Kal-Arath: Valley of the Black Ziggurat

Solo-first sword and sorcery in the steaming jungles of Lhar

In the steaming jungles of Lhar, south of the mighty steppe of Kal-Arath, something is waiting.

A sentient tomb for a sorcerer-king of such legendary evil that it perverts and dominates the entire valley around itself.

The very deathless dreams of Ictezoma’a corrupt and twist the minds of its denizens - even the mightiest beasts of the jungle who the tribal peoples revere as gods.

This is the land of Feared By The Sun, a tyrant lizard so ancient and massive she is called a goddess - her hide studded and armored by weapon haft and arrow from a thousand hunters.

Jaguar, monkey, serpent and bat -

These were the Four Kings of Lhar - the original animal priest-gods of the old empire that flourished here when it was a southern coastal jungle overlooking the vast waters that now make up the endless steppes of Kal-Arath.

Their temples, weathered by countless years and covered by the ever-growing foliage of the jungle, are still stained in blood from sacrifices of the faithful.

It is here that rumors say the Nameless City still sprawls in the deepest and most unknown regions, waiting to be rediscovered and plundered.

Many have come to Lhar seeking to trade for the rich resources, or to despoil the stepped tombs of the old empire, or even to seek out the hidden valleys wherein it is rumored beasts of incredible size, unknown to the men of the steppe, make their dominion.

Apex predators that are neither mammal nor reptile but a strange and terrible mixture of both…

Many have come.

They have nearly all died.

At the hands of the warring and brutal tribes of jaguar people or the serpent women of the deep jungle, carnivorous apes, or even the man-eating plants that grow near the banks of the mighty Shekerah…or perhaps the last thing they heard was the beating of leathery wings as the children of Tal’axu, lord of night and blood descended upon them to feast on their hot blood.

Whatever got them, it won’t be the same with you.

You are here for your own reasons, and will not be defeated by ghost story nor jungle warriors.

You will carve your name into the bloody hide of history, as one who came here and conquered - by the grim magic of your demonic lord, or by stone, bone and bronze…you will rend the precious jewels and forbidden knowledge of the jungle from its deadly claws, and return a hero.

Welcome to the Jungles of Lhar.

Who will you be?

How will you die?

Hello, all!

There’s currently a Kickstarter pre-launch page up for the print version of both the core rule Kal-Arath zine, and a brand new expansion in the form of a second zine, called “Valley of the Black Ziggurat,” which adds new rules, items, magic, random tables, and entirely new region to the game, including the eponymous Valley:

A punishing outdoor “dungeon,” in the form of a procedurally generated area guaranteed to chew up and spit out your PCs as they attempt to discover the Black Ziggurat.

I would be grateful if you consider following the pre-launch and supporting the Kickstarter when it’s time.

For now, digital copies of the core rules and more information on it can be gotten HERE.

Follow the Pre-Launch by clicking the image: