TEXT: 8
  D
  eep in the burning deserts of 
  southern Kush lies the lost 
  city of Xuthal.  No chronicle 
  of the modern Hyborian Age 
  makes mention of it and the madness that grips 
  its people makes them largely unaware of 
  everything beyond the city walls.  For though 
  Xuthal is still occupied by the descendants of a 
  once mighty race, the people have fallen into the 
  dream deliriums of the black lotus blossom and 
  even they have little perception of this forgotten 
  city in the nameless desert.
  Like several other near-mythical ruins of the 
  Hyborian Age, Xuthal is constructed of titanic 
  blocks of green stone that shimmer like glass 
  in the hot sun.  However, unlike every other 
  such site, Xuthal still stands and is occupied 
  by descendants of the ancients who must have 
  raised these fantastic structures.  Many scholars 
  speculate that such monumental constructions 
  could only have been reared by the Lemurians, 
  a legendary people said to be so far advanced as 
  to make Hyborians seem apes in comparison.  
  Certainly the advanced technologies the current 
  Xuthalans use lends credence to this claim.  
  Unfortunately, though the Xuthalans use the 
  remnants of these technologies, they hardly 
  understand the science that underlies them and 
  they have little or no knowledge of the people 
  whose legacy they exploit.  The typical Xuthalan 
  W. Jason Peck
  W. Jason Peck
  Journey to the Dark Corners of the Hyborean World in 
  Journey to the Dark Corners of the Hyborean World in 
  Conan the Roleplaying Game
  Conan the Roleplaying Game
  
  9
  knows only enough to make these advanced 
  technologies work, which is enough to keep 
  the people of Xuthal fed and living in the lap 
  of luxury.  All their remaining scientiﬁ c efforts 
  were turned generations ago to the study of 
  the mysteries of black lotus.  Their diligence 
  in these studies was perhaps too successful, as 
  today they are botanical masters – capable of 
  handling the black lotus plant without harm and 
  distilling an assortment of potent drugs from 
  it.  Sadly, most of their time is now spent in the 
  death-like sleep these drugs induce, dreaming 
  of the mystical mysteries of the cosmos and 
  remaining unaware that their culture continues to 
  march its way towards extinction.
  Using Xuthal in 
  Using Xuthal in 
  Your Game
  Your Game
  Perhaps the most awe-inspiring and wondrous 
  elements of the classic Conan stories are the 
  numerous ruins of bygone eras that he visits 
  during his adventures.  In an era so long-
  removed from our own that it is nothing short of 
  mythical, the monuments to ancient civilisations 
  that Conan explores during the Hyborian Age 
  recall antiquities so old that they seem to predate 
  mankind altogether.  If not man, then what 
  alien hands reared these strange stones?  It is a 
  mystery that is never fully explained in Robert 
  E. Howard’s Conan tales and one that resonates 
  through our own modern psyches in the same 
  way any mention of Atlantis does.  There is a 
  pull to ancient things, a draw that calls to us all.  
  However, as Conan often learned, some such 
  sites are best left shrouded in the cloaking mists 
  of history.
  This article explores one of the most infamous 
  ruins Conan visits during his adventures – the 
  lost city of Xuthal.  The ruin is placed in context 
  within the Hyborian Age and then detailed in 
  
  1010
  a number of ways – including its position on 
  the continent, the environs in which it is set, its 
  known history, any and all its current denizens, 
  the treasures to be found there and much more.  
  Of course, not everything is predetermined 
  concerning this mysterious place and plenty of 
  room is left to allow individual Games Masters 
  to stamp their own brand of play upon them.
  So what are you waiting for?  Take a ﬁ rm grip 
  on your sword pommel and whisper a quick 
  prayer to Mitra, because now we delve deep into 
  the mysteries of the black eons…
  Myths and Legends
  Myths and Legends
  There are no speciﬁ c myths that make mention 
  of Xuthal and its strange people circulated 
  beyond its walls.  The only legends that would 
  apply are those concerning all the known ruins 
  of green-stoned cities found throughout the 
  continent and even these are meagre in content 
  at best.  Most scholars speculate that these were 
  all built by the same forgotten race, or at least 
  related races that sprang from the same original 
  source.  Some even go so far as to name this race 
  as the near-mythical Lemurians, though this is 
  far from the accepted theory.  The only other 
  ‘fact’ associated with these unknown builders 
  is that they must have been far more advanced 
  than the peoples of the current era.  The cities 
  are too vast in scale, too precisely laid out and 
  too alien in construction to have been made 
  by anything less than a superior civilisation.  
  Even more telling are the locations of these 
  ruins, all situated deep inside a wilderness too 
  far removed from natural resources to have 
  supported even a small populace by any means 
  known to the peoples of the Hyborian Age.
  In the event that a Games Master’s campaign is 
  set in a time after Conan’s visit to Xuthal, then 
  any number of other rumours concerning the city 
  may have leaked to the world at large via Conan 
  or Natala.  Whether such is the case or not, 
  and what the nature of these rumours might be 
  exactly, is left to the Games Master to determine.
  Region and 
  Region and 
  Environment
  Environment
  Xuthal sits astride an oasis in the deep deserts 
  of southern Kush.  Surrounded on all sides by 
  a desolate and unforgiving countryside, the city 
  appears long abandoned.  Nothing moves in 
  this wasteland and the outlying land lies totally 
  untouched by the hands of man.  So brutal is 
  the afternoon sun in this region, often climbing 
  beyond 110 degrees, the city’s gleaming walls 
  and shining spires are easy to mistake as a 
  mirage.  Yet Xuthal is no trick of the sun and 
  cool apartments and ﬁ ne foodstuffs can be found 
  within.
  A day’s march to the south lies a smaller oasis 
  and beyond that begins the broad grasslands that 
  cover much of the southern regions of the Black 
  Kingdoms.  No road leads to this oasis from 
  the city.  Indeed, no road of any kind makes 
  its way from Xuthal.  The city is self-serving 
  and isolated, completely out of touch with the 
  outside world.
  Flora
  The region in which Xuthal stands is completely 
  devoid of vegetation.  Not even the rugged 
  shrubs and prickly cacti that cling to life 
  elsewhere in these southern deserts can be found 
  within ten miles of the city’s glassy walls.  So 
  extreme is this desolation that it seems to defy 
  the very natural order of things, and so it does.  
  Any character exposed to this environment 
  for more than two hours and who makes a 
  successful Knowledge (nature) or Survival 
  check (DC 15) can determine that something 
  about this landscape is terribly out of joint.  The 
  land is too arid for any desert and the whole 
  situation reeks of the supernatural.  In fact, 
  though there is no way for Player Characters 
  to know it, the entire landscape for a distance 
  of ten miles in all directions from Xuthal has 
  been modiﬁ ed by the advanced technologies 
  of the ancients who once built it.  All moisture 
  in this prepared region is systematically drawn 
  away via a series of underground aqueducts to 
  be stored in vast cisterns beneath the city.  This 
  process augments the oasis waters already found 
  there and ensures there is always plenty to keep 
  the complex machinery housed beneath the city 
  in working order.
  Inside Xuthal itself, the only plant-life grown 
  is that of the black lotus plant.  These sinister 
  plants are grown in a series of interconnected 
  pits deep beneath the city in such quantity that it 
  easily doubles what could be found in the entire 
  wilds of Kush.  Were it not for the advanced 
  technologies used to cultivate and contain 
  the black lotus, the whole city would quickly 
  become saturated in their dream-causing pollens, 
  rendering it inhospitable to human life.
  Since there is no vegetation within ten miles of 
  Xuthal, it follows that there is no animal life 
  A weird, unreal atmosphere hung over 
  all.  Traversing this dim, silent palace 
  was like an opium dream.  Some of the 
  chambers were unlighted, and these 
  they avoided.  Others were bathed 
  in a soft, weird light that seemed to 
  emanate from jewels set in the walls in 
  fantastic design.
  Robert E. Howard, The Slithering 
  Shadow
  
