Thursday, 27 February 2025

City of a Hundred Gods pt 3/10: further along the Ladders

We return to the Ladders, the slum dwellings on the immediate interior of the City of a Hundred Gods. Day and night encounters are rolled on a 1d20 table found in the post linked below and repeated at the foot of this one.
https://aloneinthelabyrinth.blogspot.com/2024/12/city-of-hundred-gods-part-210-remaining.html

The whole city is divided into wards, each one possessing a local spirit elevated to the status of god by those who worship it, both within and without the city. Each ward possess a handful of unique day and night encounters and additional details concerning the god's followers and priests—as well as others living and working in these streets.

Anselm Kiefer, Die fruchtbare Halbmond (The Fertile Crescent)

The Ladders refers  for both the high incidence of ladders to access the irregularly stacked mudbrick housing, but also for the tiny lanes intersecting the two parallel orbital avenues like the rungs of a ladder. It is a tightly packed slum rife with dirt, disease and regular fires.Though the Lord of the Dead treads the clay-tiled streets without fear this is also a place that expresses the wild, complex beauty of human life in all its glorious diversity. The Ladders provide an explosion of colour, scent and sound to rival the most potent entheogenic experience.

CW: animal slaughter, cannibalism

21. Carnifex (The Shambles)

  • Image/icon/idol: the long sacred knives used in the ritual slaughter of livestock; an aurochs-headed man; the green cowl of the priests of Carnifex 
  • Followers: All households that eat meat honour Carnifex to ensure the spirit of that animal has been delivered to the next life painlessly. The butchers of the shambles, who prepare and distribute the meat after slaughter
  • Priests: solemn men and women in teal green robes, splattered with blood. When in the presence of their animal, they cover their face with a green cowl. They alone are permitted to take the life of an animal for butchery within the city walls, and they decide which meats are distributed among the lower orders and which are sent onward.
  • Notes: Meat is slaughtered in the name of Carnifex, following the proper rites and the blood offered to him. This act absolves all connected to the animal's death of culpability: Carnifex alone carries that burden. There are priests who abuse this privilege to commit acts of murder.

    Animals that are typically brought to the Shambles included aurochs, goats, sheep and chickens. All pigs fall under the protection of the god Lumlaho, and only his priests decide when that flesh may be eaten. Consequently, the eating of pork is proscribed within the city walls.

    Generally, nothing larger than an aurochs or smaller than a chicken is slaughtered by the priests of carnifex. Tributes of exotic animals are slaughtered by those who have brought, under the watchful hooded eyes of a priest. 

    The lower orders are the first to lose their meat ration during times of famine. Many then take it upon themselves to augment their diet with "city game" i.e. the wild and feral animals dwelling in the city of 100 Gods. Commoners need to seek the absolution of deities other than Carnifex for these sins.
The Shambles are a series of truncated pyramids covered in white lime plaster. Broadly, those within which offal and meat is butchered and distributed to denizens have one doorway but multiple windows; conversely, those made for the slaughter of beasts have no windows but two doorways (an entrance and an exit). 

Navigation

    • The Temple of Bread (40) is visible from almost every part of the shambles
    • The canal is clearly signposted toward First Lock Basin(22): taking the towpath will mean thE Breweries (42) are visible to the left, though the smell is detectable before then. 
    • Following the other direction it leads to a small basin in front of the Temple of Bread  
    • Less impressive than the Temple of Bread is the Masonic Temple (41), roughly to the northeast though already bearings are hard to keep. 
    • Following the canal towards First Lock (22)  

The Shambles, specific encounters by day
    1. An exhausted priest of carnifex, hood off, tired and drained. Their robes drenched in blood.
    2. 1d4 children proudly carrying a bucket of offal (2d6 rations), willing to trade
    3. Herder with 2d8 goats or sheep, heading towards the central Temple of Carnifex
    4. 1d6 drunken butchers, hungry for meat
    5. Incredibly hench butcher's dog, patrolling the neighbourhood
    6. 1d4 priests of Carnifex in immaculate teal-green robes, hoods on ready to slaughter
The Shambles, specific encounters by night
    1. Incredibly hench butcher's dog, patrolling the neighbourhood
    2. 1d6 drunken butchers looking for a victim
    3. 1d100 rats or 1d20 giant rats feeding on a puddle of offal and blood
    4. 1d4 ghouls
    5. Spirit of the Dead charged with bringing a murderous priest to justice
    6. Priest of Carnifex and 1d4 butchers with 1d3 bound and gagged human victims
Santiago Caruso Sea of Blood (courtesy A Blasted, Cratered Land)

22. Pulukhu the monitor (Firstlock Basin)

  • Image/icon/idol: a priest with the head of a water monitor; a water monitor 
  • Followers: Prayers to Pulukhu are uttered by all users of the canals—namely barge drovers and fishers. It is typical to float small boats with a candle upon them.
  • Priests: Priests maintain the canal embankment, towpaths and primitive lockgates across the city. They are serious engineers with the power to summon a work gang at any time, such is the importance of the canals. Though they wear grey robes, they are usually spotted in just a loincloth and a conical hat 
  • Notes: In addition to canal duties, priests of Pulukhu also enforce the ban on capture, eating and cooking of water monitors (which are sacred to their god). When not policing the canals they also perform a role similar to a contemporary firefighting team throughout the ladders: fires are frequent.
Firstlock Basin houses the large Temple of Pulukhu. There are also shrines to The Black River God here, and numerous boat builders and repairs alongside the usual Ladders fare.  

