a pyramid in the middle of the desert
This campaign was originally run in Sheboygan in the mid 80s, and is based on the Basic D&D module B4 (The Lost City) by Tom Moldvay. I ran it again during the first part of 2016 using Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition (here are my house rules) for the now-defunct Milwaukee Traditional Gaming group on Meetup; the following is a summary of that campaign. I later resumed it using Castles & Crusades rules, and we played for about a year. That campaign is no longer running, but I'm always scheming about a new campaign...
Our characters, who live in a sleepy little town called Reedle, have been inspired by tales of adventure they hear in the local tavern (now that they are old enough to go there). Many of the adventurers they meet there tell stories about a place called Sulba, which is a trading post on the edge of the most dangerous part of the desert to the east, known as the "Valley of Death". Hearing the call of fame, fortune, and adventure, they decide to take passage with a caravan crossing the desert to travel to Sulba and make names for themselves. Unfortunately, a gigantic dust storm bears down on them during their journey, blocking their vision and filling their ears with the howling of the wind. When it dies down, there is nothing to be seen but sand. Their camels and equipment are gone, the wagons are gone, and the other travelers are gone. The dunes have been transformed into unrecognizable shapes by the wind, and their worst nightmare is realized: they are lost in the desert with little food and water.
Following the sun in an almost certainly futile attempt to reach their original destination, they bake in the heat, quickly exhausting their meager rations. They find themselves asking whether they are experiencing a mirage when they see the tumbled-down walls of an ancient city ahead. But as they approach, it proves to be real, probably uncovered by the terrible force of the sand storm. At the center of the ruined city is a great step pyramid, several levels of which protrude from beneath the sand. On top of the pyramid are three colossal statues: a stern-looking man holding a balance and a lightning bolt, a winged child with snakes twined around him holding a wand and a handful of coins, and a beautiful woman holding a sheaf of wheat and a sword.
Finding a secret entrance in the side of the pyramid's steps, they enter a strange world, lost and forgotten for uncounted generations. The people they meet have white skin and dress in brightly-colored robes. All of them are wearing elaborate masks, mostly depicting animals both known and unknown. Even stranger, they all appear to be under the influence of some sort of drug, wandering about the pyramid as they live out various dreams. They dwell in an underground city far below the pyramid, but no one will take the characters there or explain how to get there. The characters begin to explore the pyramid, finding it filled with horrible monsters intent upon their destruction.
Eventually, they meet people who are not living in a dream world, and it becomes apparent that there are three rival factions, corresponding to the worship of the gods depicted on the top of the pyramid: the lawful good fighters of Gorm (the stern-looking man), the neutral good warrior maidens of Madarua (the beautiful woman), and the chaotic neutral illusionists of Usamigaras (the winged child). Members of each faction wear the same mask: the stern man, the beautiful woman, or the child. The characters establish good relations with the fighters of Gorm (and their leader Kanadius) and the warrior maidens of Madarua (and their leader Pandora), who is especially friendly. Pandora tells of a prophecy... the ones who would come from the outer world to unify the three factions and help them rebuild their society. She believes that the characters are the Chosen Ones spoken of by the prophecy. On the other hand, the Chosen Ones' dealings with the illusionists of Usamigaras and their leader Auriga are considerably less successful. The Usamigarans capture and hogtie the characters, then attempt to win them to their side. Although the characters are eventually released, they come back later and steal the illusionists' treasure (and Auriga's pet wolf).
Although the characters now have safe bases to return to between adventures, the factions will still not take them to the Underground City; they need to prove themselves first. Even Pandora, who continues to repeat the prophecy, says that the characters must become strong enough to enter the city and defeat Zargon by first clearing the pyramid of the monsters within it (which will also save the Cynidiceans who wander up there from the city to live out their drug-induced dreams).
Pandora (who turns out to be a powerful cleric), relates the sad history of this place, once known as the Kingdom of Cynidicea. Originally a desert oasis, because of its plentiful water supply it became an important trading post, eventually growing into a great city and a powerful kingdom. At its peak, it was ruled by King Alexander and Queen Zenobia, benevolent leaders who encouraged the worship of the three gods equally. As a great pyramid was built to house their tombs, a huge underground cavern and lake were discovered, apparently the source of the water found above. But disaster struck when the workers unwittingly released a monster who had been trapped there, a tentacled horror named Zargon.
Zargon made its way up into the city, capturing and eating the unwary. Things went from bad to worse; eventually condemned prisoners were fed to Zargon, and he returned to the place he had been found, knowing that the helpless populace would be glad to feed him in turn for their relative safety. A strange cult grew up around the worship of Zargon, with a priesthood and bands of fighters, all of whom wear masks depicting Zargon's horrible tentacled face and the black horn that protrudes from his forehead. Somehow, the priests of Zargon became masters of the production and delivery of various types of drugs, including the Elixir of Fantasy, which they put into the people's food to control them. The people became addicted to the Elixir, and were only too glad to serve on work gangs during the day in order to have their drug the rest of the time. The kingdom fell into ruin and was devoured by the desert sands, and a new city was built in the underground cavern. The once-proud people of Cynidicea retreated there, where a bizarre culture of drug use and human sacrifice developed, and the original three religions became a persecuted minority.
By the time the characters arrive from the outer world, the priests of Zargon have become so powerful that the three factions who worship the old gods are no longer considered a threat. Everyone knows that even if all three banded together, they'd be no match for the Zargonites. Still, the characters are able to get them to agree to work together as they begin to piece together the mysteries of Cynidicea. They've come to feel a duty to these people, to help them escape the terrible straits they find themselves in.
While fighting in the lower levels of the pyramid, the characters encounter a strange old woman, Latild... without a mask. Her hair is in dreadlocks with beads, and she wears an unfamiliar holy symbol. Luckily, she also carries healing powders in leather pouches around her neck. But what is she talking about? "The three religions are not the only religions... the people must stop wearing masks... the illusionists must stop their fairground tricks and learn true magic through science..." Who could she be? And what are her goals?
After finally destroying the monsters that had infested the pyramid (and incidentally discovering the lost tombs of King Alexander and Queen Zenobia), the characters are escorted into the underground city itself, which is much bigger than they'd imagined. To the west is a plateau of mud geysers [area P] and even a volcano [area Q], with the lake in the center, a strange mushroom forest to the south [area I], and the city to the east. The time has come for the prophecy to be fulfilled and Zargon to be destroyed! The players are to meet with the leaders of the three factions to discuss strategy, but Auriga, the leader of the illusionists of Usamigaras, has gone missing. Latild has taken over their group, beginning a long process of replacing them with "true" wizards rather than illusionists. Kanadius, too, does not come to the meeting as he said he would, and no one knows where he is. As the party discusses plans with Pandora, a fighter of Gorm rushes in, breathless and bloodied. "They've got Kanadius! They've taken him! Someone must have betrayed us!" Pandora reveals that some of her warrior maidens have been taken as well. The characters immediately begin planning a rescue mission, and travel to the fields in the northwest of the cave where Zargonite overseers direct the work gangs who tend to the mushrooms that are their food [area F]. Overcoming the guards and stealing their masks, the characters walk right into the Temple of Zargon [area K], impersonating the evil cultists.
What they find there horrifies them: not only do the people of Cynidicea come to the temple willingly (because of the drugs producing religious ecstasy which are freely distributed), but some of them even volunteer to be sent to Zargon's lair! The characters see Father Schmerz the high priest, who warns the people against those who have brutally murdered a cleric of Zargon: "They may come from the caverns; they may come from the caves; they may come from the lake or from the island. And one of them is a giant!" This concerns the characters, who did in fact battle the evil cleric Darius... and their paladin, Sir Hugh, is seven feet tall! Luckily, they convinced the illusionists of Usamigaras to cast spells on them to help with their disguises, so they are safe for the moment. As the drugs begin to take effect, Father Schmerz exhorts the people: "From the wells of night to the gulfs of the Abyss, and from the gulfs of the Abyss to the wells of night, ever the praises of great Zargon, and of He Who is not to be Named. Ever their praises, and abundance to the formless ones who serve them!" The people, whipped into a frenzy by Father Schmerz (and the drugs), respond in kind: "Ever their praises! Abundance! Abundance!"
Fighting to control their repugnance, and shocked by the religious fervor of the Zargonites, the characters make their way below the temple where the "volunteers" are sent, in order to try and find Kanadius. There they are shown the chamber of Crevulax, which is the true name of the Elixir of Fantasy. In the chamber, those who are to "serve" Zargon are tied to stocks, where they have drills inserted into the backs of their heads: what comes out is the raw material for Crevulax, and the barely-living victims are then taken to Zargon's lair for sacrifice. Now the characters are fully committed to the destruction of this evil cult, which they see is far worse than they could ever have imagined. But first they must find and rescue Kanadius, while maintaining their disguises.
Discovering Father Schmerz in his torture chamber with his
acolytes, the characters see several Cynidicean prisoners strung up
over a bed of hot coals, including Kanadius and Pandora's missing
fighters. An epic battle (16 rounds) ensues, during which the evil
cleric kills Sir Hugh the giant paladin with a Slay Living
spell. Kanadius is rescued and is able to turn the tide of battle,
eventually killing Father Schmerz. Afterward, the party regroups, but
Kanadius, now a broken man, takes up holy orders and withdraws to the
Temple of Gorm. After further preparation, the party finds the
slime-filled lair of Zargon and confronts him there. The hideous
abomination is finally slain, and his evil is extirpated forever... or
is it? What's to be done about the followers of Zargon and their evil
priests? And what about the Cynidiceans hopelessly addicted to
Crevulax: how can they be helped? Certainly no more of the drug will
be produced! Then there's the caravan the party traveled here with:
surely people will come looking for them... won't they?