I originally used this with Mythras a few years ago for a short campaign. One of many things I have not posted to the blog before as far as I can tell!
When I originally ran this it was before Mythic Babylon had been announced for Mythras. This campaign takes place roughly around 2400-2300 BCE so it can stand on its own, as the Mythic Babylon book handles a more "contemporary" era during the height of Babylonian power, and this mini campaign is about Sumeria during its heady early days of power-jockeying city-states.
Though I used Mythras at the time (and it works well for such), I would probably just use BRP 5th Edition for it today. As written this is a "notational" overview and I also had a lot of book references at hand. Some especially handy tomes include "Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City" by Leick (Amazon), and "Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia" by Black (Amazon), a nice categorical reference. One of the more useful online resources I like is located here (Facts and Details), that site alone is practically a campaign guide unto itself. Many of the details below come from one or more of these sources.
The Eridu Campaign
We'll start with a discussion on the pantheon of gods and then move on to the regional gazetteer.
Mesopotamian Gods of Note
Enki – god of Eridu
Deity of the rivers and men, giver
of life and protector, civic deity. Eridu is described as a god who walked from
the waters and brought civilization to men. His temple at Eridu, the Abzu, has
rested for thousands of years.
Enlil – God of Magic
A ghost and demon to some, wizened
sage to others, Enlil is the god who will one day seek to wipe humanity from
the earth. Both wizened and capricious, Enki keeps him at bay. He is the purvue
of sorcerers and maddened shamans in the desert.
Inanna – Goddess of Uruk
The three-fold goddess of birth,
fertility and death, she manifests as three different images in life from the
whore, the mother and the crone. She is the patron goddess of Uruk where she
has given birth to a pantheon of goddesses and gods who are her children. Her
temple is magnificent.
Nanna – god of Ur
The goddess of the moon, night
cycles, women’s menstrual cycles, bulls,
male fertility and astronomy also is valued by navigators. Ur, resting on the
mouth of the Euphrates, is home to fishermen and sailor alike who count on his
guidance. He is also associated with change…including lycanthropic change.
Utu – God of the Sun
Revered everywhere but noted for
his temple as Ashur, Utu is the god of the sun and the deserts, a wizened and
ancient man who is the seat of power of the very universe itself.
Nisaba – Goddess of Writing
As the mother of Enlil she is
given special prominence in the lands of the world, but she is also seen as the
goddess of most importance to record keepers and the budding community of
scholars who have become so important to the records of the kings, priests and
their gods.
Assur – god of the northlands
This deity is revered in the north
among the nomads and settlers in the region, a rowdy and wild lot known for
their capricious and mercenary ways.
Ninkasi – goddess of beer
The goddess who is patron of
brewing has a profoundly quiet but respected cult among the brewers of the
land.
Nergal – god of war and death, Lord of Kutha
With the aspect of fire, war and
death his to command Nergal rules the underworld with his wife Ereshkigal. He
is revered in the remote city of Kutha, which bows before none. Rumor is there
is a direct gate to the underworld in Kutha, the domain of Irkalla.
Anzu
The bird-demon is a ferocious
beast, a god in its own right, and it seeks to steal the Tablets of Destiny
from Ninlil. The tablets are kept in Enlil’s temple in Uruk.
Lilitu
The serpentine demon goddess who
harries men and reflect the darker aspects of women. Known to steal babies and
seduce men, sometimes kidnapping or murdering them.
Pazuzu
Demon king of the wind, bearer of
storms and draught.
Asakku
Vicious spirit demons which kill
by plaguing the head with fevers.
Asag
A demon so terrifying it boils the
rivers where it wades. Accompanied by rock demons.
Edimmu
Restless dead, ghostly spirits who
possess the living and make them commit criminal acts if not appeased.
Lamashtu
A goddess demon with the head of a
lioness, a hairy body, donkey’s teeth and ears and eagle claws. She is served
by the lilitu, and steals children in childbirth.
Kur
Serpentine dragons which plague
the land.
Lammasu and Shedu
The animal-spirit protectors of
men and their households, with the bodies of bulls, heads of men and wings of
eagles. They are benevolent spirits and good magi can call upon them.
Rabisu
Vampiric spirits, these malevolent
demons are sometimes men transformed, or perhaps fallen divinities. The Rabisu
can be repelled with sea salt, or trapped in inverted magic bowls with sacred
inscriptions written within. The Rabisu are violent and very dangerous vampires
otherwise.
Humbaba
A great giant, after whom other
giants are also named, who guards the celestial guardian of the gods.
The Major Cities of Mesopotamia (ca. 2,900
BCE, give or take)
Eridu
Ruled by Alulim, Eridu is the
center of power and the other cities in the region either are perpetually at
war with Eridu or seek to buy it off by tribute. Alulim is said to be tens of
thousands of years old, and possibly given immortality by Enki himself. The
temple Abzu is here, dedicated to Enki. The city is largely content with its
prosperity but a local noble named Alalngar is among those who have been
plotting wasy to overthrow Alulim, after a discovery they believe proves he
sacrifices innocents to extend his life. Eridu is also considered to have the
finest magi and healers in the land.
Kish
Ruled by Aga, who is at times
friend and enemy to Lugalbanda.
Ur
A coastal port, ruled by
Mesh-Ana-pada, a wizened sage and priest-king of Nanna.
Uruk
The great city of Innana, and the
home of King Lugalbanda, father of Gilgamesh, who’s decades have shined as the
servant of the goddess Ninsun, who walks as his mortal wife.
Kutha
Ruled by Naram-Sin, this city is
reverent to the gateway to the dead.
Sippar
Western and Eastern Sippar are two
united cities on the banks of the Euphrates, ruled by En-men-dur-ana, a
benevolent lord deducated to Utu, the god of the sun.
Assur, to the north
These nomadic barbarians in the
north are constant trouble for the region.
Elam, beyond the Zagros Mountains
Beyond Zagros are nomadic tribes
who call themselves the Elam. The Elam are nomads who revere three great kings
in Ansham, Eawn and Shumaski. The largest capital is Susa, along the river
Karun, which pays tribute to Kish. Susa worships Insusinak, the god of the city
(Lord of Oaths, Judge of the Dead, Symbol of the Serpent). Other gods
worshipped included Ismekarab (the infernal goddess of oaths), Lagamal (the
goddess of no mercy, the judge), Humban (god of the sky), Pinigir (goddess of
heaven) and Manzat (The Great Lady).
Ebla is the
western empire and the men of that region are effectively civilized but the
Canaan are barbarian the coastal tribes who worship Dagan. (Yes, that Dagan,
alias Dagon). Whether he's really an early proto-semitic god of grain and
fertility or a vile fish god from the deeps is up for you all to find out.
Dilmun
Distant trade empire to the east.
Beyond them is Indus, which has no direct contact with Sumer. It may be the home
of the immortal Ut-Napishtim, and is a major source of copper trade. In some
regards, Dilmun supplies Sumer with the metal needed to wage war. Dilmun is
located on an isle deep in the great Abzu Sea.
Egypt (Khemit)
Ruled by Pharaoh Qa’a, Egypt is a
remote land but hostile to foreigners.
Magan
This distant kingdom is located in
the region of contemporary Oman. Little is known of it, but they are a major
supplier of copper.
Meluhha
This may be the most distant
kingdom known, and is one name for distant Indus. The closest trade port is
Sutkagen Dor.
Kassu in the Zagros Mountains
The
men of Zagros, the Kassu, who are raiders and dislike the Elam and Sumer of
Ubaid alike, are difficult to deal with. The bandit warlord culture of the
Kassu make travel through the mountains dangerous.
West of the Two Rivers: Hamoukar of Canaan and Ebla
The region of the Levant is
prehistoric at this time and influenced by the local nomads and the
Sumer-influenced cities of Hamoukar and Ebla. Hamoukar was known for its
obsidian quarries while Ebla was known for its limestone quarries and
aggressive trade network. Both provided coastal trade routes to the western
sea. Ebla is ruled by Hakume, a shrewd and dour king. Other settlements in the
area include the township of Chagar Bazar, Nagar and Arbid, all along the
Khabur River Basin.
Hamoukar is also known for its
weird local cult to the “God of a Thousand Eyes,” and is known to produce eye
effigies in his worship. This worship is considered profane by the men of Uruk
and they have sieged and razed the city at least once in historic memory….but
the cult always retuns. Hamoukar is preliterate and does not use any writing
system.
Amartu
The nomads of the west are
distinct in their uncouth and simple nature as pastoral herders with limited
grasp of civilization. The Amartu will one day grow strong but in this era they
are a nuisance to the western deserts, raiders who seek to take the riches of
Ubaid for their own.
Barbarians can come from Assur to the north.
Nomads would come from Elam to the east of the Zagros Mountains (though
civilized Elam dwell in Susa), and the Elam do have their own developing
language with simple writing inspired by the Sumer. You will also find
barbarians in the Zagros Mountains: the Kassu, a rough and simple folk prone to
raiding.
You could have a civilized foreigner visiting
from Dilmun, as well. Dilmun was East of Elam, along a trade route to Indus.
Languages you can learn (spoken, not written): Sumer,
Assur, Elam, Dilmun, Egyptian, and Kassite
Character
Generation: Use the 80 point
build.
Cultures: Barbarian, Nomadic, Civilized and Primitive
are all fine, but there's almost no written language at this time....written
systems are basic counting and markers, and have little recognizable language
structure as we think of it. Cuneiform is in an early developmental stage at
this time....and paper does not exist. Clay tablets and clay balls with beads,
counters and figurines are how information is conveyed. So one "Language
(Cuneiform) skill will suffice to understand all writing known to men in this
region of the world.
Humans can be from Eridu, the capitol city of
the kingdom of Ubaid. If you're from one of the rival city-states at Kish,
Uruk, or Ur you will need to be a responsible profession with a trade
appreciated abroad to justify your presence, or have a decent social
class....wanderers of little means or skill are looked at as thieves and
robbers.
If you are from Eridu you at least pay lip
service to Enki, the god of the kingdom and benefactor of men. If you are from
Uruk you respect Innana, goddess of life. If from Ur then you revere Nanna, god
of the moon and bulls.
For
magic: folk magic is
"sorcery" as men think of it in this age and a magus would know the
art, but common men rarely do....and if you know the art, then you are no
common man. Magi also know of animism. Sorcery is so rare no one can start with
it and only those who figure out dark pacts which teach them the marks of power
have a shot at it. Mysticism is possible to those who pursue it....in this age
when some men claim to be divine in origin, mysticism is possible. Theism is
practiced by the cults of Enki, Innana and the other gods, but like other magic
it is very rare and only a few prominent priests know of any theistic miracles.
Also...if you want to play a
barbarian (like all out) but want to be a wanderer type who's visiting Ubaid
(but Not to officially siege a city and take it's stuff), Assur to the north is
a good choice, as is Amartu to the west, or coastal Canaan. Ebla is the western
empire and the men of that region are effectively civilized but the Canaan are
barbarian the coastal tribes who worship Dagan. (Yes, that Dagan, alias Dagon).
Whether he's really an early proto-semitic god of grain and fertility or a vile
fish god from the deeps is up for you all to find out.
And don't forget the men of Zagros, the Kassu,
who are raiders and dislike the Elam and Sumer of Ubaid alike.
Silver as Coinage: (the below is quoted but I forget the source, might be from this useful site: here)
In
Mesopotamia, silver became the standard of value sometime between 3100 B.C. and
2500 B.C. along with barley. Silver was used because it was a prized decorative
material, it was portable and the supply of it was relatively constant and
predictable from year to year.
Sometime
before 2500 B.C. a shekel of silver became the standard currency. Tablets
listed the price of timber and grains in shekels of silver. A shekel was equal
to about one third of an ounce, or little more than three pennies in terms of
weight. One month of labor was worth 1 shekel. A liter of barley sold for
3/100ths of shekel. A slave sold for between 10 and 20 shekels.
Adventures in Ubaid:
Part I: The Witch and the Heart
Ur-Nisu has a son
who died in battle, and his loss drove him to a greater evil. He hires an
adventurer group to go with Ur-Nisu (or on his behalf) to find the witch and
take his son’s heart back. Then paid to take the heart and his daughter to
Haiadi to see if he can put the heart to rest!
The Witch’s Lair: located in a small
encampment of huts deep in the Red Desert where loyal nomads seek her out for
healing and seances, Emiska is in fact protected by her followers but also by
the lilitu demon which she has struck a pact with. Having his heart, she can also
summon the vampiric rabasu Hamattu and call upon him for protection….wise
heroes will know sea salt, purified, will drive him back.
Emiska will
negotiate with the heroes if they try to reason with her. She will offer the
heart in exchange for a deed: go to the high mountains of Zagros and bring her
a different heart, that of the warlord of the Kassu named Ninhadda. Kill
Ninhadda, bring her his heart, and she will exchange it for Hamattu’s.
If the heroes try to
take her out, she is protected by the lilitu, which initially manifests as a
spirit seeking to possess….Emiska’s followers willingly supplicate and the
demon will take control, transforming them as it does (use the Lamia stats).
Even if Emiska is slain the lilitu will seek to stay, not wanting to let go of
it’s host, and will seek to kill all witnesses.
Emiska will also
call upon the power of the heart……but even if she does, Hamattu will not come
if it is daylight, or if the adventurers thought to consecrate the hut with sea
salt. If they did not and it is dark, he will arrive but reluctantly….he cannot
face his father if he is there. If not, he will attack with a vengeance, but
will recoil from fire.
Warlord Ninhadda: if the PCs
cooperate with the witch, that takes them thirty miles in to the western mountains
where a warrior who spurned the witch’s advances works with his small army in a
long series of dug-out caves in the mountains. He plots to siege Hadoukar and
become king of Ebla. A year ago he went to the witch and ask her to speak of
his omen, to learn if he would be king. She said payment was his infidelity,
and that she wanted his seed for a child. He was deeply offended, being loyal
to his single wife Atane, and he rebuffed the witch. Emiska was enraged. She
sent an assassin to poison him but he killed the assassin and sent the body to
her village with the warning that if she tried again he would raze her village
to the ground.
Going to Ninhadda is
a huge risk, actually…he is a tough fighter and well protected. But if the PCs
tell him what they were asked, he will agree to raze the village and give them
the heart. If they try to substitute a heart of someone else, the witch will
know and then curse them before summoning the vampire to hunt them. If the
group somehow does kill Ninhadda, it creates a power vacuum among the Kassu
tribes.
Part II: Journey to Susa
Ur-Nisu needs men
willing to take a shipment of goods into the Zagros Mountain Highlands. He
needs the goods taken to Susa, to a merchant prince named Haiadi, and for the
hired men to escort back the payment. Ur-Nisu is too frail to make the journey
which is close to 100 miles distant and requires transport by river boat for
much of it. The journey will take the hired crew from Eridu to the gulf, to the
river passage to Susa…..not difficult, but the possibility of river pirates is
a risk.
Ur-Nisu promises
1,000 silvers to the group in exchange for this service, no questions asked….the
adventurers were previously hired by him to go to the Red Desert and take the
reliquary from the witch Emiska then he will hire them based on loyalty. For
those who did not… He tells them that they are not to listen to his daughter,
that she has had maddened ravings since being exposed to the malignance of a
Asakku demon who came to her in the night when she was serving as a temple
priestess to Inanna.
The goods it turns
out include six clay vases filled with copper ingots, a large layered clay pot
(a cold-storing pot from Meluhha) sealed in wax that contains a blackened,
beating heart. Finally there is Ur-Nisu’s daughter, Ur-Erishti. She is
seventeen and appears to be very unhappy with this journey, or the fact that
(if pried later) she reveals she is to be gifted to Haiadi, and she will tell
the adventurers that she think Haiadi is actually a necromancer who worships
Nergal. She claims her father has saved the heart of his eldest son, Hamattu,
who fell in battle last year during a siege in Ebla. His body was returned, and
her father purchased a substance….a black tar like substance from the Red
Desert sold to him by a witch, to coat on his son’s body. His son is now kept
in a cool subterranean chamber, but her brother’s heart has been taken out and
is to be transported to Haiadi for a ritual to retore him to life.
