Title: The Cult of Baal and the Ziggurat of Vadashar

Subtitle: Here Comes The Sun

Notes on Zulean Religion and Cosmology
In some ways, Zulean religion is more ambiguous than in many Dungeons and Dragons
settings. The pantheon of Zul is not a "conspicuous" one in the same manner as the
Olympian gods of Ancient Greece, or the ever-present fictional Lords of Chaos created by
author Michael Moorcock.

Although many Zulean gods are portrayed with physical and anthropomorphic
characteristics, they do not physically manifest themselves on earth. This is precisely what
the people of Zul expect: that the gods will influence the world: by inspiring and enabling
their followers, not manifesting or taking direct action.

And while divine magic exists, and most Zuleans believe that it comes from the gods, the
existence of divine magic is not positive proof of the gods' existence. If they do actually
exist, the gods inhabit a plane of existence that's far removed, and one that cannot be
reached, even with extraplanar travel.

In addition to the major gods worshipped in their organized cults, there are a myriad of
minor deities believed to have influence over a single function or aspect of daily living, or
which are invoked to promote (or avert) a particular action. Many of these "divinities of the
moment" are highly regarded and widely revered, certainly by the residents of the Free City
of Vadashar. The spheres of influence of these minor gods can include (and are definitely not
limited to) protecting thresholds and doorways; every detail of conception, pregnancy,
childbirth, and child development, including bestowing its first cry on a newborn; ensuring
that a loaf of bread doesn't fall flat in the oven; protection during short distance travels
(such as a visit to a neighbor's house); relief from a stomach ache; avoiding that same
stomach ache before it starts; protection from evil spirits while taking a bath; blessing the
barley and malt prior to their fermentation into beer and ale; preserving the homes of
newlyweds; blessing the contents of a pantry against spoilage; and every other minor and
major detail of life.

Alignment versus Faith

In the World of Zul, religion is largely a matter of faith. Unlike many D&D settings, it isn't
necessary for the alignment of a Zulean cleric to match their deity's. Thus, a Lawful Good
priest, filled with decency and the milk of human kindness, could faithfully worship Erlik
Enthroned, the pitiless (and Lawful Evil) judge of the dead, and he will still receive spells and
permitted powers. It's likely the priest earnestly believes in the principles of Erlik's religion,
but approaches them in an uncommon manner.

Likewise, Zulean clerics are not prevented from casting spells that are restricted by
alignment. It is even possible that a cleric might actively work against their own cult, and still
continue to receive divine magic spells.
These guidelines likewise apply to the gods' lay followers: Evil-aligned people can follow
good-aligned deities, and vice versa. Often times, an individual isn't aware that he or she has
an alignment, or that their alignment has deviated from the norms of behavior: even the vile
and incestuous character from "Game of Thrones," Kraster, fervently believed himself to be
"a godly man."

*********

The Cult of Baal

Baal is worshipped across much of Zul as the supreme god and Lord of the Sun. He is
associated with the ram, and is often depicted in cultic iconography with that animal's
horns. It is believed that his worship was introduced in ancient times by the mysterious
entities known as the Four Prophets.

The worship of Baal as leader of the gods is connected to much of Zul's dependence on
rainfall for agriculture (unlike the Valley of Khalif, which relies on irrigation from its major, as
well as underground, rivers). Anxiety about the availability of water for crops and trees
increased the importance of Baal's cult in ancient days. The usually dry summers of the
megacontinent are explained as the god's time in the underworld.

Baal’s temple in Vadashar is a vast complex dominated by the Ziggurat: a stepped pyramid
standing seven stages tall. At the Ziggurat’s apex is the Great Shrine, where the Archpriest
communes three times a day with the Sun God.

The Cult of Baal in Vadashar has 24 male and female priests; most, but not all of them, are
human. About half the priests are acolytes and initiates who have taken conditional vows
(one of those conditions being their ability to pay for their upkeep and lodging within the
temple precincts). The rest are fully ordained clerics and constitute the temple's priestly
staff: the Archpriest (Lord Harven of Konox), the Deacon (chief of staff; a post that's
currently vacant), the Warden of the Ziggurat (chief ritual priest), the Overseer of the
Cloister (business manager), the Curate (maintenance and custodial supervisor; also vacant),
the Diviner, the Librarian, the Exorcist, and other jobs, as described below.

A majordomo oversees the Temple’s Cellarer, Kitchener, and approximately 30 additional

temple servants, including maintenance and cleaning staff, musicians, sword-bearers,
crafters of graven images and statues, anointers and washers (the latter perform
purification rites in the Temple’s sacred bath hall).

