Seigneurs des Runes de Thassilon

ALTHOUGH FIRST KING XIN FOUNDED IT. THE EMPIRE OF THASSILON IS BETTER KNOWN FOR ITS SEVEN RUNELORDS. POWERFUL WIZARDS FIRST APPOINTED BY XIN TO GOVERN THE EMPIRE. BUT WHO LATER CAME TO RULE THASSILON. THE RUNELORDS TOOK XIN'S SEVEN VIRTUES OF RULE-CHARITY, GENEROSITY, HUMILITY, KINDNESS, LOVE, TEMPERANCE AND ZEAL-AND CORRUPTED THEM INTO THE REWARDS OF RULE NOW KNOWN AS THE SEVEN GREAT SINS OF THE SOUL-ENVY. GREED, PRIDE. WRATH. LUST, GLUTTONY, AND SLOTH. ALTHOUGH THASSILON AND ITS SEVEN DOMAINS mAKRAKHAN, CYRUSIAN, EDASSERIL, EURYTHNIA, GASTASH, HARUKA, AND SHALAST WERE DESTROYED BY EARTHFALL. THE SEVEN RUNELORDS FORESAW THE CATACLYSM AND RETREATED INTO HIDDEN REFUGES TO ESCAPE THE DEVASTATION. THERE THEY WAIT IN STASIS UNTIL THEY ARE REAWAKENED. WHEN THEY WILL UNLEASH THEIR ARCANE MIGHT ON AN UNSUSPECTING AGE.

ALAZNIST

Runelord of Wrath

Domain: Bakrakhan

Weapon of Rule: Charred adamantine ranseur impaled with the skull of the very first Runelord of Wrath

Thassilon's final Runelord of Wrath was Alaznist, Queen of Bakrakhan, a specialist in wrath magic-now called evocation-and a powerful arcane knight.

Alaznist was of noble birth, born to wealth amid the aristocracy of the city of Xin-Bakrakhan. Apprenticed first to her father, himself a powerful wizard of wrath, Alaznist soon surpassed even his mastery of magic and turned to otherworldly mentors to increase her power, most notably the nascent demon lord Yamasoth. When her father tried to warn her against the dangers of such pacts, Alaznist sacrificed him and her entire family to the qlippoth lord in exchange for even greater arcane knowledge. Alaznist challenged and killed the reigning Runelord of Wrath, Thybidos, soon after and claimed the mantle of rulership for herself. This method of succession was a time-honored tradition for the previous Runelords of Wrath, but unlike her predecessors, Alaznist was able to defend her title against all future challengers with Yamasoth's backing, reigning over Bakrakhan until its fall.

Alaznist was a gothic beauty with wild, flaming red hair, often depicted with a furious or scornful-some even say insane-look on her face. She was known for both her charisma and her mercurial temper, as befits the Runelord of Wrath. Alaznist was a skilled practitioner of alchemy, fleshwarping, and demonology, and encouraged the worship of demons and their destructive power among her followers. She cared little for spell research and item creation, instead focusing her efforts on the corruption, mutation, and empowerment of her vast legions, which clashed regularly with those of Karzoug, the Runelord of Greed and ruler of Shalast. Just prior to the destruction of Thassilon, Alaznist seemed close to triumph over her rival, and would have imposed a humiliating peace treaty on the Runelord of Greed had not her entire kingdom sunk beneath the waves during the cataclysm ofEarthfall. Alaznist herselfis believed to have escaped the devastation by retreating to an otherworldly refuge accessed through her demesne at the top of Hollow Mountain.

Bakrakhan was the westernmost of Thassilon's seven kingdoms, sharing its eastern border with the domain of greed, Shalast. Its capital, Xin-Bakrakhan, was Thassilon's very first city, founded by Xin himself when he landed on the shores of Avistan. Bakrakhan was a land of thick forests and craggy mountains, home to hundreds of tribes of bugbears, gnolls, goblins, enslaved forest giants, and twisted sinspawn. These tribes warred constantly against one another, but were all united under Alaznist's thunderbolt-lance blazon.

Alaznist's Legacies: Alaznist left behind numerous monuments and legacies of her rule, the most notable of which are Hollow Mountain and the Irespan. Towering over the ruins of Xin-Bakrakhan, Hollow Mountain bears the sneering visage of Alaznist herself, a colossal portrait carved into the slopes of the mountain. Behind the face lies a vast series of subterranean chambers that descend all the way into the Darklands realm ofGongorina, once home to the nascent demon lord Yamasoth.

