Stygia casts a long shadow over the Hyborian lands. Though
currently bound by the River Styx, Stygia still covets the northern lands she once lost to Acheron. And she still
hungers for the vast western territories of the long-lost empire that were conquered and claimed by the invading Hyborians.
With the passage of time the Hyborians have lost much of their primal vitality. They
have become civilized and soft. They have all but forgotten proud Acheron and recall Stygia mostly through
the fictions they share before roaring fires.
Stygia: Home to Thoth Amon and the infamous Black Ring, land of megalithic pyramids
and enigmatic sphinxes, nest of supernal serpents and gateway to the Land of the Dead: Stygia.
Though you may launch a Conan RPG scenario anywhere you wish, you too
cannot evade the shadow of Stygia for long. For Stygia, though seemingly still as a sepulchral statue, is forever poised
to strike!
Mongoose's Stygia: Serpent of the South contains everything you need to conjure the domain
of Set, with all its dangerous denizens, into your campaign. A warning: once conjured, the agents of Stygia will infiltrate
your version of the Hyborian Age and relentlessly dedicate themselves to wresting control! Godlike you may deem
yourself O mighty GM, but dare you mock Set?
Borrowing liberally from the Egyptian culture that branched off from Stygia and
sprouted its earliest blooms in the dim mists of our historic times, author Vincent N. Darlage breathes new life into
the dusty fragments of Stygian lore we possess and greatly expands our understanding of Stygian society, government,
military might, mythology and religion. Fear not O gamer! This tome
is no dry scholarly text but a tool for spawning exciting adventures.
Especially useful are are the variety of Stygian characters one can choose to
play, including desert barbarians and religious temptresses. Lord of the Black Ring is offered as a Prestige Class for
the overly ambitious and there are many new Skills & Feats to add nuance, complexity and depth to your in-game
Avatar. Stuck for a Stygian name? Don't despair, there are 240 listed in this comprehensive resource.
The Festivals add local flavor to any scenario and can serve as colorful adventure
hooks. The chapter on Illnesses and Mummies also accomplishes this and inspired me to create a handful of specialized
Stygian Healers to spring on my PCs during their travels. A taste of things to come....bwah, ha, ha. Did I say that out loud?
The meat of this resource book are the Faith & Fervor and Sorcery & Alchemy
chapters for Stygia is, when all is said and done, a fanatical sorcerous theocracy in thrall to a fell Serpent God with dreams
of global domination.
A detailed Stygian Gazetteer and fiendish Bestiary are thoughtfully provided
as well as a catalogue of important NPCs such as Thoth Amon and Akivasha. There are also new sorcerous artifacts and
lots of helpful advice for GMs on how to best run Stygian adventures. The tome wraps up with nineteen Adventure Hooks.
Though my Stygian campaign is still many moons away, with Stygia: Serpent of the South
I can take my time and create something truly exceptional, something my players will be talking about for years to come. And
I can more effectively foreshadow through my footloose Stygian Healers and wandering Setite Sorcerers. The colorful maps scattered throughout the tome are especially welcome as they will save me tons of prep
time (we use maps and miniatures during play).
I salute you Vincent N. Darlage! Job well done!