  1111
  either.  The food chain in this desolate landscape 
  is utterly broken and so nothing can survive 
  here.  The exception to this rule is found only 
  within the walls of Xuthal itself, where a few 
  scant species of creatures do eek a meagre 
  existence.  These creatures are for the most 
  part simple pests, such as rats, insects and the 
  spiders that feed on them.  There is one creature 
  present though, that is integral to Xuthal’s very 
  existence, a strange blue-winged species of 
  wasp.  These angry little creatures infest the 
  same pits as the black lotus plants, ensuring they 
  remain pollinated and healthy as they are meant 
  to do.  These strange insects are found nowhere 
  else in all Kush or the northern Hyborian 
  continent and were likely brought with the 
  ancients themselves when they arrived here.
  History
  History
  Xuthal’s history is long forgotten, lost even to 
  the people who dwell there now.  What little 
  there is to tell must be surmised by a keen 
  observer and is at best speculation.  According 
  to Thalis the Stygian, the ancestors of the 
  people who dwell in Xuthal now once hailed 
  from an unknown land in the east.  During their 
  wanderings they discovered this oasis in the 
  desert and reared the great green-stoned city of 
  Xuthal over it.  What happened afterward and 
  what caused them to devolve into the decadent 
  people who dwell in the city now is uncertain.
  For more information regarding Xuthal’s history, 
  see the ‘Xuthalan’ entry in the ‘Denizens’ 
  section below.
  Features of 
  Features of 
  Xuthal
  Xuthal
  Xuthal is a huge single-structure city fashioned 
  from green stone that shines like glass.  Its 
  mighty walls are 30 feet tall and in places topped 
  with spired towers that rise as high as 20 feet 
  more.  Consisting of hundreds of interconnected 
  palaces and courtyards spread over multiple 
  levels, the city is a vast sprawl.
  The city contains a number of speciﬁ c features 
  of interest and these are detailed below.
  City Overview
  City Overview
  Xuthal (city with village level population):  
  conventional (king); 5,000 sp limit; Assets 
  2,000,000 sp; Population 808; Isolated (99% 
  Xuthalan, 1% Stygian and demonic entity – one 
  of each).
  Authority Figures:  King (name unknown), 8th 
  level Xuthalan male noble; Thog the Ancient, 
  a demon lord who dwells below the city and is 
  worshipped by the Xuthalans (see the ‘Denizens’ 
  section below for details).
   
  Important Characters:  Thalis the Stygian, 
  displaced 5th level Stygian female noble 
  who seems to be the only person in the city 
  not addicted to black lotus blossom (see the 
  ‘Denizens’ section below for details).
  Others: City guards, 2nd level Noble (x100); 
  guard captains, 3rd level Noble (x3); the people, 
  7th level Noble (x1), 5th level Noble (x2), 4th level 
  Noble (x3), 3rd level Noble (x15), 1st level Noble 
  (x681).
   
  Notes:  Xuthal is one huge sprawling palace, 
  with seemingly endless interconnected chambers 
  
