an ancient, accursed city, men whispered, and among its tombs slunk gray, anthropomorphic shadows - Conan shuddered strongly." - The Hour of the Dragon
Ghouls form a unique and intimate role in the history of humanity. They seem to have always lurked in the shadows and nights just beyond human perception, sightings and myths of the creatures being found from the Thurian Age, through to the Hyborian Age, and even in modern times. They feature in Cimmerian folklore along with goblins and necromancers - and like goblins and necromancers, they have a basis in terrifying reality.
On the Argossean-Zingaran border, there is an uninhabited forest on the foothills avoided by humans due to an abnormal concentration of the monsters: within the dark depths is an ancient city overtaken by the ghouls, who rule in a hideous mockery of human society. The origin of the city is shrouded: it could be an Acheronian city whose ghoulish servants revolted and destroyed their masters; it could be a Valusian city conquered by a roving pack in the upheaval of the Cataclysm; it could even older than that. If the city is conquered by a Hyborian, Barbaric or Hyrkanian nation then the ghouls will be exterminated, and the city plundered of riches: but the option of recruiting ghouls from the subterranean tunnels and burrows beneath is always an option. If an ancient nation such as Stygia or the Picts conquers it, however, the sorcerers and shamans of that army will enslave the ghouls, quickly forming a population of labourers and warriors before human settlers and soldiers can be settled and recruited.
Allows the summoning of Ghouls
10% reduction to summon Ghouls
Time to replenish Ghoul recruitment pool reduced
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The Hall of Iron Statues
"They gazed in wonder. No legends named such a building on any island of Vilayet. They approached it warily, seeing that moss and lichen crawled over the stones, and the broken roof gaped to the sky. On all sides lay bits and shards of masonry, half hidden in the waving grass, giving the impression that once many buildings rose there, perhaps a whole town. But now only the long hall-like structure rose against the sky, and its walls leaned drunkenly among the crawling vines.
Whatever doors had once guarded its portals had long rotted away. Conan and his companion stood in the broad entrance and stared inside. Sunlight streamed in through gaps in the walls and roof, making the interior a dim weave of light and shadow. Grasping his sword firmly, Conan entered, with the slouching gait of a hunting panther, sunken head and noiseless feet." - Iron Shadows in the Moonlight
The islands of the Vilayet have a bewildering number of ruins formed of green stones. The most notable of these are the ruins on Xapur, and the Isle of Iron Statues. The ruins of a city can be found here, dominated by a great hall populated by uncannily lifelike statues of a black iron-like metal, though far more durable and with seemingly no sign of erosion after centuries. At certain times and with certain magical rites, these statues can be brough to life, and form a virtually unstoppable batallion of warriors - provided the sorcerers can keep them under control.
Allows the recruitment of a single unit of Iron Statues
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The Haunted Pyramids
"Conan's heart beat quicker as he gazed at the grim black wedge that stood etched against the stars, and his impatience to close with Thutothmes in whatever conflict the meeting might mean was not unmixed with a fear of the unknown. No man could approach one of those somber piles of black stone without apprehension. The very name was a symbol of repellent horror among the northern nations, and legends hinted that the Stygians did not build them; that they were in the land at whatever immeasurably ancient date the dark-skinned people came into the land of the great river." - The Hour of the Dragon
The Haunted Pyramids are terrible structures, shunned by all but the most determined or mad worshippers of Set. Constructed by the mysterious and ancient race who enslaved the Lemurian ancestors of the Stygians, few men have entered the dark subterranean tombs under these monstrous buildings - fewer still survived, and fewest of all with their sanity wholly intact.
Exactly which of the pre-human civilizations who ruled in what is now Stygia is a source of debate among Hyborian scholars: some maintain that it is the work of the Giant-Kings, others the Serpent Men. Whichever of those eldritch peoples built the Haunted Pyramids, they are undoubtedly filled with nameless horrors from the darkest pits of prehistoric ages: a glorious source of power and wisdom to the wise sorcerer, but just as easily a gateway for the Outer Dark to engulf the world in blackest night.
