CITY OF A HUNDRED GODS: Part 1/10 City Limits

Jewel at the Foot of the Mountain. The Bridge Over the Great River. City of Many Stairs. Gateway to the Sun and Heavens. The Endless village. The city has nearly as many names as the number of deities to whom its inhabitants pray... and it is this peculiar feature that grants its most familiar name: the City of a Hundred Gods.

Was going to use this as the cover for PARIAH volume 2 then remembered...
...we ripped it off Assassin's Creed...

To outsiders these "gods" are hungry, capricious demons that thrive on that unique misery endemic to urbanised societies... but to those born within sight of the city's incredible walls, they are entities worthy of their devotion. The myriad cults venerating these one hundred deities each work in synergy to make the metropolis greater than the sum of its parts.

So come then, let us explore each district via the "gods" venerated there, starting with the outskirts of the city and of course its walls.

1. Black River, God of Mixed Fortunes

• Image/icon/idol: the Black River itself, leaving the city's "river gate" and splicing the sea of tents outside its walls in twain. Sometimes represented by the white eels that swim upstream at the end of the dry season.
• Followers: All those lurking outside the city's walls. The river is a source of both bounty and bad luck: praying to this god will bring one or the other, though which is anyone's guess. Most popular among long term residents.
• Priests: found within and without the city. They are noted for the robes which drape over their head, a mesh of threads finer than (though styled after) a fishing net. Priests also ensure that the burning funeral barges sent from within the city are kept burning on their journey downstream 
• Notes: Shrines to the river operate trading posts for items retrieved from the river. It is customary to receive a piece of river-junk in return for offerings made.

2. The Great Auroch

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aurochs_skull.jpg

• Image/icon/idol: skull of an enormous auroch. Auroch horn (instrument). Testicles of an auroch.
• Followers: The maroon-skinned men and women of the northern plains, towering herders who frequently visit the city to pay tribute and for the gelding of their auroch herds.
• Priests: in two categories: the shaman of the herder tribes, and the gelders who dwell within the city. Both wear robes hewn from cotton or linen from far-off lands dyed with auroch blood.
• Notes: Locals attribute the great stature of the herders to both their covenant with the Great Auroch and their diet of bull's blood and milk, which can fetch a fine price in the city—especially if fermented.

3. Gehelem, God of the Unwanted

• Image/icon/idol: a hairless and emaciated nude androgyne, bone-white and ghoulish in appearance but for benevolent, merciful eyes.
• Followers: The poor, desperate and downtrodden among the sea of tents; refugees, outcasts and exiles; on holy days paint their faces bone white and do not speak from sunset to sunrise.
• Priests: there are no priests, but many shrines are maintained throughout the sea of tents by Gehelem's followers.gehlem
• Notes: the god is said take the form of a beggar, usually a crippled child or old woman. Those refusing a request for alms are stricken with horrible luck. Those mistreating the figure more directly are likely to incur a yet more nightmarish fate.

4. The Burning Lady

• Image/icon/idol: a woman ablaze. A funeral pyre burning with red flames.
• Followers: Downtrodden and stricken women, especially those seeking revenge.
• Priests: Crimson-robed female priests maintain a strong presence in the sea of tents, providing refuge for women (and their children) fleeing "family troubles". Within the city proper their grand temple is most commonly frequented by widows, and first-wives who've lost their status within the family.
• Notes: The tradition of the Burning Lady is said to recall an era when widows were expected to throw themselves on the funerary pyre of their late husbands. The Lord of the Sun and Sky was said to be so taken by one such widow that he plucked her from her pyre and made her his queen, but in doing so a great vengeance was unleashed against the priests enforcing widow immolation. The tradition ended overnight, and the cult of the Burning Lady was born.

5. Lumlaho, God of Swine

• Image/icon/idol: a pig, usually a boar but sometimes a sow suckling her young.
• Followers: all the residents of the sea of tents; outside visitors wanting an additional blessing. 
• Priests: men and women in white linen robes, from the glistening to the grubby.
• Notes: multiple herds of semi-wild pigs roam freely through the sea of tents, all under the protection of Lumlaho and their priests. They keep the place tidy and their dung is collected by followers of the beetle god (see below).
  