  1212
  and courtyards.  Because of this vast space, the 
  sparse population is often few and far between, 
  giving the place the semblance of an eerie 
  ghost town.  Despite this, the city is obviously 
  lived in and has none of the deterioration and 
  dilapidation found in other green-stoned cities.  
  It is not uncommon for visitors to encounter 
  chamber after chamber lit by switched-on 
  radium gems (see the ‘Treasures’ section 
  below for details), well-cleaned ﬂ agstones and 
  furnishings or even with fully prepared meals 
  laid out on tabletops.  The Xuthalan people can 
  sometimes be found wandering alone through 
  these labyrinthine suites, but are more often 
  encountered congregated together feasting, 
  slumbering or enjoying entertainments.
  Technological 
  Technological 
  Advances of Xuthal
  Advances of Xuthal
  Xuthal is a wonder of the Hyborian Age, despite 
  being populated by degenerates half-maddened 
  by lotus dreams.  Like most greenstone cities, 
  Xuthal is constructed in a harsh and inhospitable 
  corner of the world where no civilised dwelling 
  has any business being.  It has none of the 
  fundamental trappings of civilisation as most 
  men know them, lacking cultivated ﬁ elds, 
  sources of trade or any other apparent means of 
  sustaining itself or a populace.  Yet here it is.  In 
  addition, the basic necessities of life within a 
  city, such as food, water and plumbing are all 
  present and in perfect order, despite the fact that 
  no one among the people ever seems to perform 
  any real work.
  How are such things possible?  The answer 
  lies in the amazing advanced technologies that 
  the ancient ancestors of the Xuthalans built 
  into the city itself.  All the basics of life and 
  more are maintained via vast complexes of 
  machinery buried deep below the city.  These 
  machines process and purify water, circulate 
  and clean the air supply and create foodstuffs, 
  clothing, common household supplies and even 
  precious metals from the very elements.  Most 
  of these things are performed via some kind 
  of automation that occurs without any input 
  from the populace, while some (such as the 
  manufacture of food and other goods) require 
  the Xuthalans to operate a series of alien-
  looking devices housed in rune-covered and 
  ornate chambers found below the city.  Though 
  these devices require a certain understanding to 
  employ, they are easy to use and take little time.  
  Why these advanced machines still function 
  here and not in other greenstones cities (where 
  they surely must have also once maintained 
  civilisation) is unknown.
  In addition to these unseen machines that keep 
  everything in Xuthal functioning, there are a 
  few other examples of advanced technology 
  present in its halls.  The most obvious of these 
  and the only one portable are the radium gems 
  mounted along the walls of every chamber and 
  corridor.  With but a rub of the thumb, these 
  jewels are capable of casting a soft weird light 
  roughly equivalent to that of a torch.  A rub the 
  other direction turns them off.  Though these 
  seemingly magical jewels are mounted almost 
  everywhere in the city, they can be pried loose 
  from their mounts and carried as portable 
  light sources.  Prying a radium gem from its 
  mount requires a pointed tool, such as a knife, 
  and a successful Dexterity check (DC 12).  If 
  this check fails by more than ﬁ ve, the gem is 
  damaged and loses its power.  For more details 
  concerning radium gems see The Scrolls of 
  Skelos, Sorcerous Items, Radium Gem.
  Gate and Inner 
  Gate and Inner 
  Courtyard
  Courtyard
  Xuthal has but a single wooden gate, 12 feet 
  tall and eight feet wide.  It stands closed, but is 
  not barred.  Beyond the gate is a broad expanse 
  of paved courtyard bordered on every side by 
  arched doorways that lead into multi-storied 
  ediﬁ ces built of the same greenish stone as the 
  outer walls.  At the centre of the court stands 
  the low curb of a square well, the soft gurgling 
  of moving water drifting from its depths.  
  Strangely, there seems to be no bucket or any 
  other means of drawing up the water, which is 
  some 50 feet below.
  It is tradition that one member of the city guard 
  stand watch over the gate at all times (2nd level 
  Xuthalan male noble), though the city has 
  rarely even been visited by outsiders, much less 
  threatened by enemies.  Unsurprisingly, the post 
  is dull in the extreme.  Coupled with the limited 
  concentration of the Xuthalans, this means that 
  the guard here is more often slumped in the 
  death-like sleep of the black lotus, if he is even 
  present at all, than actually alert and tending to 
  his duties.  If such a guard is somehow present 
  and conscious to confront intruders when they 
  enter via the front gate, he is as likely to ﬂ ee 
  screaming into the chambers of the city as he is 
  ‘They manufacture their own food 
  out of the primal elements.  They are 
  wonderful scientists, when they are 
  not drugged with their dream-ﬂ ower.  
  Their ancestors were mental giants, 
  who built this marvelous city in the 
  desert, and though the race became 
  slaves to their curious passions, some 
  of their wonderful knowledge still 
  remains.’
  Robert E. Howard, The Slithering 
  Shadow
  
  1313
  to attack them (50% chance for either reaction).  
  The guard is armed only with an iron short 
  sword.
  Wooden Gate:  4 in. thick; Hardness 5; hp 40; 
  Break DC 25; Open automatic.  Though closed, 
  the gate is unfastened.  Indeed, through there are 
  iron loops for barring the gate, the bar itself is 
  missing.
  Palace Chambers
  Palace Chambers
  The chambers beyond the archways that border 
  the entrance courtyard are all richly appointed 
  with a vast array of ﬁ ne tapestries, ﬂ oor 
  coverings and furnishings.  So rich are these 
  decorations that they represent a fortune to 
  most peoples of the world (see the ‘Treasures’ 
  section below for more details).  Most chambers 
  stand empty, though they often show signs 
  of recent occupation, such as prepared food 
  and drink set out, rufﬂ ed bed sheets or simply 
  slight impressions upon divans where someone 
  recently rested.  Curiously, almost no chamber 
  in the palace is actually furnished with a door, 
  instead being linked to other apartments only by 
  an unfettered archway.  The major exception to 
  this are the secret corridors and chambers that 
  run throughout the city (see below), which are 
  always hidden by secret doors.
   