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Xapur
"Men seldom visited Xapur. It was uninhabited, all but forgotten, merely one among the myriad isles which dotted the great inland sea. Men called it Xapur, the Fortified, because of its ruins, remnants of some prehistoric kingdom, lost and forgotten before the conquering Hyborians had ridden southward. None knew who reared those stones, though dim legends lingered among the Yuetshi which half intelligibly suggested a connection of immeasurable antiquity between the fishers and the unknown island kingdom. - The Devil in Iron
The island known as Xapur is a foreboding island in the southern Vilayet, one of many populated by mysterious cyclopean ruins built of jade-like stone. Though for centuries the origin of these eerie ruins was lost, Conan's experiences on the island revealed the history of the ruins: Xapur was Dagon, the capital of the ancient empire of Dagonia.
The primitive Dagonians were a simple culture, probably fishermen, and seemed a largely inauspicious culture when the devil Khosatral Khel came upon them. Khosatral Khel was a being from the Outer Dark who came to the Hyborian Age. Like all devils he had to assume an earthly form, but his essence was so powerful and volatile that organic flesh was not sufficient to contain: he assumed the appearance of a man, but the flesh, bone and blood was replaced by iron. With a form unassailable by earthly weapons and the terrible sorcery of a devil, he imposed himself as a god among the Dagonians, teaching them culture and civilization and extending Dagon's rule over the Vilayet. After many ages, the ancestral Yuetshi appeared on the shores, and were enslaved after a brutal war to be sacrificed to Khosatral. A generation later, a mysterious priest of the Yuetshi not of their race, and came to the island bearing a terrible Yuetshi knife forged from a meteor. Against that weapon the magic of Khosatrel was useless, and Dagonia was conquered by their Yuetshi slaves. The Yuetshi priest had not slain Khosatral, rather held him inanimate with the blade on his breast, where it remained until just before Conan arrived on the island...
Though Khosatral Khel has been driven from the world and his empire lost forever, the ruins and topography of Xapur are nonetheless formidable. Most Turanians prefer to keep close to the coast, but the natural fortifications and ruins maybe be useful in establishing an island outpost - as well as the treasure which may still remain in the bowels of the ruins.
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The City of the Black Ones
"Slope after slope he traversed, each with its even sward and clustered groves. The general trend was always upward, though he ascended and descended the gentle inclines with monotonous regularity. The array of rounded shoulders and shallow declivities was bewildering and apparently endless. But at last he advanced up what he believed was the highest summit on the island, and halted at the sight of green shining walls and towers, which, until he had reached the spot on which he then stood, had merged so perfectly with the green landscape as to be invisible, even to his keen sight." - The Pool of the Black One
The Isle of the Black Ones is a mysterious island far to the west of the Thurian continent, possibly somewhere in the modern Antilles. Few ships venture so far west, even the intrepid explorers of Zingara and Argos or the wily adventurers of the Red Brotherhood or Barachas, but occassionally one will venture to the islands in the far west, or even to the nameless continent beyond. However, these expeditions are rare due to past experience with the denizens of these islands, most notorious of which are the Black Ones.
Who or what the Black Ones are is shrouded in mystery, as is their history, and the reasons for their unusual "body-shrinking" practise which claimed many hundreds of unlucky humans, and since all but the Shaman were slaughtered by Conan and his freebooters, may be forever a mystery. However, the ruins of their great city, destroyed in the Shaman's rage, may yet yield treasures and wonders not forged by human hands - as well as dangerous and powerful artifacts.
Without Pictures:
Dagoth Hill
"... Men say that a dancing-girl of Shadizar slept too near the pre-human ruins on Dagoth Hill and woke in the grip of a black demon; from that unholy union was spawned an accursed hybrid men call Tsotha-lanti..." - The Scarlet Citadel
The Hall of Epemitreus
"Now the mists grew lighter and he saw that he was in a great dark corridor that seemed to be cut in solid black stone. It was unlighted, but by some magic he could see plainly. The floor, ceiling and walls were highly polished and gleamed dull, and they were carved with the figures of ancient heroes and half-forgotten gods. He shuddered to see the vast shadowy outlines of the Nameless Old Ones, and he knew somehow that mortal feet had not traversed the corridor for centuries.