The Irespan, also known as the Giant's Bridge, was a gigantic basalt bridge that stretched across the mountainous realm of Bakrakhan from Xin-Bakrakhan to the Shalast border.

The Irespan was almost entirely destroyed during Earthfall, but ruins of the mighty span still stand in the city of Magnimar, and remnants of its huge pilings jut above the waters of the Varisian Gulf. Alaznist also created the Hellstorm Flumes, destructive watchtowers built along Bakrakhan's border with Shalast that could incinerate armies with arcane fire from miles away. In addition to these structures and monuments, Alaznist was responsible for the creation of the sinspawn, mutant soldiers infused with wrath who made up the bulk of Bakrakhan's armies, as well as reefclaws, who served as guardians in her moats and Bakrakhan's rivers.

Relics of Wrath: Among the many artifacts created by Alaznist and the other Runelords of Wrath are Garvok, the Sword of Wrath (Patlifinder Campai,gn Settinn: Artifacts 81. Lenends); the minor runewell ef wrath (Patlifinder Adventure Path: Rise ef the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the rift siphon (Pathfinder Adventure Path #61); the rod efMalrion (More Manic ofThassilon; see Foreword); the rune of razinn (Patlifinder Adventure Path #s); the sacrificial spear (More Manic of Thassilon); the scepter ef Alaznist (Patlifinder Campainn Settinn: Lost Kinndoms); and the sinn ef wrath spell (Rise efthe Runelords Anniversary Edition).

Belimarius

Runelord of Envy

Domain: Edasseril

Weapon of Rule: Ornate memory-stealing halberd of gold and mithral

Belimarius was the final Runelord of Envy and Queen of Edasseril. An unsurpassed practitioner of the magic of envy-now called abjuration-Belimarius began her career in the convoluted and contentious bureaucracy of Edasseril.

Through a combination of skill, slander, assassination, blackmail, and outright theft, Belimarius rose quickly through the ranks, soon attracting the notice of Runelord Phirandi, who accepted her as an apprentice. Belimarius poisoned Phirandi's other apprentices until only she remained, finally confronting the Runelord of Envy himself. After stripping Phirandi of his various magical defenses, Belimarius imprisoned him, alive and powerless, in a transparent coffin of force. For the duration of her reign, Belimarius kept Phirandi as a trophy in the throne room ofher Palace Miasmoria in Xin Edasseril, where he could forever see and covet her power and glory.

Belimarius appeared to be the oldest of all seven runelords. Heavyset and homely, she was frequently depicted in imperious poses with a sneer on her face. She always carried an especially powerful ebony rod ef cancellation and an antique speaking mirror that she consulted regularly. Belimarius was obsessed with defending her realm, her magic, and her wealth from those who would try to take them from her-in Belimarius's paranoid eyes, this meant the other six runelords. A consummate politician, Belimarius constantly schemed against her peers with intrigues, poisons, and assassins, yet the other runelords seem to have never retaliated against her, and avoided even the barest mention of her in most of the records they left behind. Like the other runelords, Belimarius made provisions to survive the death of Thassilon, though her final resting place remains a mystery. Some believe she lies in suspended animation far beneath the earth, while others postulate that she dwells within the crystalline sphere of Crystilan. Even more intriguing are the hints of an otherworldly, prismatic sanctum that the runelord created to hold her greatest treasures, and if necessary, herself.

The domain ofEdasseril was a wealthy one, but it was a realm of bitter jealousy and hollow vanity. The very first Runelord of Envy, obsessed with the beauty of the elves of the nearby kingdom of Celwynvian, stole the name of the elven princess, Edasseril, for her domain, hoping her glory would outlast that of the elves. Edasseril was rich in iron, timber, and precious gems, and possessed a large population of enslaved giants, as well as great herds of aurochs, horses, and sheep. The vast majority of written records from Edasseril's heyday describe a paradise of perfect harmony, wise rulership, and unsurpassed magical skill where nothing ever went wrong. The truth, however, was far different. The capital city ofXin-Edasseril, though a wonder to behold, was built atop a pestilent marsh, and its people frequently suffered from plagues and sickness. Ettercaps, ettins, and wild elven raiders were a constant threat to the domain, and those in power schemed relentlessly against one another. No fewer than a dozen poisoners' and assassins' guilds flourished in Xin- Edas seril, and the domain's bureaucracy was full of backstabbing officials more concerned with the advancement of their own careers than with efficient management of affairs of state.

Belimarius's Legacies: Few of Belimarius's monuments survive to the pres ent day. The ruins of her capital, Xin- Edass eril, still lie on Chakikoth Isle in the Ironbound Archipelago in the Steaming Sea, overrun with envyspawn, ettercaps, and ettins. Yet one ofXin-Edasseril's most famous attractions, the wondrous Temple of Desna's First Dream, seems to have disappeared entirely from the ruins-though it is believed that the temple might still exist, or at least be accessible from the Dimension of Dreams itself. A shining edifice of glass, diamond, and magical force, the Temple of Desna's First Dream was said to contain Belimarius's vast collection of precious gemstones, as well as a "dreaming chamber" that could bring dreams to life. Outside of ruined Xin-Edasseril, the translucent crystal dome called Crystilan still stands on Peridot Isle in northern Varisia. Believed to be a perfect impenetrable sphere, Crystilan contains an ancient city trapped inside it like a fly in amber.

Relics of Envy: Among the spells and magic created by Belimarius and her predecessors are the covetous aura spell (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); dust ef envy (More Magic efThassilon); the Invidian Eye (Artifacts 8( Legends); the rune of resistance (PatYifinder Adventure Path #s); Tannaris, the Sword of Envy (Artifacts 8( Legends); and the linked mirrors called vanity's eye (More Magic ofThassilon).

KARZOUG

Runelord of Greed

Domain: Shalast

Weapon of Rule: Burning glaive studded with meteoric gemstones

The wizard Karzoug was Thassilon's eighth and last Runelord of Greed and ruler of the domain of Shalast. Although rumored to either be half-vampire or have the blood of dragons in his veins, Karzoug was in fact a normal human, born a slave in the city of Mali stoke during the reign of Runelord Haphrama. After an apprenticeship with an itinerant demon binder, a period in which Karzoug died and was raised several times over, he was accepted as an apprentice of the runelord himself. Utterly merciless and calculating, Karzoug made secret alliances with creatures from the dimension of Leng that allowed him to overthrow Haphrama and claim the title of Runelord of Greed. A tall, arrogant man with several ioun stones embedded in his forehead, Karzoug was a specialist in the magic of greed-now called transmutation-as well as in demon binding, and he made many pacts with denizens of other worlds and planes. Corrupt, amoral, and manipulative, Karzoug was defined by his greed, and came to be known as Karzoug the Claimer. The runelord drove his apprentices and slave-wizards to create ever more and greater magic items, while he became obsessed with the transmutation of flesh into gold.

Shalast was the wealthiest of Thassilon's seven domains, and second in size only to Cyrusian, but Karzoug's avarice knew no bounds. Even the vast riches produced by Shalast's numerous gold, copper, mithral, and gemstone mines, transported on the backs of powerful mammoths, were never enough for the greedy rune lord. One famous story tells of Karzoug immolating an entire city because its tax collectors were short by just a few silvers. Karzoug's capital, Xin- Shalast, built at the foot of the great mountain Mhar Massif, was arguably the greatest of Thassilon's seven rune-cities. Its streets were said to be paved with gold, though most of Shalast's wealth actually went instead to the covetous runelord's personal treasure vaults and alchemical furnaces. Karzoug ruled Shalast for 466 years, until Earthfall brought his kingdom low. Although Karzoug was one of the most powerful runelords, and certainly the mightiest of the eight Runelords of Greed, his rule was characterized by near-constant warfare with his greatest rival, Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath and Queen of Bakrakhan. Karzoug avoided the devastation of Earthfall and the destruction of Thassilon by retreating into a demi plane called the Eye of Avarice, which floated between the Material Plane and Leng. Karzoug awoke from his temporal stasis within the Eye of Avarice in 4708 AR, but was defeated by a band of adventurers before he could fully return and reclaim his long-lost power and kingdom.