Firstlock, specific encounters by day
    1. 1d6 Priests of the Black River in fine mesh robes & veils, like a fishing net. They are collecting offerings from their shrine 
    2. 1d4 priests of Pulukhu and 1d8 labourers boarding a barge headed for a faulty lock somewhere on the canal route
    3. A foreign "merchant" arguing with priests of Pulukhu about his rights to navigate and trade along the canal route. 
    4. An shifty old man offering a freshly caught (50% chance still alive) water monitor in a goathair sack, desperate to trade for alcohol/quickleaf/sleepflower/bread
    5. A drover attempting to guide 1d8 herd animals onto a barge
    6. A mule pulling an empty barge with no other signs of ownership 
    7. 1d4 water monitors hunting
    8. 1d4 anglers fishing 
Firstlock, specific encounters by night
    1. 1d6 Spearmen huning water monitors
    2. A beautiful water spirit looking to ensnare a pariah
    3. 2d100 offerings to Pulukhu, blocking the canal: tiny balsa-boats with lit candles upon them. Probably something valuable in there somewhere.
    4. The fabled Ghost Pike, hunting by night
    5. 1d6 priests of Pulukhu,exhausted after extinguishing a fire elsewhere in the ladders
    6. Someone dumping a body in the canal
Navigation

    • Easily reached by following the canal 
    • A short cut connects the Woodyard (43), with barges of timber flowing in both directions 
    • The stench of the Breweries and (to a lesser extent) the Shambles will lead pariahs by the nose
    • The Masonic Temple (41), and Temple of Bread (40) are visible most of the time from the canal
    • Tall structures with flocks of birds invite investigation of Lofthouse (24)  
Image copyright Gerry Martin fair use etc.

23. Sip-Sip the Pigeon God (Lofthouse)

  • Image/icon/idol: a pigeon; a pigeon head; a pigeon feather; a towering coop
  • Followers: offerings are made to Sip-Sip when someone is waiting for good news or delivering a message that might not be received well. This relates to the carrier service performed by some of the city's pigeons, though mostly denizens do not make use of this on a day-to-day basis. Residents in Lofthouse maintain pigeon coops in the attics of their homes, the most elaborate of these are true shrines to Sip-Sip, their god.
  • Priests: priests maintain the larger coop-shrines, training and raising the homing pigeons that deliver messages between the Dusk Gate (10), the Temple of Literature (60) an the River Gate (8). A small proportion of them are literate (and secretly honour the Dusk Gate God). They wear hairshirts but have elaborate feathered caps. The caps og higher ranking priests have beaked peeks.
  • Notes: Sip-Sip curses those who eat the flesh of his children. There are many ones so-cursed in the Ladders
Lofthouse buildings are crude hexagonal pyramids, 2-3 storeys high, with an extended attic pigeon coop. The sides are steep so the pigeon portion can easily comprise the majority of the building. The buildings are layed-out asymmetrically, so while the neatly tessellate they don't follow a regular pattern: it is very easy to get lost here, even by the standards of other wards in the Ladders. 

Nearly all pigeons and dove of the city roost here. There are lots of pigeons. 

Navigation

    • The canal flows through the middle, linking Lofthouse to the Firstlock Basin and Fairgarden at either end.The orbital roads run parallel either side, separated by the labyrinth of hexagonal pyramids.
    • The tall, tightly packed buildings make it difficult to spot landmarks of neighbouring wards when not travelling on the inner orbital. 
    • The original Temple of Sip-Sip is a large, regular hexagon-based pyramid built by earlier inhabitants: the more recent (still 100+ years old) "pigeon coops" are crude imitations of this 