  The palaces of Xuthal are made up of literally 
  hundreds of interconnected chambers spread 
  across ﬁ ve separate levels, three above ground 
  and two below.  Each is capable of being 
  illuminated by at least one radium gem set into 
  a wall mount, though many are switched off at 
  any given time.  There seems to be no rhyme 
  or reason as to whether such a light source is 
  currently lit when ﬁ rst encountered and many 
  illuminated chambers stand completely empty.  
  The Xuthalan population tends to congregate 
  together to perform given activities such as 
  feasting, playing or slumbering the sleep of 
  the black lotus, so they are mostly 
  encountered as a large group in a 
  series of adjacent chambers.  There 
  are always stragglers of course, so it is 
  not impossible to encounter wandering 
  individuals in the seemingly abandoned 
  chambers of the rest of the city.
  Secret 
  Secret 
  Corridors and 
  Corridors and 
  Chambers
  Chambers
  Xuthal is riddled with a complex 
  network of secret passages and 
  antechambers that connect every 
  corner of the city.  In contrast to the 
  richness of the palace chambers, these 
  hidden ways are starkly utilitarian.  
  Originally constructed to serve as 
  utility access ways between the various 
  sections of the city, the complex fell 
  into general disuse as the populace 
  turned completely towards their rank 
  preoccupations.  Often dank and musty, 
  these passages obviously see little use.
  In fact, the secret corridors and back 
  ways of Xuthal are feared and shunned by 
  most Xuthalans, who are acutely aware that 
  they are prowled by Thog when it decides to 
  leave its sunken dome to look for sacriﬁ ces.  
  Nevertheless, a few of the more bold inhabitants 
  of the city do occasionally make use of them, 
  mostly as short cuts between speciﬁ c limited 
  areas of the city.  The only exception to this is 
  Thalis the Stygian, whose fearless and brazen 
  attitude has prompted her to explore every nook 
  and cranny of this secret network.  Believing 
  Thog takes what it wants, when it wants and that 
  there is nothing to be done about it, Thalis has 
  embraced the secret side of Xuthal.  This secret 
  knowledge and ability to do what others will not 
  only adds to her feelings of superiority towards 
  the Xuthalans, who she sees as cowed and weak.  
  She has even set up an ante-chamber within the 
  secret halls with various torture devices and 
  accoutrements so that she may explore some of 
  the more debase pleasures taught to her by the 
  priests of Derketo in Luxur with a chosen few 
  that strike her fancy.
  The secret corridors can be accessed by using 
  any number of secret portals hidden throughout 
  the chambers of Xuthal’s palaces.  These are 
  typically further disguised with wall tapestries 
  (Search check at DC 25 to locate; DC 20 from 
  the secret corridor side or if tapestry is pulled 
  aside).  Such secret doors open by simply 
  pushing upon them, though they can be bolted 
  closed from inside the secret passage.
  
  1414
  Secret Door:  3 inch thick marble, 6-foot high 
  and 5-foot wide; Hardness 8; hp 45; Open 
  automatic (requires only a shove); Break DC 26 
  (32 if the bolt is in place); door opens into secret 
  corridors.  These secret doors have no handles 
  and are instead operated by simply pushing on 
  them (they revolve around a centre pivot).  An 
  iron bolt can be thrown in place to seal these 
  doors, though they rarely are.  This bolt is easily 
  slipped from the inside, but must be broken to 
  defeat from the outside.
  Lotus Pits
  Lotus Pits
  In the deepest reaches of Xuthal’s 
  lowest subterranean level lies a series 
  of interconnected vaults.  The air of 
  these dark chambers hangs heavily 
  with cloying scents and pungent 
  spores, for here are housed the rows 
  of wide-brimmed pits from which 
  the Xuthalans harvest the black lotus 
  plant, gathering the raw extracts 
  needed to concoct their dream-
  haunted sleeping drugs.  These vaults 
  are always tended by a score or more 
  Xuthalans, all of whom seem more 
  clear of purpose and alert than any 
  encountered elsewhere in the city.  It 
  is unclear what exactly protects them 
  from the insidious dangers of the 
  numerous black lotuses present here.
  Each of the pits housed in these 
  vaults contains 3-7 black lotus 
  plants (see Conan the Scrolls of 
  Skelos, Creatures, Black Lotus for details on 
  these horriﬁ c plants).  Seemingly oblivious to 
  the tending Xuthalans, swarms of blue-winged 
  wasps also ﬂ it from pit to pit and the multi-
  domed hives that cluster among the crawling 
  vines (see the ‘Denizens’ section below for 
  details on these insects).
  Thog�s Sunken Dome
  Thog�s Sunken Dome
  At the centre of Xuthal lies a large paved 
  courtyard similar to that which stands inside 
  the front gate.  Rather than a well, however, 
  the centre of this courtyard is occupied by a 
  large dome of gleaming alabaster recessed 
  directly into the stones.  This dome is worked 
  with intricate patterns of arcane symbols and 
  spiralling whirls, all sheathed in lapis lazuli 
  and purple gemstones.  It measures some 25 
  feet across and rises to a height of 12 feet at 
  its highest point.  No apparent entrance points 
  pierce this dome.
  This is the lair of Thog the Ancient (see the 
  ‘Denizens’ section below), dread deity of the 
  people of Xuthal.  The demon lord spends most 
  of its time in the vast, dark chamber that lies far 
  below the dome, suspended in the black waters 
  of its fetid pool.  Here it lies brooding over the 
  mysteries of the cosmos, stealing forth only 
  occasionally to feast upon the people of Xuthal.  
  Thog typically uses the secret trap that opens 
  on the north side of its dome to leave its lair, 
  though it sometimes chooses to crawl through 
  the network of underwater channels that lead 
  from its pool to pits within the antechambers 
  of Xuthal’s secret network (see the ‘Secret 
  Corridors and Chambers’ section above).
  No guards ever stand watch here and it is 
  exceedingly rare to ever encounter a Xuthalan in 
  the vicinity of this dome.
  Secret Trap:  8 inch thick 
  alabaster, circular trapdoor 7-foot 
  across; Hardness 8; hp 80; Open 
  DC 20 from within (35 from 
  outside, as there are no handholds 
  and it must be pried open); Break 
  DC 38; trap swivels open to reveal 
  a series of iron bars mounted on 
  the inside of the dome and that 
  drop away into the darkness below.  
  This secret trap has no handholds 
  and must be opened via sheer force 
  alone.
  Denizens
  Denizens
  Unlike most other ancient cities 
  built of green stone scattered 
  across the continent, Xuthal is 
  still occupied by people.  The 
  Xuthalans who dwell here now 
  are pale reﬂ ections of the great people their 
  ancestors once were.  While the ancients who 
  founded Xuthal were mental giants capable 
  of feats so awesome as to seem divine in 
  nature, the people who haunt its halls now are 
  unfocused and decadent drug addicts.  With 
  access to wondrous knowledge and science and 
  
  1515
  unburdened by the labours most of humanity 
  requires to survive, they are nevertheless 
  incapable of saving themselves from the horror 
  that shares the city with them – Thog the 
  Ancient.  See below for more details on this new 
  Non Player Character race.
  In addition to the Xuthalans, there are two 
  others that dwell in the green-stoned halls of 
  the forgotten city.  The ﬁ rst is the monstrous 
  demon lord Thog the Ancient whom the 
  Xuthalans pay homage to in the vain hope that 
  it will spare them.  Thog is detailed completely 
  latter in this section.  The second non-Xuthalan 
  occupant of Xuthal is a haughty and perverse 
  Stygian noblewoman called Thalis the Stygian.  
  Well versed in the wanton rites of the pleasure 
  temples of Derketo in Luxur, Thalis revels in 
  the power that her unique talents afford her 
  among the men of Xuthal.  For many, Thalis 
  is the only real thing enticing enough to make 
  them choose to forego the dreams of the black 
  lotus, if even for only a while.  Still, she hungers 
  for a powerful man to share her pleasures with, 
  someone strong, primal and less dream addled 
  than those she dwells among now.
  The daughter of a king of Luxur, Thalis was 
  kidnapped by a rebel prince while she was but 
  a young girl.  At the head of an army of Kushite 
  bowmen, the prince pushed southward into 
  the wilds of Kush seeking a land of his own, 
  dragging Thalis along as a trophy.  Like so many 
  before who dared invade the wild lands to the 
  south, the prince and his army perished in the 
  merciless deserts.  Before the last man of them 
  died, he put Thalis on a camel and set her on her 
  way.  She wandered in delirium until lapsing 
  into unconsciousness.  When she awoke, she 
  found herself in Xuthal where she spent the 
  next decade serving as the sexual plaything of 
  the men of Xuthal.  It is only her experiences 
  in the pleasure temples of Derketo that allowed 
  her to endure her time in Xuthal, latter to turn 
  the tables upon her captors using her wanton 
  talents as a means of advancing her station.  For 
  more details concerning Thalis and her complete 
  statistics, see The Road of Kings sourcebook, 
  Notables of the Hyborian Age, Thalis the 
  Stygian.
  Xuthalan �Non-Player 
  Xuthalan �Non-Player 
  Character Race�
  Character Race�
  The Xuthalans are a dying race of decadent 
  people who live in the lost city of Xuthal.  They 
  are few in number, but they do not seem to 
  notice or care.  Indeed, little beyond their desire 
  to experience the dreams of the black lotus and 
  indulge in every pleasure of the ﬂ esh penetrates 
  their drug-addicted minds.  Maddened by 
  overuse of these potent drugs, they spend most 
  of their waking moments behaving irrational and 
  confused.  They seem to have lost all sense of 
  place within a society and instead live only to 
  indulge their own whims and desires – and what 
  they desire the most is to dream the vivid dreams 
  of the black lotus.  More than half their lives 
  are spent in the death-like sleep needed to bring 
  these dreams.
  The Xuthalans are all that remains of a once 
  proud race that migrated here from the east, 
  though why they did so is lost to antiquity.  
  These people were advanced beyond the 
  imaginings of even the most civilised peoples of 
  the Hyborian Age and it was through the use of 
  their grand technologies that they raised Xuthal 
  amid such a desolate land.  These technologies 
  also fed the populace, improved the station of 
  all inhabitants and allowed them to pursue the 
  noble pursuits of science and study.  Yet, despite 
  all their advancements, the ancestors of the 
  Xuthalans were ultimately just men – with all 
  the weaknesses and susceptibilities than come 
  with mortality.  Their cultural undoing came in 
  the form of such a tiny, unassuming thing – a 
  black blossom that grew in the jungles south of 
  the city.  This blossom comes from a sinister, 
  partially sentient plant known as the black lotus.
  The Xuthalans were intrigued by this unique and 
  deadly plant and turned their powerful intellects 
  towards study of its mysteries.  In time, they 
  learned that they could distil its potent poisons 
  to manufacture a number of powerful drugs.  
  Though a few of these were quite beneﬁ cial, 
  such as a golden wine that provided astounding 
  healing power and prolonged life which they 
  manufactured from a sub-species of lotus plant 
  genetically extracted from the black lotus, 
  most were highly addictive.  Unfortunately for 
  Xuthalan culture, the vivid dreams caused by the 
  most popular of these drugs were extraordinarily 
  pleasurable as well.  Easily produced via their 
  advanced understanding of herbalism, most of 
  the people became addicted almost immediately.  
  It was a rapid fall from there.
  Xuthalans are unquestionably of eastern blood, 
  with soft yellow skin and slight slants to their 
  eyes.  Despite this, the rest of their features seem 
  more Hyborian than eastern.  Most have black 
  hair and dark brown eyes.  Though they show 
  no sign of it, every Xuthalan left in the city is 
  literally thousands of years old.  Since the entire 
  race is sterile, were it not for the life-prolonging 
  qualities of their golden lotus wine, they would 
  have died out long ago.  All Xuthalans wear 
  purple robes of high quality, often decorated 
  with bright jewels sewn into the hems.  Many 
  also wear copious amounts of gold and silver 
  jewellery encrusted with glittering gemstones of 
  every hue.
  Culture:  Completely absorbed by their need 
  