Karzoug's Legacies: Besides the city of Xin­ Shalast itself, Karzoug's most enduring legacies include the Cyphergate, the colossal stone arch that towers over the modern-day city of Riddleport's harbor, created by Karzoug to peer through time; the strange complex of blue-green spires called Guiltspur, part laboratory, part portal, part embassy to the realm of Leng; the God Pool, a living "engine of prophecy" deep in the warrens beneath the city of Kaer Maga, composed of the conjoined bodies of priests of every Thassilonian god; the gigantic carving of Karzoug's countenance carved into the south face of Mhar Massif, one of the highest mountains on Golarion; the Obelisk Forest of Mundatei, a valley of thousands of 10-foot-high menhirs, each hollow and containing a twisted human corpse sealed inside; the giant Sentinel Statues that Karzoug created in his own image to watch over Shalast's border with Bakrakhan; the huge dam called Skull's Crossing, which holds back the waters of the Storval Deep, a lake filling a vast quarry that once provided stone for many of Thassilon's great monuments; Spindlehorn, a slate spire thousands of feet high on the shores of the Storval Deep from which the mighty Oliphaunt of Jandelay might be summoned; and the cyclopean Storval Stairs that climb the Storval Rise, still flanked by twin statues of the runelord.

Relics of Greed: Karzoug and the other Runelords of Greed and their servants created many spells, magic items, and artifacts during their reigns, such as the anima focus (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the blood money spell (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); Chellan, the Sword of Greed (Artifacts &'. LeJJends); the 1Jlove of stren1Jth-stealin1J (More MaJJic of Thassilon); the 9olden helm of Xin-Shalast (More MaJJic of Thassilon); KarzouJJ's burninlJ 9laive (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the LenlJ Device (Rise of the Rune lords Anniversary Edition); the robes of Xin-Shalast (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the rune of contin9ency (Pathfinder Adventure Path #s); the rune well of weed (Rise of the Rune lords Anniversary Edition); and the soul lens (Rise of the Rune lords Anniversary Edition).

Krune

Runelord of Sloth

Domain: Haruka

Weapon of Rule: Dragon-tooth longspear that can move and attack of its own volition

Thassilon's last Runelord of Sloth was Krune, Lord of Haruka and High Priest of Lissala, the Thassilonian goddess of runes, fate, and the rewards of service. Krune began his studies of sloth magic-now known as conjuration-in the Great Temple of Lissala in Bakrakhan. As his mastery of magic and runes increased, he was awarded the position of high priest of Lissala's Temple of Sloth in the city of Xin-Haruka. Unlike most of his peers, Krune did not seize his title from his predecessor.

A favored counselor of Runelord Ivarinna, Krune was the runelord's chosen successor, peacefully inheriting the mantle of Runelord of Sloth when Ivarinna relinquished her throne and title and succumbed to the indolence and lassitude that were her rewards of rule.

Krune was a short, bald man with beady eyes, and his flesh was tattooed with the runes of a hundred secret spells, reportedly taught to him by Lissala herself He carried a rod inscribed with the secret symbols of his faith.

A contingent of clerics, summoned servants, and wizards of various schools of magic always accompanied the runelord, and Krune relied upon them to cast magic for him and oversee the daily management of his realm. Primarily concerned with shiftless pleasures and the scholarly study of runes and magic, Krune is remembered chiefly for the apathy and inactivity of his reign. Although said to be the weakest of the seven runelords, Krune was respected and feared by both his people and his peers, who worried his mastery of runes would allow him to turn their own magic against them, and he was more than capable of defending his realm when attacked. Krune avoided war for the most part, taking great pleasure in displaying the strange and unique powers supposedly granted him by his goddess to forestall any outside aggression.

It is currently unknown whether Krune survived the fall of Thassilon or perished during the destruction and chaos following Earthfall. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the runelord's fate, recent rumors that active cults of Lissala survived Earthfall, operated in secret for 10 millennia, and now work to bring about their last high priest's return have caused consternation throughout Varisia. Where or how the cultists believe Krune survived Earthfall remains a mystery.