He came upon a wide stair carved in the solid rock, and the sides of the shaft were adorned with esoteric symbols so ancient and horrific that King Conan's skin crawled. The steps were carven each with the abhorrent figure of the Old Serpent, Set, so that at each step he planted his heel on the head of the Snake, as it was intended from old times. But he was none the less at ease for all that." - The Phoenix on the Sword
While there is ample evidence pointing to the very real existence of some of the darkest and most terrible deities in the Hyborian Age, there is considerable doubt in the case of Mitra, the most prominent god of the Hyborians. Some skeptics say Mitra does not exist, and is a mere invention by the priests or half-remembered warrior king of old, but the evidence pointing to Mitra's actuality is compelling, mostly through the miracles of Epimitreus. From his hall in black-hearted Golamira the sword-arm of Mitra intervenes when the shadow of Set grows dark over his people, most famously in his assistance of Conan when he was beset by a demon sent by Thoth-Amon.
Unlike many wonders of the Hyborian Age, the very existence of the Hall of Epimitreus is a closely-guarded secret, only the innermost circle of the Cult of Mitra knowing of it, the true location of the Hall long lost since Epimitreus' burial fifteen hundred years before Conan. Nonetheless, the powerful magic of Epimitreus means that Aquilonia will always have a stalwart defense against the dark sorceries of Set, and the people of Mitra will always have hope even in the darkest of times.
Cannot be destroyed
20% religious conversion to Mitra
The Tomb of Thugra Khotan
"The base of this dome was a gigantic pedestal of marble rising from what had once been a terraced eminence on the banks of the ancient river. Broad steps led up to a great bronze door in the dome, which rested on its base like the half of some titanic egg. The dome itself was of pure ivory, which shone as if unknown hands kept it polished. Likewise shone the spired gold cap of the pinnacle, and the inscription which sprawled about the curve of the dome in golden hieroglyphics yards long. No man on earth could read those characters, but Shevatas shuddered at the dim conjectures they raised..." - Black Colossus
Thugra Khotan was a powerful sorcerer from the days of the Old Stygian Empire, and the ruler of Kuthchemes. When the Hyborians attacked Kuthchemes, Thugra swallowed poison, and was entombed in a great marble sepulchre he prepared for such eventualities. This great tomb was locked by his masked priests, and for three thousand years Thugra Khotan lay dead in his tomb. Only the legendary thief Shevatas unlocked the secrets of the tomb's portal, for which he paid with his life - and unleashed a newly awakened Thugra Khotan. He then formed a great desert horde, and planned to wreak his revenge on the Khorajans, the descendants of the barbarians who destroyed his city. Unfortunately for him, Mitra became aware of his resurrection, and set plans in motion to bring about the Veiled One's undoing.
Although Thugra Khotan has been slain (for now) and it is likely most of his treasures have been plundered by the victorious Khorajans, there are some dark passages and rooms even the brave Hyborians shunned - likely with good reason. While Kuthchemes is deserted right now, there is little left to attract conquerers save dark knowledge and artifacts: not a great incentive for a king, but a good one for a sorcerer. Indeed, unless the priests of Mitra have taken precautions to destroy Thugra Khotan entirely, his remains may still lay with Conan's sword in his breast - and few sorcerers let death get in the way of their goals...
Venarium
"My uncle was at Venarium when the Cimmerians swarmed over the walls. He was one of the few who escaped that slaughter. I've heard him tell the tale, many a time. The barbarians swept out of the hills in a ravening horde, without warning, and stormed Venarium with such fury none could stand before them. Men, women, and children were butchered. Venarium was reduced to a mass of charred ruins, as it is to this day." - Beyond the Black River
Blackened stones, burnt timbers and charred bones are all that remain of Venarium, a doomed colonization attempt by the Aquilonians into southern Cimmeria. Within days of the invasion word spread throughout Cimmeria, and within weeks the Cimmerians came. The settlement was barely finished when a vast horde of Cimmerians swarmed over it, slaughtering every living thing and putting the place to the torch. It was one of the darkest days in Aquilonian history, and one which still causes problems for King Conan - who himself was one of the horde that breached the walls of Venarium.
Venarium does not offer any particular bonuses other than a small public order bonus to happiness when controlled by the Cimmerians. The Cimmerians take grim pride in their destruction of Venarium, and it serves as a dark memorial to Cimmerian unity in the face of invasion. If taken by the Aquilonians, it will be rebuilt as a memorial to their fallen, and offer a similar public order bonus.
5% Public Order Bonus due to Happiness