Conan and the Tower of the Elephant

In the Zamoran city of Arenjun, amidst the cold and gleaming shrines of the city’s temple district, stands a single tower. Surrounded by a pair of walled, tiered gardens, the tower thrusts 150 feet into the Zamoran sky, a perfect cylinder crowned with gems. Unmarred by doors or windows, the tower seems remote, impenetrable and alien, a spire utterly out of place in Arenjun. It is the abode of Yara the priest, and home to the Elephant’s Heart, thought to be the most valuable jewel in the world, and the secret of Yara’s power.

Throughout Arenjun and all of Zamora, rumors of the tower are as thick as flies in the Maul, the rotting slum of Arenjun where thieves, murderers and mercenaries mingle with lunatics, prostitutes and fugitives in a lawless orgy of decadence and revelry. It is said that the tower was built in the space of a single night, and is formed of pure silver, blindingly bright by day but glimmering like water beneath the wan light of the moon. Brave men whisper in fear of the stories of its bestial and alien guardians, ceaselessly patrolling the gardens, and of the legions of guards manning the tower’s lowest levels. Of what lurks in the upper levels, where the great gem lies, the rumors seem more as if they are nightmares given voice than anything which could be real. No matter the verity of the rumors, one thing is absolute truth – the tower and its master are talismans of terror, even to the fearless rogues of Zamora. Despite the fabulous wealth it surely contains, no thief has yet had the courage to assay Yara’s cursed tower – at least, none have tried and lived.

The Tower of the Elephant is the first in a new series of Conan adventure scenarios from Mongoose Publishing. Based directly on the original story by Robert E. Howard, The Tower of the Elephant allows the Player Characters to undertake the very adventures that made Conan the legend he is. In the case of an adventure like The Tower of the Elephant, this will mean that Conan himself did not undertake to scale the tower and steal the gem.

These scenarios give Player Characters the opportunity to test their mettle against the greatest of all adventurers – Conan of Cimmeria. Can they survive the trials otherwise set before him? Have they the courage, the stoutness of heart, clearness of mind and strength of sinew to walk the path trod by the mighty barbarian? The Tower of the Elephant will test not only their capacity for violence, stealth and greed, but for mercy, subtlety and intuition as well. Player Characters who rely solely on the might of their sword arms to resolve problems will likely learn a hard (and potentially fatal) lesson within the bejeweled walls of the Elephant Tower. Have they the mettle and skill to tread where Conan might have walked?

The Tower of the Elephant is intended for a party of four to six Player Characters of 2nd or 3rd level, preferably representing a range of character classes.