  1616
  to experience the dreams of the black lotus, the 
  remaining Xuthalans in the city are oblivious 
  to their impending doom as a people.  They 
  dread for their own lives and have a vague 
  understanding of their population’s decline at 
  the tendrils of Thog, but they are not cognizant 
  of the fact that this ultimately will result in their 
  extinction as a race.  Fatalistic, the few that 
  bother to ponder the situation feel that there is 
  nothing they can do about it at any rate.  Instead 
  of taking any real action, they have chosen 
  to deify the demon in the hopes that they can 
  assuage its terrible hunger through offerings 
  and prayer.  Deep down they realise this is to no 
  avail and so they seek solace in the dreams of 
  the black lotus.
  Names:  The Slithering Shadow mentions no 
  names of actual Xuthalans, as few indeed are 
  even willing to speak with Conan during his 
  visit.  The only meaningful exception is Thalis 
  the Stygian, and she of course is Stygian.  
  However, based upon their racial features, 
  Xuthalans are likely descended from the same 
  bloodlines as the Khitans and so may have 
  names similar to those of that culture (see 
  Conan The Roleplaying Game, Characters, 
  Khitan).  Then again, if ‘Thog’ is an example of 
  a Xuthalan name, perhaps their names are more 
  simplistic than the typical Khitan name.
  Religion:  The people of Xuthal worship Thog 
  the Ancient (see below), a demonic entity that 
  has always dwelt at the oasis of Xuthal.  None 
  remembers whether this creature was here 
  when their ancestors ﬁ rst came from the east to 
  found the city, or whether they brought it with 
  them from that strange land.  It hardly matters 
  either way, as the dread god dwells here now 
  and sometimes slinks among them searching for 
  sacriﬁ ces.  In fact, the Xuthalans more fear this 
  monster than revere it.  For the most part, their 
  worship is manifested little beyond a hastily 
  murmured prayer that Thog feast on someone 
  else while the speaker slumbers.  Thog itself 
  seems indifferent to this reverence.  It moves 
  about the city seemingly at random, and if it 
  heeds the prayers of its followers at all, there is 
  no sign of it.
  a +2 racial bonus to all Craft (alchemy), 
  Craft (herbalism) and Knowledge (arcana) 
  checks.  Xuthalans are the inheritors of a 
  grand and wondrous science that is beyond 
  the ken of any other civilisation of the 
  Hyborian Age.  Though the Xuthalans 
  remember little of how this advanced 
  technology works, such knowledge 
  nevertheless makes them the greatest 
  scientists of the age.
  a +1 racial bonus to all Fortitude saving 
  throws against poisons, except black lotus 
  blossom (which they always fail) and black 
  lotus juice (which they receive a +4 bonus 
  against).  Xuthalans constantly drink, 
  inhale or otherwise expose themselves to 
  various dream-inducing narcotics distilled 
  from the black lotus plant.  So prevalent 
  is this behaviour in their culture that they 
  are slumped in death-like slumber, lost to 
  such dreams, at least as often as they are 
  conscious.  Continuous exposure to these 
  potent drugs has permanently altered their 
  body chemistry, making them resistant 
  to most poisons, neigh immune to those 
  distilled from the black lotus plant itself and 
  yet so susceptible to the dreaming qualities 
  of black lotus blossom as to require only the 
  tracest amounts to induce the desired effect.
  a Addled.  Xuthalans receive a -2 racial 
  penalty to all Concentration, Listen, Sense 
  Motive and Spot checks.  So steeped in the 
  use of their lotus dream-inducing drugs are 
  the Xuthalans, that they have extremely 
  short attention spans.  Reality itself is less 
  real to them than their dreams and they 
  ﬁ nd it difﬁ cult to concentrate on anything 
  beyond their next drug session.
  a Lotus Fiends.  Xuthalans are completely 
  dependant upon the dreaming-drugs 
  they distil from the black lotus plant.  So 
  powerful is this addiction that few among 
  them can go for more than eight hours 
  straight without its use.  They will do 
  literally anything to attain and use the drug 
  and no terror is great enough to make them 
  leave their decadent lifestyle.  In no way 
  is this more apparent than for the fact that 
  they refuse to abandon Xuthal, despite 
  being preyed upon by a demonic god whom 
  they dread above all else.  In fact, it is 
  obvious to any outsiders who speak with 
  any of them for even a short time, that the 
  overindulgence in the lotus dreaming-drug 
  has caused most Xuthalans to suffer from 
  madness (treat as if afﬂ icted with one of the 
  ‘Major Insanities’ described in Conan The 
  Roleplaying Game).
  Background Skills:  Craft (alchemy), Craft 
  (herbalism), Knowledge (arcana) and Perform 
  (ritual).
  Favoured Class:  Noble.
  Prohibited Classes:  Barbarian, Borderer, 
  Nomad and Pirate.
  Automatic Languages:  Xuthalan.
  Bonus Languages:  Stygian.
  
  1717
  Large Outsider (demon)
  Hit Dice:  20d8+120 (210 hp)
  Initiative:  +14 (+2 Dex, +12 Reﬂ ex save)
  Speed:  30 ft. (6 squares)
  Defense Dodge:  26 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +15 
  natural)
  Damage Reduction:  8 (demon lord)
  Base Attack/Grapple:  +20/+29
  Attack:  Tentacle slam +24 melee (1d8+5, AP 5)
  Full Attack:  2 tentacle slams +24 melee 
  (1d8+5, AP 5) and 2 talons +19 melee (1d8+2, 
  AP 5) and bite +19 melee (2d6+2, AP 8) and 
  spined tail lash +19 melee (1d6+2 plus poison, 
  AP 5)
  Space/Reach:  10 ft./10 ft.
  Special Attacks:  Crushing constriction (2d6+7, 
  AP 10), demonic venom, improved grab, spells
  Special Qualities:  Darkvision 60 ft., low-light 
  vision, imperceptibility, witchﬁ re transformation
  Power Points: 54 (base 50, +4 Wis)
  Magical Attack Bonus:  +14 (+10 natural, +4 
  Charisma)
  Saves:  Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +16
  Abilities: Str 21, Dex 14, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 
  18, Cha 19
  Skills:  Climb +28, Concentration +29, Hide 
  +23, Intimidate +27, Listen +29, Move Silently 
  +27, Spot +29, Survival +27, Swim +28
  Feats:  Alertness, Crushing Grip, Great 
  Fortitude, Menacing Aura, Stealthy, Steely Gaze, 
  Track
  Environment:  The lost city of Xuthal, deep in 
  the deserts of southern Kush
  Organisation:  Solitary
  Advancement:  -
  Thog the Ancient is the demonic god in ﬂ esh 
  that stalks the ancient halls of the lost city of 
  Xuthal.  It comes and goes as it pleases, preying 
  upon the fading populace of the once great 
  city.  Though the people of Xuthal worship this 
  wicked beast, they fear it more.  The thought of 
  Thog stealing through Xuthal’s secret ways in 
  search of sacriﬁ ces is one of the few things that 
  can shake off the stupor-like lotus haze that most 
  Xuthalans seem to be perpetually experiencing.  
  Despite this, the lotus dream-drugs prove to be 
  stronger even than primal terror, as the people of 
  Xuthal appear incapable of leaving the accursed 
  city.
  Thog is a monstrous creature of shadow and 
  mutability.  Though obviously large and bulky, 
  it appears indistinct and obscure, even when 
  looked upon directly with a good light source.  
  It is almost as if Thog is impervious to light, 
  appearing only as a blot of black shadow that 
  glides rapidly over the ground.  The only detail 
  that stands out with any clarity at all from its 
  cloak of ﬂ itting shadows is a huge, misshapen 
  head with a bloated toad-like face.  Great 
  pools of murky light stare from this face, each 
  reﬂ ecting a cosmic lust alien to mankind.
  Combat
  Combat
  Despite the indistinct nature of Thog’s 
  appearance, within its cloaking shadows its body 
  is armed with a plethora of bestial weapons.  
  Talons, fangs, needle-like spines and ropey 
  tendrils of writhing ﬂ esh all assail opponents 
  who dare resist its terrible hunger.  Given the 
  sheer number of these lethal appendages Thog 
  can bring to bear, it is perhaps for the best that 
  its true form is obscured – for surely the mere 
  sight of such an alien monstrosity would be 
  enough to blast the sanity from the most resolute 
  of men.
  Crushing Constriction (Ex):  On a successful 
  grapple check, Thog deals 2d6+7 crushing 
  damage.  It may also use its Crushing Grip feat 
  to alter the speciﬁ cs of this damage.  This attack 
  requires the use of but one of its tentacles (it has 
  two) and does not prevent it from making further 
  attacks with its other modes of attack.
  Demonic Venom (Su):  The spines of Thog’s 
  lashing tail secrete an horriﬁ c venom that drives 
  victims mad, sapping their strength, wracking 
  them with excruciating pain and clouding 
  their minds.  Injected, Fortitude save (DC 25); 
  initial and secondary damage 1d2 Strength, 1d2 
  Constitution, 1d2 Wisdom and 1d2 Intelligence.
  Improved Grab (Ex):  If Thog hits with 
  a tentacle attack, it can start a grapple as a 
  free action without provoking an attack of 
  opportunity.  If it gets a hold, it can use its 
  crushing constriction.
  Spells (Sp):  Thog may cast the following spells 
  as though it were a 20th level scholar.  The usual 
  Power Point and other costs apply.
  Hypnotism:  Entrance, enslave, hypnotic 
  suggestion, mass hypnotic suggestion, swell, 
  torment
  From the black shadows came sounds, incomprehensible and blood freezing.  She 
  heard Thalis’ voice pleading frenziedly, but no voice answered.  There was no sound 
  except the Stygian’s panting voice, which suddenly rose to screams of agony, and 
  then broke in hysterical laughter, mingled with sobs.  This dwindled to a convulsive 
  panting, and presently this too ceased, and a silence more terrible hovered over the 
  secret corridor.
  Robert E. Howard, The Slithering Shadow
  
  1818
  Necromancy:  Agonising doom, death touch, 
  draw forth the heart
  Prestidigitation:  Conjuring, burst barrier
  Imperceptibility (Su):  Thog is constantly 
  surrounded by shifting shadows and its form 
  is impossible to make out clearly.  Due to this 
  condition, it is extremely difﬁ cult to land a solid 
  blow upon the demon.  Thog is always treated 
  as if it were in concealment (20% miss chance 
  against all blows aimed at it, always able 
  to make a Hide check and so forth), even 
  against creatures with darkvision or another 
  means of seeing in total darkness.
  Witchﬁ re Transformation (Su):  When 
  its hit points are reduced to 25% or less 
  (44 hp or less), Thog may choose to 
  transform itself into a large ball 
  of weird phosphorous radiance as 
  a standard action.  So bright is 
  the glow of this form, that any 
  who look upon it must make a 
  successful Reﬂ ex saving throw 
  (DC 24) or become blinded for 1d4 
  rounds.  Upon assuming this witchﬁ re 
  form, Thog is treated as incorporeal and has a ﬂ y 
  speed of 30 feet with perfect manoeuvrability.  
  Thog is incapable of interacting with the 
  physical world while in its witchﬁ re form (other 
  than to blind those who look upon it) and once 
  so transformed, must remain in this form until 
  resting in the dark waters of its domed lair for a 
  period of one day for every hit point of damage 
  it has suffered.
  Treasures
  Treasures
  Xuthal is ﬁ lled with wealth beyond the 
  imaginings of most people of the Hyborian 
  Age.  Everywhere one looks are the trappings 
  of opulence – velvet tapestries, satin cushions, 
  gold friezes, soft glowing radium gems, ﬁ ne 
  furs, golden table settings and much, much 
  more.  Even the chambers themselves are 
  decorated with the most brazen displays of 
  wealth, with golden bars over the windows, 
  gold and silver chastening worked into even the 
  simplest furnishings and bright gemstones set in 
  patterns to contrast the golden friezes.  Xuthal’s 
  people reﬂ ect this overabundance of wealth too, 
  wearing the ﬁ nest silks, gratuitous amounts of 
  gem-encrusted jewellery and smelling sweetly of 
  luxuriant perfumes.
  Aside from the staggering display of traditional 
  valuables present in Xuthal, there are treasures 
  even more rich and exotic to be had.  The easiest 
  to ﬁ nd is the near ever-present black lotus wine.  
  The Xuthalans often drink this beverage to bring 
  on a death-like sleep that carries with it the 
  most vivid and prophetic dreams.  Black lotus 
  blossom, black lotus juice, black lotus powder 
  and even golden lotus juice can all also be found 
  in large quantities in the city.  But perhaps 
  the most valuable thing found in Xuthal is the 
  golden wine of Xuthal, a wondrous draught that 
  can both heal horrible wounds and prolong life.  
  This too can be found in generous quantities 
  within the city, though it is the rarest such 
  treasure.
   