The Cult and Alignment

Baal is represented as being Lawful Neutral, having Good tendencies. The god's priests are
usually of non-evil alignment, while Baal's followers can be any alignment.

Personalities of the Vadashar Cult of Baal

Archpriest Harven of Konox: The corpulent, politically astute, and somewhat corrupt
Archpriest of Baal in Vadashar. As Under-Rector to the Warden of the Sacred Ziggurat in
Kuranapur, the Kuranian imperial capital, Harven served as an important functionary in the
Kuranian state cult, and was positioned to one day ascend the heights of its ecclesiastical
hierarchy. But a scandal exiled him to Vadashar, far from the domes of Golden Kuranapur,
and now he serves the needs of Baal and his flock with a devoted heart and a mind that
won't let faith get in the way of hard decisions. Although self-serving, Harven feels a strange
sense of duty to the "unwashed" masses of his adopted home, the Free City. In addition to
his cultic duties, the Archpriest is a historian and antiquarian of great renown. He regularly
encourages expeditions to the wastes surrounding the Valley of Khalif and beyond, in hopes
of turning up ancient artifacts for the temple.

Philox, Warden of the Ziggurat: The Temple’s bookish chief ritual priest, the half orc Philox
may have a deeper understanding of the intricacies of Baal’s mysteries than even the
Archpriest, although he is smart enough not to make mention of the fact.

Sheli the Majordomo: The septuagenarian chief steward of the Ziggurat is Vadashar born,
and the Archpriest’s most trusted servant; she functions in many ways as Harven’s Deacon
(the Temple’s chief of staff), a post that has been intentionally left vacant by the secretive
hierarch.

Sinbarxes, Under-Warden of the Ziggurat, and Bandarzes, Overseer of the Cloister: Even
those who dedicate their lives to Baal’s service aren't immune to pettiness and office
politics, and nothing has disturbed the peace of Baal's priesthood in recent memory like the
rivalry between the priests Sinbarxes and Bandarzes. Both men, now well into their thirties,
joined the cult as teenagers, and have feuded without cessation in the interceding decades.
For most of those years, Sinbarxes held the more important job, as Under-Warden of the
Ziggurat, an adjutant position answerable directly to the Archpriest. All that changed over
the past year: following a series of promotions and lateral reassignments, Bandarzes has
risen to become Overseer of Baal's Cloister, a job that grants him a large measure of
independence from Sinbarxes, his nemesis and, technically, his superior. Bandarzes lives in
the cloister near the Ziggurat’s administration building, and supervises much of what goes
on there, including the Temple's business dealings. This has resulted in a drastic
improvement in his finances, and Bandarzes plans to use his newfound prosperity to
leverage permanent revenge on his adversary. Both priests may need outside allies to help
with what is to come.

Altaan the Diviner: The Ziggurat of Baal's pessimistic and generally antisocial interpreter of
omens, signs, and prophesies, Altaan, employs a range of occult processes and rituals to
ascertain the proper interpretations of signs, events, and omens, as well as through contact
with various suspect supernatural agencies, putatively in service to Baal. It is a commonly
accepted across Zul that the gods send warnings of future events through omens. These
omens can be interpreted via a number of accepted methods, including: reading animal
entrails; investigating abnormal births in animals and people; natural phenomena, including
droughts, storms, infestations of locusts, etc.; utilizing astronomy and astrology, such as the
appearance of comets, Ishtaroids, and other celestial objects; perceived changes to the Sun
(Baal) or Moon (Ninsianna); the occurence of eclipses (which are among the most
portentious: since omens produced by planets and other heavenly objects occur without
mortal interference, they are seen as more persuasive and powerful; lunar and solar omens
are most highly regarded, eclipses considered among the most dangerous). It is likewise
believed that events foretold by omens are avoidable, and there are rites to avert evil, called
“namburbu,” which translates roughly as “the evil loosening.” The temple's diviner (or,
baru) practices divination based on hepatoscopy: reading omens from the liver of a sacrificial
animal, known as a barutu. The baru begins the divination ceremony by invoking the oracle
spirits, Samas and Adad, with prayers. A priestly snob, Altaan the Diviner considers Nasir, the
temple exorcist, to be an unrefined fraud.