The stories are all
half true……Hamattu did die, and his body was preserved, but the story her
father told her is not quite the reality. The witch in the Red Desert, named
Emiska, called upon Erishkigal for the power to revive his son, but his son
returned instead as an insatiable vampiric Rabisu. She removed the heart, which
beats blackly, and kept it for her own purposes. Adventurers who aided him in
this task in Part I will know how that all went down.
Pursuit of the Rabisu: Hamattu is growing
increasingly corrupted, a vampire in truest form, as he descends into madness
and darkness driven by Ereshkigal’s curse. As the crew makes its way on the
river barge each night evidence of the vampire is present, as he shapeshift’s
in to a demonic lion and follows the barge along the waterline, or turn in to
an eagle and follow by air. During the day he can only manifest as an eagle, or
sometimes as a vaguely humanoid shape in the recessed shadows along the river
bank. He unerringly can appear in shadow near the region of his heart no matter
what.
The journey is going
to take about a week upriver to travel 100 miles. So long as the heroes stay on
water the rabisu will remain at bay. If the river raft stops at one of the many
villages along the way, it gives the rabisu a chance to board. Once aboard, he
will seek to slay everyone and then coerce a risen dead to take the heart to a
remote location in the desert for safe-keeping. Each slain foe will rise as a
zombie to aid him.
River Pirates: during the fifth
and sixth nights river pirates will try to take the ship. Led by a bandit named
Unhaka, they have been told by a rival merchant that a valuable bride and
wealth rests on the boat. Hidden inside the copper ingots of the hold is
silver….lots of it. They will try to board the boat, about 16 men in total,
during the night using river boats to steal aboard. If they capture the boat
(and they will take prisoners for ransom to sort it all out later) then when
they dock that is when the rabisu attacks. Each foe slain by the rabasu will
rise as a zombie to aid him.
Arrival at Susa:
assuming the group survives travel (done easily by warding the boat with sea
salt) then arrival at Susa requires bribing guards at the docks with good coin
to allow safe passage in to the city. Here they can find the Black Tower of
Haiadi, located adjacent to a dour temple to Nergal, which allegedly holds a
capstone to one of many passages to the underworld.
Haiadi will perform
a ritual to lift the curse of the heart. Unknown to Haiadi he is doomed from
the get-go…unbeknownst to all, Hamattu had prior to his battle at Ebla a year
before gone to the witch Emiska for magical aid, and she gave him protection from
all weapons in exchange for his seed. He gave this to her, promising to return
and even take care of the child with her…..but he lied, and after sleeping with
the witch he beat her soundly until she miscarried, then went to battle. So it
was that he survived all weapons, unblemishing his skin, until he was doused in
burning oil and died (ergo the blackened heart).
Now his evils have
caught up to him….as Haiadi beseeches the Annunaki of the underworld to restore
him in the name of the evil of the witch, winged demons erupt from the ground
and take the black heart….and the vampire if he is present….dragging them in to
the darkness of Irkalla. As this happens the chamber is filled with terrifying death
spirits….any who star upon them must make a contested POW roll or succumb,
souls ripped away to the afterworld.
When all is done
Haiaidi….warded against such contingencies….flees in madness to the temple of
Nergal to beg forgiveness. The merchant’s daughter Ur-Erishti has a profound
revelation in her madness and flees to seek out the cult of the infernal
goddess of oaths, Ismekarab, and to renounce her evil family.
The adventurers are
left with an empty urn, and possibly a lot of silver that Haiadi has
abandonded. When they return to Eridu they find that Ur-Nisu’s house
mysteriously burned down the same night of the ceremony, and his body as not
found.