  In the Footsteps 
  In the Footsteps 
  of Conan
  of Conan
  Conan and his slave girl Natala visited Xuthal 
  during the events of The Slithering Shadow.  
  Having wandered the desert for days with little 
  food and water, the pair had come to their wits 
  end.  Just as Conan was preparing to put his 
  companion out of her misery, he sited the spires 
  of Xuthal in the distance.  The two entered the 
  forgotten city and faced its madness together.  
  They learned of its dreaming citizens and 
  
  1919
  encountered the beautiful Thalis, who tried but 
  failed to seduce Conan into staying in Xuthal.  
  In turn, Thalis attempted to murder Natala to 
  remove the slave girl as an obstacle to win 
  Conan’s affections and instead unleashed the 
  primal fury of his barbarian ancestry.  Conan 
  hacked his bloody way through scores of 
  Xuthal’s warriors before at last single-handedly 
  battling Thog and driving the demon off in order 
  to save Natala, but not before the monster had 
  carried away Thalis to some nameless doom.  
  Nearly dying from wounds sustained in that 
  epic battle, Conan was healed by a goblet of the 
  golden wine of Xuthal that Natala stole for him.  
  Refreshed, Conan led the pair in ﬂ ight from the 
  insane city.
  Unlike most of the legendary ancient ruins 
  Conan visits in Robert Howard’s stories, 
  Xuthal is not a ruin at all.  Of all the mysterious 
  green-stoned cities found in the Hyborian 
  Age, only Xuthal seems to be both occupied 
  by strange people and still in working order.  
  It is both a throwback to previous epochs 
  as well as a community steeped in the most 
  depraved decadence of Conan’s era.  Despite 
  its occupants and status as a living community, 
  Xuthal nevertheless has many of the dominant 
  elements found in the other ruins the famous 
  barbarian visits.  It is situated in a remote locale 
  far from civilisation, packed with lost treasures 
  and unexplained mysteries, cloaked in an aura 
  of untold antiquity and above all, haunted by 
  a terrible horror left over from previous age.  
  Taken together, these elements mesh to present 
  a fantastic setting whose compelling draw is the 
  very essence of Howard’s Conan tales.
     
  Xuthal is the perfect site for an adventure based 
  around the discovery of an ancient culture lost to 
  the world and it is best used in a similar manner 
  to what Howard employs in The Slithering 
  Shadow.  Due of its remote location in a desolate 
  land, it is also well-suited to use in an adventure 
  that employs the theme of Player Characters 
  being lost and/or stranded without sustenance.  
  This is exactly what drives Conan to visit 
  Xuthal and is a perfectly reasonable method of 
  drawing Player Characters into an adventure 
  set in the city.  Of course, Games Master’s need 
  not use the same plot device (last survivors of 
  a decimated army) to explain why the Player 
  Characters are lost in the deserts of southern 
  Kush, as there are plenty of reasons for them 
  to be here that may mesh more readily with the 
  events of their speciﬁ c campaign.
  No matter how Xuthal is used by the Games 
  Master, there are certain things that should be 
  considered before doing so.  Above all, Xuthal is 
  loaded with an unbelievable amount of treasure.  
  This kind of wealth can easily make the Player 
  Characters too powerful and permanently 
  unbalance a campaign.  Howard himself seems 
  acutely aware of this problem and on numerous 
  occasions created circumstances that forced 
  Conan to decide on a course of action that 
  ultimately results in the wealth slipping through 
  his ﬁ ngers.  Given this, Games Masters should 
  follow Howard’s lead and plan beforehand how 
  this situation will be handled.  Player Characters 
  should be presented with situations that bring 
  hard choices and terrible consequences.  For 
  example, in order to escape with a sack full of 
  unbelievable riches from Xuthal, perhaps one 
  Player Character must decide to pull up the rope 
  (to which the treasure is tied) with which his 
  companions were about to make their escape 
  from Thog.  If he does so, his companions will 
  surely face doom at the talons and tentacles 
  of the demon lord.  If he instead leaves it and 
  provides assistance, perhaps they can make their 
  escape after all, though the treasure is likely then 
  lost.  Whatever the circumstances ultimately 
  turn out to be, create the situation and then allow 
  the players decide what will be.  Whatever they 
  choose, the outcome should be a memorable one 
  to be sure.
  The wealth aside, there is also the matter 
  of when an adventure is to be set in Xuthal.  
  Having the Player Characters take the place 
  of Conan for an adventure that recreates the 
  events of The Slithering Shadow is completely 
  reasonable.  For Games Masters that really 
  wish to create as close a recreation as possible, 
  the slave girl Natala should be added to the 
  Player Characters’ party before they begin such 
  an adventure (her statistics can be found in 
  The Road of Kings, Notables of the Hyborian 
  Age, Natala, the Brythunian Slave Girl) under 
  whatever circumstances he sees ﬁ t.  If the 
  Games Master runs a campaign that follows the 
  Conan cannon more closely, Xuthal is still very 
  much a viable adventure site even after Conan’s 
  visit.  The Xuthalans remain unchanged, 
  though there are far less of them now due to 
  Conan’s rampage.  In this case, though Thog 
  was defeated, it is strongly suggested that it 
  had merely withdrawn to lick its wounds.  If so, 
  it will have had plenty of time to recover and 
  become a menace to the people of Xuthal again.  
  As for Thalis, she is likely slain, devoured by the 
  cosmic hunger of Thog before Conan battles the 
  demon.  However, there are disturbing hints in 
  the story that perhaps this was not her ultimate 
  fate, or at least not her only fate.  It is possible 
  that Thog had mated with her instead and should 
  the Games Master choose this scenario, there 
  may also be the loathsome offspring of this 
  union to contend with.  If so, it is suggested that 
  the Spawn of Dagoth Hill template found in the 
  Conan The Roleplaying Game rulebook be used 
  to create this new horror.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Conan RPGs/Other Sword & Sorcery/Signs & Portents/City of Xuthal.pdf