Golgoth

        Like its sister city, Godsmaw, Golgoth presents a stark black contrast to the monotonous white expanses of calcium dust covering the Fallen Lands. It lies within the mountainous curvature of Halus' spine, at the bottom of a deep depression in the barren flatlands, and controls the huge bone mines to the east. The city itself is a grid of black necril roads and low, windowless buildings. Most of these are storage silos containing unprocessed material from the mines. The rest are either storage crypts containing huge quantities of unsorted bones (veritable undead troop factories), slave-run awsil processing stations, or Spiral shrines. Golgoth was established fifty years after Godsmaw, and thus its design is a little less alien and even more efficient.

        It is here that the Spiral process and refine the white crystal, awzil, scoured from the hollow bone pockets of the dead god's vertibrae. This crystal is the residue of dried spinal fluid, a deistic adrenalin rush frozen in death. The awsil and bone powder are alchemically separated and treated with ether, leaving behind a glistening white dust, which is sealed in necril urns and shipped to the arenas of the Tamaran Empire, or the warring middle kingdoms. It is taken through open wounds, and many awsil users can be identified by scarring on the forearms. A more potent form of the drug is the pearl-hued ether gas created when awsil is refined or ignited in powder form. This gas can be inhaled for a much more rapid and intense effect, but in either case, the end result is similar. Awsil dulls pain and raises levels of aggression, heightens awareness, and is so potent that it can even effect certain types of undead. It is used by the various Tamaran arenas to enhance the performance of their fighting stock, by the Spiral priests to stimulate reflex and speed thought, and by any number of fighting factions seeking a quick and effective substitute for courage. Oddly enough, it is addictive only to undead beings.

        Just like Godmsaw, the city is ruled by the Spiral Order, and maintained by advocate Fozil. Over his many years of authority, the ancient high priest has become hopelessly addicted to the awsil produced by his own mines. The heart of the city is actually a deep underground silo, lined entirely with brass and perpetually filled with the ether-awsil vapors piped from the various alchemical refineries. From this chamber, Plutoch directs a division of priests who in turn control the numerous slaves and undead workers that keep the town in full production. The ancient advocate rarely leaves this chamber for long; when deprived of his precious drug he quickly loses his composure, his confidence, and most of his sanity. When he needs to move, he will typically force a shard of his twisted consciousness upon a specially-prepared slave, and take over the hapless creature's body. He also uses this cruel technique to experience the full, renewed effects of the drug upon a fresh, untainted system.

Back...