Lofthouse, specific encounters by day
    1. Someone barbecuing pigeons, happy to trade but prefers ballots
    2. Old woman with a caged dove. She claims that paying her to release it will bring good luck (it always flies back to her)
    3. 1d100 pigeons pecking at a spilt grain sack
    4. Old person feeding 3d100 pigeons
    5. Priest of Sip-Sip carrying caged pigeons from the Temple of Literature/River Gate: they will be released to deliver messages when the time calls for it
    6. Incredibly handsome and confident pigeon, accompanied by 3d12 pigeons. Actually Sip-Sip in mortal form: will bestow a small boon on anyone showing his flock kindness, and will punish those showing him or any pigeon cruelty.
Lofthouse, specific encounters by night
    1. Someone scrubbing a mountain of pigeon shit from their doorstep.
    2. Priest of Sip-Sip with an urgent message for the Temple of Literature, but unable to find their shrine in the dark labyrinth of lanes.
    3. Derelict shrine to Sip-Sip, bereft of pigeons but adequate shelter for the night.
    4. Dead pigeon: tied to its tiny leg, an even tinier scroll with a message in the scholastic script
    5. Sinister yet beautiful cat, peering forlornly up at the pigeon lofts. Actually Ubasti (77), the cat god. will bestow a small boon on anyone assisting in the quest for bird flesh. Those attempting to hinder this quest will receive a bane (minor curse) of the Here & Now within 7 days.
    6. Incredibly bedraggled and forlorn pigeon, seemingly unable to fly. Actually Sip-Sip in mortal form: will bestow a small boon on anyone showing him  kindness. Those who inflict suffering upon him will receive it back threefold within 7 days.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (untitled sketch)

24. Ulthulha, Goddess of Furious Mercy (Fairgarden)

  • Image/icon/idol: the morning star in the boughs of a tree; the palmate leaf of the plane tree; a many limbed female warrior brandishing multiple curved knives
  • Followers: women with child and those about to give birth; all those in peril when the word "mother" has already escaped their lips, all those seeking atonement for committing an act of revenge
  • Priests: Gardeners and beekeepers in the orchard and physic garden known as Fairgarden. They wear heavy linen clothing and broad-brimmed conical hats, occasionally veiled. Priests of Ulthulha are trained in midwifery from youth, and assist in difficult births in the Ladders and the Artisan's Quarter.
  • Notes: Many of the herbs cultivated in Fairgarden are used during childbirth or address other health issues pertinent to reproductive health, but an astonishing number are lethal poisons. To outsiders the dual function of Ulthulha as wrathful goddess of vengeance and deity of midwife is paradoxical, but it is in keeping with her being an avatar of the Queen of Dawn 
Fairgarden is a relic of the walled gardens that were maintained in the city's early days, now only really visible in the Garden City District (61-70). Mostly an overgrown orchard, crumbling villas serve as shrines to Ulthulha. Only the orbital streets are maintained, to any extent, with the lanes weaving between overgrown with wildflowers, creeping vines and shrubs. 

Navigation

    • The canal flows through the centre, linking Fairgarden to Tallspires and Lofthouse, with the twin orbital roads doing likewise either side of the canal. Both wards are characterised by unusual spindly buildings. Lofthouse's skyline is lower and denser, Tallspire is sparser but taller. 
    • Facing away from the city's outer walls, the ground climbs up towards garden city: heading towards here will bring travellers' through the Engineer's or Gardeners' wards in the artisan's quarter.

Fairgarden, specific encounters by day
    1. 1d4 Children from neighbouring ward sent to fetch a midwife
    2. Priest of Ulthulha gardening/beekeeping/collecting fruit
    3. Priest of Ulthulha teaching 1d6 acolytes about herbs
    4. 1d6 Songbirds or other small game perched in a tree
    5. Shrine to Ulthulha, 1d10-4 (0-6) priests in attendance
    6. Spirit House 
    7. Swarm of bees or other flying insects
    8. Tree guardian spirit concerned by incursions into Fairgarden by adjoining wards
    9. Victim of a great crime seeking counsel from Ukthulha
    10. 1d6 Wild boar
Fairgarden, specific encounters by night
    1. Dawn spirit hiding in distant trees
    2. Bloodrinker (actually the spirit of an undead tree)
    3. Fox stalking rats: 50% chance it is a shapeshifting spirit capable of assuming human form
    4. 1d10 giant bats: odds they're harmless fruit bats, evens they're bloodsucking vampires
    5. Shrine to Ulthulha deserted but for tearful victim of a great crime seeking the goddess' counsel
    6. 1d4 Youths from neighbouring ward sent to fetch a midwife 
Still from Wim Wenders' documentary film Anselm (sculpture by Anelsm Kiefer)

25. Yezu the Falcon (Tallspires)

  • Image/icon/idol: peregrine falcon in flight with wings spread or at rest
  • Followers: Outside the district only travellers, falconers and hunters seek his blessing. Once Yezu was considered god of all the skies, now he is a minor deity in a pantheon of hundreds, his role usurped by his bastard child, the sun 
  • Priests: sky-blue robes with a gold trim, befitting the once senior position they held in the city. Many also wear a leather falconer’s glove on one hand, all are armed with 2' long rods with metal banding at the head (as club or mace). Their rites use a language not understood outside the priesthood
  • Notes: two parallel temples operate in the ward. One practices the noble and ancient art of falconry, with the added pantomime of Dawn and dusk rites. The other proselytises the soon-to-return might of a taloned lord of the skies, with a sideline in falconry
Tallspire takes its name from the 17 temples of Yezu in this ward, each an octagonal tower of at least 3 storeys with a grand spire on top  each taller even than the great temple of Sip-Sip. None of these are the crude mockeries of Lofthouse, and the lanes beneath follow a careful, measured plan of gardens and fountains as well as dense mud brick and timber houses. Many residents are either priests or related to a priest in some way, as only  orthodox priests of Yazu do not take husbands or wives. Consequently, priests take on additional duties unrelated to their god, including stamping out the worship of other deities in this ward and using their hawks to catch pigeons.

Navigation

    • The Dusk Gate opens into Tallspires. Following a priest Sekyalmek from the gates will take you through Tallspires and likely into the Artisan's Quarter (41-50)
    • The canal and orbitals can be followed roughly north to Bear Temple and south to Fairgarden 
Tallspire, specific encounters by day
    1. Itinerant priest of another god (roll 1d100) being told to leave the quarter by 1d6 Priests of Yezu (degree of severity in the expulsion dependent largely on the status of the god)
    2. 1d4 peregrine falcons swooping around a grand spire
    3. 2d6 priests of Yezu, marching in formation toward the nearest Grand Spire. Cheers from householders and street pedlars as they march by 
    4. Priest of Yezu telling the story of Yezu the Skyfather's betrayal at the hands of his children: Sun (91), Moon (11) and the Sapphire Princess (30). A crowd has gathered, visibly angry
    5. Stone figurine of Yezu dislodged by a strong gust of wind, lands in the middle of the street. Role a die: odds bystanders take this to auger well, evens it's an ill omen 
    6. 1d6 young warrior-nobles or "princes" (see Palaces, 81-90) keen to see falconry being practised by experts
Tallspire, specific encounters by night
    1. Fledgling falcon, unable to get back to its nest
    2. Priest of Yezu returning from Lofthouse with a sack full of pigeons
    3. 2d4 Priests of Yezu keeping the streets safe from criminals and heretics
    4. 1d6 Priests of Sip-Sip, planning arson against one of the grand spires
    5. 2d6 Solar Guards (92), making their presence felt
    6. 1d6 thieves in the pay of a warrior-prince (81-90), planning to steal falcon eggs 

Romano-Egyptian Falcon statue, taken without permission by British colonialists
(Image used without permission by colonial subject of Britain)

26. Birzimaat The Berserker (Bear Temple)

  • Image/icon/idol: silhouette of a bear; the priestly glyph for "bear"; the scratches 
  • Followers: Birzimaat is a northern cult with a long established presence in the city, but few locals worship The Bear. Northern visitors will always pay a visit to the Temple of Birzimaat in the district that is named for him.
  • Priests: induction into the cult involves intense martial training, with priests earning the honorific "warrior" despite not being nobly born. Like young warrior-princes, warrior-priests of the Berserker Cult carry highly decorated clubs. Furthermore, the cult is used by the City to carry out punitive raids and expeditions without risking the lives of the city's young nobles. They are clearly differentiated by the bearskins they wear in lieu of armour.
    Priests that have attained the greatest honour in battle forswear violence and live out their remaining days training the next generation of berserkers. However, in times of dire need these old warriors join their younger brethren for one final battle. It is said they transform into bears as soon as they break their pacifist vows, never again to assume bear form.  
  • Notes: Many acolytes are trained at the Temple of Birzimaat, but fewer than half pass the final tests of fitness and martial prowess. Those not making the cut are offered the opportunity to fight for a place with other runners up in a deadly Battle Royale... or return to the streets a coward.
Bear Temple resembles many of the districts of the ladders: crowded streets, poor sanitation, labyrinthine lanes between ramshackle homes... yet there are slight nods to cult of Birzimaat's northern origins. For those looking these include the recipe of the local beer, the preponderance of animal skins as casual street wear and even the occasional bear.  

Navigation

    • Turn right immediately on passing the Dusk Gate and you're there
    • Orbitals connect Bear Temple to Tallspires (if heading towards Firstlock) and The Kennels (signposted to Pisslake)
    • Drifting vaguely east and north leads to the Artisan's Quarter, principally Ropeworks (48) and The Kiln (49) 

Bear Temple, specific encounters by day
    1. 2d4 acolytes just days away from their final test, each a coiled spring ready to bounce into action
    2. 2d6 battered and bruised warrior-priests returned from a punitive expedition on behalf of the city
    3. Cave bear of remarkably calm temperament, on its way to the temple 
    4. 1d8 grey-skinned men and women of the far north, hear to pay tribute to their ancestral spirit
    5. 2d8 recently anointed warrior-priests heading out of the city on their first raid 
    6. 3d12 warrior-priests: a space has been cleared in the street for them to demonstrate their martial prowess, bold acrobatics and resistance to pain. A crowd gathers in silent awe.
Bear Temple, specific encounters by night
    1. 1d8 acolytes: sober but spoiling for the chance to test their mettle in melee 
    2. 1d4 battered and bruised warrior-priests, leading 1d4 prisoners to an uncertain fate
    3. 1d6 beggars: failed candidates who turned down the battle royale—they have fighting form and aren't afraid to get physical if they're certain they can overpower the party 
    4. 8 grey-skinned northerners carrying a litter towards the bear temple. The fretwork conceals the occupant, but a silhouette suggests something ursine
    5. 2d8 warrior-priests: a fire has been lit and space cleared to demonstrate their martial prowess, bold acrobatics and resistance to pain. A lively crowd gathers, showing their appreciation for th display
    6. 1d6 warrior-priests, drinking heavily. They are in good spirits but are ready to defend their honour if they are insulted in any way

If you like bears you might like these bears

27. Lakulkek, Queen of Dogs (The Kennels)

  • Image/icon/idol: a howling wolf or dog's head; glyph for dog and queen combined into a sigil; Lakulkek herself, 
  • Followers: Anyone in need of a dog 
  • Priests:Servants an attendants to Lakulkek and her huge family of canines. Typically dressed in sackcloth bound by a wide leather belt, to which an array of leashes, cloths and brushes are tethered
  • Notes: People come to the kennels when they need to borrow a dog for a specific task. Street dogs in other wards often favour particular families, but are not owned by them.  
The Kennels are something of a misnomer (actual kennels are only really found in the Palaces, 81-90): instead, around 50% of dwellings here are occupied by families of highly specialised dogs cared for by one of Lakulkek's priests—this applies to open houses. too. Instead of offering food or other services, the open house will have service dogs available for "rent": this is a donation of food, ballots or a service to Lakulkek's priests. 

Doghouse
    1. Attack dogs: big, placid dogs hiding with a well-hidden aggressive streak. Similar in size and appearance to real-world dobermans, but with orange and black striped coats like a tiger's. 1d6 available to work immediately, up to 10 with significant notice.
    2. Draft dogs: squat, muscular dogs capable of pulling a barge along the canal in place of a pony or mule. Nasty bite. One available for work right now, up to 4 with proper notice.
    3. Guides: attentive animals with a sophisticated understanding of urban geography. Can be relied upon to deliver you (or indeed a message) to a specific part of the city and back again. 1 animal available per tribute daily.
    4. Herders: bright dogs of all shapes and sizes with a keen understanding of herd psychology. Can be relied upon to keep up to 100 HP of domesticated herd animals (or 50 HP of wild herd animals) in check, while also keeping an eye out for threats. 1d6 available for a day's work, larger numbers and lengths of time will require negotiation.
    5. Racers: short-haired dogs with sleek body shape, ideal for chasing and catching small game or racing competitively. Like whippets with pointed ears. One available per day. 
    6. Rat catchers: Jack Russel sized terriers with an appetite for rats and cats. Can be instructed to focus on either or both. Will not take on an individual giant rat without back up, but will attack King Rat (17) on site. Hackles raised in the presence of the Beautiful Ones (71)
    7. Rescue dogs: large, strong dogs that can sniff out survivors trapped in debris from house fires or tremors (both common occurrences in the Ladders). Soft jaws enable them to pull people (or their remains) from the rubble without serious harm. Not usually available for hire as they are either carrying out their sacred duty or resting: work closely with priests of Pulukhu. Sad eyes. 
    8. Sniffer dogs: highly skilled trackers that can be used to locate specific objects, substances or materials anywhere within the city. Incredibly wet noses. Only 1 available each day.
    9. Sumpter dogs: similar in temperament and shape to draft dogs, sumpters can be loaded with about 40lbs of weight in the city, though they are less suited to uneven ground (about half that in the wilderness).
    10. Trackers: can be instructed to locate specific people or objects if they are provided something with which to pick up the scent. 1 available per day.
The Temple of Lakulek is laid out in the style of a noble palace, with the dog-goddess receiving petitioners while she sits atop her throne. It is her grace that is sought when large numbers of dogs are sought for tasks beyond the city walls, or when the stray dogs in other wards are becoming a nuisance. Lakulek resembles an afghan hound of extraordinary size, her long mane braided with flowers and ribbons. Her claws are gilded as a reminder that her gentle beauty belies her ferocity. 

Navigation

    • Following the canal or orbital avenues from Pisslake (28) or Bear Temple (26) brings travellers directly to The Kennels
    • Characteristic odour of dog detectable from the edges of all adjoining wards: only the anosmic would be unable to follow their nose
    • Smoke from the Kiln can be seen (and smelt) from the streets of the Kennels. 
    • The stench of the Pisslake tanneries becomes overwhelming at the ward's northernmost extremity.
Kennels, specific encounters by day
    1. 1d6 dogs being walked by their attendant priest. Roll above to determine their trade
    2. 1d12 errant puppies, pursued by anxious priest 
    3. Glorious parade of 3d20 dogs, culminating in a litter carried aloft by four sumpters. Lakulkek herself sits atop the litter
    4. 1d6 priests of Pulukhu seeking rescue dogs for duty: there's been a fire in (roll 1d20+10 to determine ward)
    5. Sniffer dog directed to locate a rare entheogen: it has located the stuff on the PCs
    6. Streets being cleared for an impromptu dog race featuring 3d4 racers. Place your ballots!
Kennels, specific encounters by night
    1. Badly beaten draft dog, severed tow rope between its teeth: its barge was hijacked
    2. Incursion of 1d12 giant rats leading a swarm of 1d100 ordinary rats
    3. 1d6 priests of Lakulek relaxing for the evening, only 1d4 dogs by their side
    4. 1d10 rat terriers on patrol
    5. 2d4 rival attack dogs in a professional dispute: 1d12 locals have gathered to place bets on the winner
    6. Tired and bedraggled guide dog returning from a lengthy mission. Looks set to collapse any minute.

28. Ra-kyel the Leatherman (Pisslake)

  • Image/icon/idol: a stretched hide or a stitched mouth
  • Followers: the tanners of Pisslake prey to the Leatherman that their children might be one day accepted as priests, for only this will spare them the fate of their parents. But Leatherman is also a patron of survivors of grave injury, injustice or humiliation who wish to transform their pain into an enduring legacy 
  • Priests: glossy-robed supervisors of an enormous tannery, ensure that sufficient treated and dyed hides are sent int tribute to Ra-kyel's twin avatar in the Artisan's Quarter
  • Notes: Master Leatherman has a strong connection to Carnifex and Sekyalmek, the two gods who helped repair him after he was flayed alive by Yezu. Hides prepared in the temple of Ra-kyel are used to make the leather goods in the artisan's quarter, a huge part of the city's gifts to its satellites
The ward consists of a series of tannery yards, separated by dense housing. Each drains into the central canal basin, the eponymous Pisslake. The name derives from the foul smelling ammonic byproduct of the bating vats. Hides procured from the priests of Carnifex are submerged in a vat containing lime mix contributed Priests of Sekyalmek. To assist in the removal of hair  faeces of the children of Sip-Sip and Lakulkek also comprise this acrid concoction, along with the urine of the Great Aurochs.

Bated hides are hung to dry in the baking sun, before they are coloured in the dyeing vats.

Those not born to this quarter are unable to remain in a tannery yard for long. No one drinks the water from the basin, though it is considered acceptable to drink from the canal at either adjoining ward.

Sidi Moussa Tannery, Fes el-Bali, Morocco


Navigation

    • Multiple tiny lianes, flanked by tall 2-3 storey mudbrick homes separate the vast tannery yards, with Pisslake Basin the central "square" of the whole ward
    • The canal passes right through Pisslake Basin: signs point roughly "south" back to Firstlock and northwest(ish) to the Star Gate
    • Upwards toward the city's "centre", the ward immediately adjoins the Artisan's Quarter  

Pisslake, specific encounters by day
    1. Ablutions: 1d4 labourers washing the stench of the tannery from their bodies with dirty canal water
    2. Leatherskin I: a priest of Ra-kyel leads a line of 1d6 mules, each laden with an astonishing array of beautifully coloured treated hides, ready to be crafted into exquisite items
    3. Leatherskin II: high priest of Ra-kyel, clothed head-to-toe in rawhide, eye-holes and mouth sewn shut. 4 junior priests his guide as he tours the tanneries.
    4. Lime-slake sled dragged by 1d6 priests of Sekyalmek, coughing and wheezing as they go
    5. Piss bucket: line of 1d4 water carriers bearing buckets of auroch piss
    6. Rawwhide in a pile, bloodied, carried on the back of a great arochs. Its escort a priest of Carnifex escorts alongside 1d4 butcher boys
    7. Shit sled: dutiful priests of Faharra have assembled a stinking pile for the bating vats, comprising pigeon and dog shit
    8. Tall-ones: 1d6 maroon skinned men and women of the Humtala tribe, curious to observe the rites of Ra-kyel. Each stands more than 7' tall.
Pisslake, specific encounters by night
    1. Ablutions: 1d4 labourers washing the stench of the tannery from their bodies with dirty canal water
    2. Flaying: 2d4 priests of Ra-kyel carrying out a traditional punishment on a labour activist. Their skin will be bated and hung to dry. 
    3. Giant rats: 1d8 of the fuckers, ostensibly raiding the Kennels but drawn by the smell of shit and piss
    4. Leatherfest: 2d4 priests of Ra-kyel unwinding after a hard day supervising the labour of their underlings
    5. Leatherskin III: high priest of Ra-kyel, clothed head-to-toe in rawhide, eye-holes and mouth sewn shut. Unaccompanied.
    6. Street-drinkers: 2d4 labourers unwinding at the end of an exhausting day at the vats, possibly conspiring about how to improve their terrible working conditions