Nasir the Exorcist: In Zul, witchcraft and demonic possession are constant concerns for
people of all walks of life. Zulean religion and cosmology includes many entities that attempt
to influence and even control the vulnerable. There are the hal, demons that steal babies
and interfere with mortal reproduction; alal, demons of temptation; Asakku, Ardat Lilu and
utukku, demons of fever and disease; Pazuzu, Demon Prince of Famine; and other beings of
evil and capricious intent, lurking in the cosmic shadows to attempt a possession.
Preventing this requires knowledge, and the services of an expert exorcist (asipu, or
masmassu) like old Nasir, whose experience of incantations and prayers is unequaled this far
from Golden Kuranapur. The 60 year old exorcist invokes benevolent forces, gods, and
spirits, for aid, and calls upon the essences of elements like air, fire, and water. He employs
oils, incense, charms, fetishes, wooden and ceramic figurines, the use of intricate geometric
walking patterns—anything that could be useful in expunging evil from a victim.

Maulik, Sacred Singer of the Ziggurat: Castrated at the tender age of seven, in order to
preserve his angelic singing voice, Maulik grew into a spectacularly beautiful teenager.
Despite his status as a ritual singer in the Ziggurat, he possesses a wardrobe of fine clothes
and accessories to rival that of a prince; gifts from his many admirers. A snob through and
through, Maulik likewise fancies himself a connoisseur of fine food and drink. He has never
lost his youthful beauty, and has a secret history of keeping discrete company with wealthy
men and women who are willing, for the right price, to enjoy his gifts (singing, as well as
other talents). Though he finds his temple duties tedious and dull, the singer is fascinated
with the more sensuous interpretations of sacred music. Although he has been offered on
several occassions the opportunity to retire from his temple duties and enjoy a hedonistic
life in luxury, Maulik continues to sing hymns at Baal's temple. This is because Maulik has
fallen under the malign influence of Zaerven, the Prophet of Pain, who leads an apocalyptic
cult called the Watchers of the Eye. Zaerven is a sexual adventurer who Maulik met through
their mutual patronage of an extreme bordello in the Grotto of Silk Veils. Zaerven has
convinced Maulik to spy on Archpriest Harven and the Temple of Baal on behalf of the
Watchers of the Eye; the singer has pilfered several mystical works from the temple archives
and from the Archpriest's library. None of this, however, has deterred him from pursuing his
secret life as a highly-paid escort for Vadashar's rich.

Ba’ub the Librarian: A priest of Baal and the Temple’s chief archivist, he is the keeper of holy
and important scrolls, books, tablets, and other sacred literature. Although generally a
helpful individual, he spends a lot of time near the temple's courtyard fountain, tracking and
offering opinions about the various alliances and rivalries among the priests of the Ziggurat.
Ba’ub considers himself something of a current events pundit, and stays informed about
events in Kuran, Andos, al'Muraq, and elsewhere. He shares living quarters with Castorno,
the temple's Subcurate.

Castorno, Subcurate of the Cloister: The dwarf Castorno manages logistics for the projects
undertaken by his fellow priests, arranging for materials, transportation, or employment for
various kinds of labor when called for. He owns a wicked sense of humor, which, although
usually directed at himself, is also apt to be turned on those who suddenly become objects
of Castorno’s amusement or disdain. These include the self-important, the hypocritical, and
those who simply walked into it.

Zilbupp the Cellarer: The chief cook and supervisor of the temple pantries. A sour,
discontented man of middle years, he never tires of complaining about the unfairness of his
life to any who are willing to listen—or not willing (he honestly couldn’t care less). He has
taken to leaving the Ziggurat on nights when the Ochre Legion meets; this group is a part of
the Yellows sports and political faction, which supports nativist policies and building a wall
around the city state. They have taken to marching and chanting at every public festival,
celebration, and event held in Vadashar. Zilbupp keeps his affilitation with the Ochre Legion
a secret, along with the yellow linen armband—the Legion's symbol—he wears to their
meetings.