  Poor citizens, upon seeing a priest of particularly dirty garb, may request a pig in return for laundering the garments. This is granted on the following conditions:
  
  
• The priest must be granted shelter for the night and their clothes rendered brilliantly white.
• All parts of the pig must be eaten before sunrise the following day.
• The pig must be shared among as many people as possible. 

Those seeking the blessing of Lumlaho need only provide a ration of food to one of the many pigs... and be sure not to let any pig or pork-product pass the city gates, for pigs (among many other animals) are proscribed therein.

 

6. Sekyalmek, Goddess of the Lime-Slake

• Image/icon/idol: a white-skinned woman, her flesh sloughing off into an inverted pyramid.
• Followers: those seeking favour with the city, having given the children to the priesthood of Sekyalmek. Builders and construction workers. The children of Sekyalmek.
• Priests: the most senior workers in the lime-slaking pits, whose devotion to their work is a sacred duty. Few live long enough to reach this position, and once attained, few live long enough to enjoy it. 
• Notes: priests and workers of Sekyalmek are a common sight, their skin bleached by lime, coughing and wheezing as they drag great sleds of building material to and from the various city gates.

7. Faharra, The Shit-Beetle

By Keith Schengili-Roberts - Own work (photo), CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1665285

• Image/icon/idol: The scarab, either depicted singly or rolling dung, often mirroring the noon-sun risen above.
• Followers: All dwellers of the sea of tents, for the priesthood of Faharra are an absolutely essential aspect of daily life. Offerings to Faharra are reciprocated with dung-cakes for fuel, compost for growing, and waste-disposal not provided by the children and priests of Lumlaho.
• Priests: In their jet-black robes — sometimes including face coverings — the priests of Faharra are a highly visible presence... yet their order is secretive. It is rumoured that their role in the collection and disposal of the dead can be extended to those still living — if it pleases Faharra of course.
• Notes: the temple of Faharra is located close to the lime-pits of Sekyalmek. Here the waste of the camp city is decomposed into compost, sold upriver or distributed among growers in the sea of tents. Here also dung-cakes are baked in the sun for fuel.

8. Zhaub, Goddess of the River Gate

• Image/icon/idol: Woman's face, either vomiting out or attempting to swallow a fully intact fish
• Followers: Prayers to Zhaub are uttered by all wishing to attain access through the southern gates, whether by foot or by boat. Most locals outside the city consider her superior to the Black River God.
• Priests: Officious and musical, each one memorises a complex series of sagas regarding the daily comings and goings of the gates, transmitted back and forth for accuracy and  carrying with it records of numbers, persons, goods and intentions. They wear wooden masks carved in the likeness of the goddess, with the fish projecting outward like a trumpet to amplify their voice. 
• Notes: no one may gain entry via the River Gate without first stating the names of all their party, their intentions, their offerings to Zhaub and their offerings to the city. A song is sung and transmitted all the way to the temple of Zhaub, where a senior priest decides whether to pass this song on to a higher temple or to sing it back to the priests at the entrance. Those leaving the city must be recognised in one of the many songs dating back to the date of their entrance.

9. Kaab, Goddess of the Wall

• Image/icon/idol: The fortified 60'+ curtain wall surrounding the city proper; 
• Followers: Mostly among the poor-folk dwelling within the city, right up against the walls. They pray the walls spare them from whatever life they fled to come here, or if born within, from the supposed horrors that lurk outside.
• Priests: Two orders serve the Goddess Kaab. The first wear white kilts and blue protective headgear, and are known as the builders. They coordinate with the priests of Sekyalmek and other orders to maintain the holy walls surrounding the city. The protectors also wear blue protective headgear, but their bodies are covered with armour plates covered with blue lacquer, and they are usually armed.
• Notes: Neither order will willingly permit anyone to touch the city wall, never mind ascend it or abseil down. Protectors usually patrol the battlements at the top rather than at ground level.

10. The Dusk Gate God

By Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39435/39435-h/39435-h.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42612631

• Image/icon/idol: Dried cicada exoskeleton. A cicada head with a sun setting behind it.
• Followers: Workers and residents adjoining the dusk gate; some random cultists in and out of the city.
• Priests: The dusk gate is the oldest structure in the city, dating before human occupation. Though manned by protectors of the wall, they are each members of a secret sect operating in multiple priestly orders throughout the city. Literacy is a prerequisite to membership.
• Notes: Records of the comings and goings to the dusk gate are recorded in clay and taking to the river gate. it is therefore considered to be a much slower (and consequently less popular) way in and out of the city. Furthermore, the western gate's trail does is not easily reached from the river, instead extending towards the western horizon. It is favoured by visits from those strange, far-off lands beyond the dry hills.

Encounters in the Sea of Tents, day

1. Black robed priest of Faharra, piling a sled with rubbish, some of which might be valuable.
2. 1d4 hungry children begging for food.
3. 2d4-1 children of Lumlaho- pig-herd of varying age and plumpness.
4. 1d3 hungry elders, begging for food.
5. Priests of Lumlaho in (roll 1d6) 1. white robes 2-5. slightly sullied white robes 6. filthy robes.
6. Blind shaman of a far-off tribe, exiled for reasons unknown.
7. Desperate craftsman looking for a way into the city
8. Teenager offering to exchange illegal dung-cakes for food and craft items.
9. Pedlar trading craft items from a great wooden cupboard strapped to their back.
10. Pack of 1d12 hungry dogs, looking for new friends.
11. Protectors, searching for a fugitive from the city.
12. White-faced followers of Gehelem preparing for their night of silence.
13. Pickpocket.
14. Swindler or hustler.
15. Woman with young family seeking shelter with The Burning Lady.
16. 1d4 maimed or wounded adult beggars.
17. 1d3 beggars stricken by curse (early stages)
18. 1d3 nameless ones.
19. Acolytes of Sekyalmek, flesh bleached by lime.
20. Roll twice more and link the encounters together.

In addition to various pedestrians milling between the sea of tents, the Black River, and the approach to the various gates, dwellers of various tents will be calling to the party at all times. Roll1d12 twice and consult the table below:

Tents... and what their occupants are up to
1d20	Outward Purpose	Secondary or hidden purpose
1-7	Offering speciality food.	As indicated.
8	Shrine to Minor God.	Sanctuary of the Burning Lady.
9	Medicinal herbs.	Sorcerous rituals (invoking, binding…)
10	Fabric/garment vendor.	Smuggling goods out of the city.
11	Ropes and baskets.	Smuggling goods into the city.
12	Exotic animals.	Theft.
13	Stone carvings of gods.	Human trafficking.
14	Fortunes told.	Insurrectionists.
15	Shamanic blessings.	Doom cult.
16	Barber surgeon+dentist.	Dusk Gate cult.
17	Sleepflower den.	Demon cult.
18	Alcoholic beverages.	Cadaver harvesting/cannibalism.
19	Tattooing.	Ghouls
20	Leather goods.	Blood-drinkers.

Encounters in the Sea of Tents, night

Within an hour of sunset the tent-city quietens, with small fires emerging at their entrances, dwindling as the night wears on... it doesn't reduce the chance of bumping into someone you shouldn't have...

1. Black robed priest of Faharra, on a murder-mission.
2. Robber or footpad stalking the party.
3. 1d4 children of Lumlaho- pig-herd of varying age and plumpness.
4. Pack of 1d12 hungry dogs, looking for new "friends".
5. Murder victim. Roll thrice here to see what they're carrying
6. Couple arguing. One of them is getting increasingly aggressive.
7. Vendor of food, the smell of grilled meats/fish/vegetables detectable before they are in sight.
8. Elders smoking quickleaf/ sleepflower/ shaman shrooms from a shared pipe or hookah.
9. White-faced followers of Gehelem holding a silent vigil.
10. Shrine to a murder victim.
11. Funeral procession heading towards the Black River.
12. Funeral procession heading towards the dung-pits of Faharra.
13. 2d4 adults drinking fermented milk and blood.
14. Woman aflame: initiation into the Burning Lady cult.
15. Gang of 2d4 mutants/ cursed pariahs.
16. 2d4 protectors, searching for a fugitive.
17. Sorcerer accompanied by 1d4 nameless ones.
18. 2d4 Blood-Drinkers.
19. The "god" Gehelem, disguised as (1d6) 1. small child 2-4. old woman 5-6. hungry dog.
20. Roll twice more and link the encounters together.