29. Ormen the Yellow One (Waxtown)

  • Image/icon/idol: a yellow crescent moon, the horns pointing towards the ground, occasionally stylised as a yellow serpent swallowing a black star. 
  • Followers: The Yellow One is the default moon deity for most denizens unfamiliar with the cult of Sister Moon (11). But it is an unserious association, a folkloric rather than religious correspondence: the moon is not a significant part of urban life. However, for the hardore cult of the Yellow One—located in Waxtown—worship is everything, and they cram into candle-houses every day to do so.
  • Priests: distinctive in their mustard robes and earth-black gauze veils, a single priest presides over the Perpetual Chant of the Yellow One from dawn until dusk at each of the 7 candle-houses. At sunset, they are joined by a second priest for a single recitation of the Perpetual Chant, are washed and fed by their acolytes, and sleep until just before dawn the following day, when they resume the Perpetual chant once more.
  • Notes: Followers a few minutes each day at the candle houses, dancing awkwardly to the hypnotic incantations of the yellow priests before passing out. A split second elapses before consciousness is regained and they pick themselves up, spending the remainder of their day robotically engaged in whatever tasks are demanded of them. One day they will die, and their body will be transformed into corpse wax.
Ötzi, the Iceman, a natural mummy (and possibly a daddy, too) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96tzi


Waxtown is one of the most deprived wards of the Ladders, despite contributing one of the city's most important resources: candles. Using beeswax from Fairgarden or tallow from The Shambles, every home doubles as a candlemaker. It is the relentless drudgery and lack of respect for their work which have driven the denizens into the worship of Ormen, the Yellow One. 

Navigation

    • The layout of Waxtown resembles Bear Temple, except its central building is the Villa of Ormen, wherein the largest congregation attends the Perpetual Chant of the Yellow One.
    • There are presently 7 other candle-houses in the ward and—though smaller—they too are committed to perpetually chanting the rites of Ormen 
    • Following the canal towards the Star Gate from Pisslake is a certain way of reaching here, but it is otherwise a quiet and anonymous district
    • Candle-Houses can also be reached via the Realm of the Yellow Moon 

Waxtown, specific encounters by day
    1. Deaf: an old person explains they can no longer hear the chant, their hearing has gone completley, now they never again will witness the deserts of the Yellow Moon. They weep.
    2. Dissonant: 1d6 worshippers swaying gently and in time, though each spaced irregularly and distant from another. They mutter about the Yellow Moon between short breaths.
    3. Faithful: 1d6 shuffling worshippers, eagerly making their way to the nearest candle-house
    4. Funeral: a home becomes an imromptu candle house following the death of an inhabitant. Mustard robed priests preside over the body, surrounded by candles. They chant as worshippers gyrate to unheard music.
    5. Illuminated: a child holding a yellow candle, lit, asking if the party would like to trade a candle for food
    6. Veiled: 1d6 mustard-robed priests of Ormen, each veiled, marching slowly to the Villa of Ormen. One swings an earthenware censer, wherein burns jasmine and frankincense together 
Waxtown, specific encounters by night
    1. Candle: 2d4 mustard-robed priests of Ormen, each veiled, marching slowly to the Villa of Ormen. One swings an earthenware censer, wherein burns jasmine and frankincense together. One carries a lit candle atop of a stick, smelling faintly of pork grease. 
    2. Dissonant: 1d4 worshippers swaying gently and in time, though each spaced irregularly and distant from another. They mutter about the Yellow Moon between short breaths.
    3. Faithful: 1d4 shuffling worshippers, eagerly making their way to the nearest candle-house
    4. Funeral: the chanting at a wake has ended, and 4d20 worshippers stumble out, dazed. Priests wrap the body in the mustard cloth of a priest and transport it back to the Villa of Ormen. It will be made into a corpse-wax candle for use in the Perpetual chant.
    5. Spirit: a shadowy wraith stalks the lanes, a sightseer from another realm tripping its way through the city. It cannot speak but telepathically, and only when it occupies the same space as a denizen (save vs Beyond to avoid receiving 1d4 damage when doing so). If struck with an enchanted weapon (or one fashioned from starmetal) they are banished to their realm of origin.
    6. Witch: they have seen the Yellow Moon with their own eyes, and are curious to see its realisation in the Here & Now. So far they are unimpressed by Waxtown.

It's taken a long time to put this list together and I am desperate to get it posted before February's out, so please accept my promise to return to this after I've done some White Chalk posting and made the March update for the Pariah Sandbox Collection.