Adventure Hooks
"The End Is Near! (All Day Long!)"
One day, the PCs are taking the morning air near the temples in the Gate of Heaven enclave,
when one of them hears a loud, booming voice shreaking into their ears. "Fools! Your time
of judgment is at hand! Atone!" The desperate voice belongs to Raza the Mad, an emaciated,
wild-eyed beggar and zealot who spends his days in the precincts of the Ziggurat of Baal,
haranguing passersby and calling doom down onto their heads. For the most part, those
who live and practice their faiths in the Gate of Heaven give Raza a wide berth, attempting
to avert their gazes and ignore his more virulent and antisocial pronouncements.
Occassionally, a kind-hearted soul will toss him a coin, while putting distance between
themself and the mad mendicant. On this particular morning, Raza appears to be in a jolly
mood, extolling the coming Judgment Day in all his savage splendor. Suddenly, his face turns
to face the PCs: they notice him bare his jagged teeth in what appears to be a smile, and he
launches into a doozy of a pronouncement about their wickedness, immorality, probable
lack of fathers, and as much righteous vitriol as his lungs can expel. Worse, if the characters
attempt to avoid or ignore Raza, he will make a beeline straight towards them, and spend
the rest of the day (and I mean the entire day) trailing and berating them for any and all to
hear and see. Any violence done to his person will be met with swift retaliation by the
throngs of people present, many of whom recognize Raza from the Gate of Heaven, believe
him to be genuinely touched by the gods, and would look unkindly on attempts to harm the
madman. Enjoy your day!
"Let's Have A Big Hand For The Archpriest!"
The Archpriest requests their presence at the Ziggurat of Baal. After the niceties are
dispensed with, Lord Harven explains to them that about three weeks past, a caravan left
Fort Zayad in imperial Kuranian territory, about 100 leagues (350 miles) west of Vadashar.
When he arrived in the Free City, the caravan master, an acquaintance of the Archpriest, told
him a curious story: one of his scouts reported seeing what appeared to be gigantic hands
which seemed to arise from the very earth. Upon further examination by the Archpriest, and
verified by magical means, the scout described what could very well be an important
discovery, perhaps one related to the Giant Kings of Ancient Zul. The Archpriest, a renowned
antiquarian and collector of lore from the ancient past, wants the PCs to go to the place
described by the caravan scout and unravel the mystery of the giant hands. When they
arrive, they may find that the hands are connected to titanic humanoid sculptures that form
the topmost towers of a buried temple, castle, or crypt—one that quite possibly has
connections to the ancient Giant Kings. It's possible, too, that the Archpriest knows more
than what he's letting on, and may be looking for a lost source of power, or perhaps an
imprisoned ancient evil that should remain imprisoned.

Feud: Sinbarxes vs. Bandarzes

The antagonism between Baal's priests Sinbarxes and Bandarzes has continued unchecked
for nearly three decades. Throughout those bitter years, each has used his position within
the cult to harass, demean, and attempt the ruin of his rival. For the majority of that time,
Sinbarxes has had the advantage, because his job gave him direct access to the Archpriest,
which allowed him to assign Bandarzes to all sorts of degrading and humiliating tasks.
Eventually, though, that strategy backfired, and the long-suffering Bandarzes gained a
reputation for taking on any task, no matter how difficult: He's a real team player, that
Bandarzes! This led to a rapid succession of advancements for Bandarzes, who now finds
himself in a position to exact a delicious revenge against the hated Sinbarxes—and his
enemy knows it. Both men realize that their reckoning is close at hand, and each is
contemplating how best to approach his endgame, and what cards to play. It is likely that
Sinbarxes or Bandarzes (or both) will seek a permanent end to their conflict, perhaps hiring
thugs or contracting with an assassin to force the issue once and for all. If the characters
know either priest, they could be dragged into things, either wittingly or otherwise.

The Prophet and the Party Boy

As noted earlier, the Ziggurat of Baal 's ritual singer, Maulik, is besotted with a mysterious
stranger he met at a sex club. At first he had no idea that the man, Zaerven, along with being
sexually adventurous, is also leader of an apocalyptic cult called the Watchers of the Eye. It
didn't take long for Zaerven, who is known to his followers as the Prophet of Pain, to
persuade the hedonistic and easily seduced Maulik to spy on the Temple of Baal on behalf of
the Watchers. He also convinced the singer to steal a group of magical scrolls possessed by
the Archpriest. In recent weeks, changes in Maulik's behavior have drawn the attention of
Philox, the Temple’s chief ritual priest, with whom the singer works directly during
ceremonies and rites; he may soon bring the matter to the Archpriest's attention, who won't
take long to piece together Maulik's divided allegiances. Maulik's lover, the Pain Prophet
Zaerven, has also taken notice, and he is starting to wonder if his own secret plans are best
served by permanently removing the singer from the equation. Meanwhile, the hedonistic
Maulik may start to get bored soon even of the exciting and depraved Zaerven; if he thinks
his life may be in danger, he could seek help from the characters, especially if he knows any
of them.

Harven of Konox, Archpriest of Baal

Human cleric, 13th level
Lawful Neutral
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 11 16 16 18 14