Encounters on the Black River Road & River Gate

1. Funerary barge, completely aflame.
2. Shrine to the Black River, 1d4 Black River Priests.
3. Masked Priests of Zhaub with cudgels, looking for a fugitive.
4. Pack of 1d12 hungry dogs, looking for new friends.
5. 2d6 maroon-skinned men and women of the Humtala tribe,7 feet in height, accompanied by 3d12 auroch, heading towards the River Gate.
6. 2d4 Black River Priests on a long barge, looking for funeral barges.
7. Pedlar in a canoe offering clothing/craft goods/religious artefacts to trade.
8. Vendor of food, the smell of grilled meats/fish/vegetables detectable before they are in sight.
9. Fishers sat on the banks of the river with long rods linked to great nets.
10. White-faced followers of Gehelem preparing for their night of silence.
11. Shrine to a forgotten genius loci.
12. Shrine to the Great Auroch.
13. Swindler or hustler.
14. 2d6 maroon-skinned men and women of the Humtala tribe,7 feet in height, accompanied by 1d12 auroch, heading away from the River Gate.
15. 2d6 tribesfolk from far off tribe, travelling by boat laden with tributes.
16. 2d4 beggar children looting a funeral barge.
17. 1d6 priests of Zhaub, their masks to one side, drinking grain-spirit. 
18. 2d4 protectors, searching for a fugitive.
19. Acolytes of Sekyalmek, flesh bleached by lime, dragging building materials to the city.
20. Black robed priest of Faharra, piling a sled with rubbish, some of which might be valuable.
21. Roll twice more and link the encounters together.

By night roll on the Encounters in the Sea of Tents, night table, above.

Encounters by the Dusk Gate, day

1. 2d4 giant ants pulling a great sled, atop of which is an ant-mound.
2. 2d6 copper-skinned western men and women carrying star-metal blades in tribute to the Golden One. 
3. Acolytes of Sekyalmek, flesh bleached by lime, dragging building materials to the city.
4. Pack of 1d12 hungry dogs, looking for new friends.
5. Sorcerer from far-off land accompanied by 2d4 intelligent mandrill servants.
6. Elephant procession, unaccompanied, seemingly with purpose.
7. 2d4 goat herders or shepherds, each accompanied by 2d6 sheep or goats.
8. 2d6 slavers taking 4d8 convicts away from the city to a life of servitude in faraway provinces.
9. 1d8 hunters returning with enormous, dog-sized lizards.
10. 1d6 black-robed priests of Faharra, sorting through a pile of rubbish.
11. 2d6 acolytes of Sekyalmek, flesh bleached by lime, dragging building materials to the city.
12. Shrine to a forgotten genius loci.
13. Shrine to the dusk spirits.
14. Pickpocket.
15. 2d4 acolytes of Sekyalmek, flesh bleached by lime, dragging empty sleds away from  the city.
16. 2d6 reptilian humanoids carrying an enclosed litter. They wield metallic scythes.
17. Pickpocket.
18. 2d4 builder-priests of Kaab, secretly serving the Dusk gate God.
19. 2d4 protectors, searching for a fugitive.
20. Roll twice more and link the encounters together.

Encounters by the Dusk Gate, night

1. Black robed priest of Faharra, on a murder-mission.
2. Robber or footpad stalking the party.
3. Pack of 1d12 hungry dogs, looking for new friends.
4. Sorcerer from far-off land accompanied by 2d4 intelligent mandrill servants.
5. 2d6 slavers taking 4d8 convicts away from the city to a life of servitude in faraway provinces.
6. 2d4 protectors, searching for a fugitive.
7. 1d3 leopards, looking for weak prey.
8. Fox-spirit, looking for friends.
9. Ugly shrine to a spirit of beyond, not visible by day.
10. 2d4 moon-spirit cultists, looking for answers beyond the city.
11. Pickpocket.
12. Robber or footpad stalking the party.
13. 2d6 reptilian humanoids on a secret mission. They wield metallic scythes.
14. 2d4 builder-priests of Kaab, secretly serving the Dusk gate God.
15. 2d4 protectors, searching for a fugitive.
16. Sorcerer accompanied by 1d4 nameless ones.
17. 2d4 Blood-Drinkers.
18. The "god" Gehelem, disguised as (1d6) 1. small child 2-4. old woman 5-6. hungry dog.
19. Weird intelligent insect-spirit from the Dusk realm.
20. Roll twice more and link the encounters together.

* * *

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