Here's the 5 remaining gods that complete the wards of the Ladders

  1. Sapphire Princess (Sky Temple)
  2. The Kite-Flyer (Cloud temples)
  3. The King with Many Mouths (Necropolis I)
  4. The Lord of the Dead (Necropolis II)
  5. The Burning Lady Ascended (Fire Pillars)
For convenience sake, please find the general encounter list for the Ladders below:

Encounters in the Ladders

Taken from this post

Encounters in the Ladders, daylight

  1. 1d4 Black robed priests of Faharra, either dragging a sled containing 1d4 human corpses or exchanging ballots for dung cakes.
  2. 1d8 hungry children or 1d4 hungry elders begging for food.
  3. Priest of the Lucky Gecko, exchanging goods and services for additional ballots and vice versa.
  4. Priests of The God of the Cracks, distributing counterfeit ballots/selling quickleaf/looking for additional muscle on their next job.
  5. Vendor willing to barter (illegally) for their goods if party do not have ballots. Roll 1d6 for goods; 1 Bread, 2 Dried meat or fish, 3 Rope and fabric, 4-5 Tools (no weapons) 6 Beer/wine
  6. Shrine to a random god (roll 1d100)
  7. A flock of 1d100 pigeons or herd of 1d4 auroch/ 1d4 elephants/ 2d20 lizard-chickens
  8. Swindler looking to dupe the party.
  9. A procession, roll 1d6: 1-2 funerary, 3-4 The Beggar Prince (see below), 5 Random deity (roll 1d100), 6 Procession rats led by their king (see below)
  10. Pack of 1d6 hungry dogs, looking for new friends.
  11. An unexpected obstruction: a lane becomes a cul-de-sac that wasn't one before, or a building has collapsed and filled the street with rubble.
  12. Funeral/Wedding Party at a small house, spilling out onto the street
  13. Call the Priests of Ulthulha! This woman is having a baby!
  14. Prostrate human over which passers-by are stepping, roll 1d6: 1-2 the person is recently dead, 3-4 they're holding on for dear life, 5-6 they're a sleeping ghoul  
  15. FIRE! A building is ablaze, 1d6 people are trapped inside
  16. Roll for an encounter specific to the ward.
  17. Roll for an encounter specific to the ward.
  18. Roll for an encounter specific to an adjoining ward.
  19. Roll 2 encounters specific to the ward and connect.
  20. Roll once here and once on the ward encounters, linking the encounters together.

Open houses

  1. A kitchen serving soup or stew in wooden bowls 
  2. A kitchen roasting rodents/giant locusts/lizard chickens
  3. Unordained barber-priest offering haircuts and tooth extraction. Amputations are an uptown job. 
  4. Apothecary. 10% of products work as advertised..
  5. Laundry: clothes handwashed in wood ash, water and secret ingredients!
  6. "Fresh" fruit and vegetables (for better results, go to the market) OR eggs, roll 1d6: 1-2 chicken, 3 duck, 4 quail, 5 turkey 6 lizard-chicken  
  7. Heated baths and or steam rooms
  8. Beer or wine, served in-house in small cups or bring your own vessel and carry out. The drink is invariably very strong
  9. Ritual make-up, body-paint, piercing or tattooing
  10. Tea House: served in small cups or will fill patrons' vessels for carry-out. Much safer than drinking from the canal.
  11. Shrine to the local patron deity
  12. Recreational smoking den, roll 1d6: 1-2 Quickleaf, 3-4 Sleepflower 5-6 some weird, foreign herb of high potency

Like "shops" cluster together along lanes, if the party require something else they need to move on the next lane.

Encounters in the Ladders, night

  1. 1d4 Black robed priests of Faharra, on a murder mission.
  2. 1d8 hooded Night Watchman, defending the innocent OR 1d8 Protectors of Kaab, searching for a fugitive.
  3. 1d4 ghouls looking for someone to drag back to their lair OR 1d4 therianthropic Priests of the Rat King
  4. 1d4 Priests of The God of the Cracks, leading 2d8 refugees to a safehouse in a random ward.
  5. Scary looking giant bat, 50% chance its an aggressive bloodsucker, otherwise harmless fruitbat.
  6. Shrine to a random god (roll 1d100) OR smoking den OR winehouse
  7. A flock of 1d100 bats or 1d4 auroch/ 1d4 elephants sleeping in the middle of the street
  8. 1d6 footpads armed with blackjacks (light bludgeoning weapon)
  9. A group of 1d6 men, drinking and gambling, armed with clubs
  10. Pack of 1d12 hungry dogs, looking for new "friends".
  11. An unexpected obstruction: a lane becomes a cul-de-sac that wasn't one before, or a building has collapsed and filled the street with rubble.
  12. Remnants of a funeral/wedding party at a small house, spilling out onto the street
  13. Call the Priests of Ulthulha! This woman is having a baby!
  14. A human corpse being feasted on by 1d6 giant rats  
  15. FIRE! A building is ablaze, 3d6 people are trapped inside
  16. Roll for an encounter specific to the ward.
  17. Roll for an encounter specific to the ward.
  18. Roll for an encounter specific to an adjoining ward.
  19. Roll 2 encounters specific to the ward and connect.
  20. Roll once here and once on the ward encounters, linking the encounters together.

Links

City of 100 Gods 2/10

Spirit Houses


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