The domain of Haruka was widely seen as languorous and lazy, but also as cruel and cunning as the runelords who ruled it. Many Harukans worked as slavers, buying and selling their wares throughout Thassilon, then returning to their homes in Haruka to enjoy and abuse their living possessions. Haruka had the highest slave population of all of Thassilon's domains, and its flesh markets sold a range of wares, from simple menial slaves to exotic concubines from other worlds and planes. Conjured outsiders and summoned creatures from all over the Great Beyond were a common sight on the streets of the capital city, Xin-Haruka, which boasted a magical transportation network of linked teleporters and an army of unseen servants to keep the streets clean. The faith of the Peacock Spirit was well established in Haruka, but after Krune's accession to the throne, the church of Lissala gained ascendance, and the two priesthoods often violently clashed over dogma and heresy. Boggards, hill giants, and gnoll tribes were all active in Haruka, sometimes aiding escaped slaves in the hills in ultimately futile rebellions. Thousands of gnolls served as scouts and forward observers in Haruka's armies, though their natural laziness made them inferior soldiers at best.

Krune's Legacies: Few remnants of Krune's rule survive to the present day. His capital of Xin-Haruka and its great Lissalan Temple of Sloth are lost to time, said to have been razed by an assembly of metallic dragons for unknown reasons, but the mysterious Thassilonian ruins known as Desgard's Thousand Columns remain. Each of the towerlike pillars was believed to house a garrison of extraplanar soldiers, summoned to Golarion by Krune using secret runes imparted to him by Lissala. Krune is also credited with creating the first gelatinous cubes in the slime pits ofHaruka, though the location of these legendary ooze vats remains a mystery.

Relics of Sloth: Krune (and his slothful predecessors) claimed that Lissala herself had granted them the knowledge of unique spells and magic items. Among these supposed gifts of the goddess of runes are the e.ffiJJY of the favored servant (More Ma11ic of Thassilon); the rin13 of the clean hands (More Ma13ic of Thassilon); the rune of the lord's palanquin (PatYifinder Adventure Path #s); Shin-Tari, the Sword of Sloth (Artifacts 8/. LeJJends); and the swipe spell (Rise of the Rune lords Anniversary Edition).

Sorshen

R.unelord of Lust Domain: Eurythnia Weapon of R.ule: Double-headed guisarme

For all of its history, Thassilon had but one Runelord of Lust-Sorshen, Lady of Eurythnia. One of only two runelords whose reign lasted from the founding of Thassilon to its fall (the other being Xanderghul, the Runelord of Pride), Sorshen accompanied First King Xin in his exile from Azlant and was rewarded for her service with the domain of Eurythnia and her original title of Runelord of Love. Sorshen was a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair and large eyes. Representations of Sorshen depict her either nude or clad in alluring attire of red and purple, but always with a seductive look on her face. She was known to carry a lewdly shaped mithral staff, but in battle, she wielded her weapon of rule, a double­headed guisarme with both masculine and feminine motifs that could summon two lascivious bodyguards.

Sorshen mastered the magic of lust­ now known as enchantment-and her skill at magic, second only to that of Xanderghul, was matched by her beguiling voice and her eagerness for all manner of debauched perversions. An unabashed libertine, Sorshen's carnal appetites were legendary. Over the course of her reign, Sorshen seduced and ultimately betrayed every one of the runelords, and some say even Xin himself. Subtle, treacherous, and controlling, Sorshen excelled at identifying and exploiting the lusts of her rivals, and what she couldn't attain through seduction or skillful politicking, she used her magic to take. Despite her betrayals, the other runelords found themselves trusting her time and time again, even as her honeyed words and adroit caresses coaxed ever more from them.

Eurythnia was Thassilon's southernmost domain, a land of fertile farms and sensual passions. Much of Eurythnia's wealth came from seagoing trade with distant lands, and enslaved marsh giants were employed to guard the realm's shipping from sahuagin and pirates. Imported spices made Eurythnia's cuisine second to none, and exotic slaves from distant lands, especially elves, brought lustful customers from all over Thassilon to experience the domain's elegant and extravagant brothels.

Like most of her peers, Sorshen was prepared for the disastrous fall of Thassilon that followed Earthfall.

Guarded by clans of loyal, deathless vampires, Sorshen went into hibernation, interring herself in secret vaults deep beneath her palace in her capital city of Xin-Eurythnia. These vaults were actually an elaborate puzzle designed to siphon blood from a menagerie of exotic creatures that would be used to slowly reawaken the slumbering runelord once the danger had passed. It is believed that something went wrong with Sorshen's plans, however, and that she still remains in her tomb.

Sorshen's Legacies: The Varisian city of Korvosa is built atop the ruins ofXin-Eurythnia, and several of Korvosa's landmarks date from Sorshen's reign, including Gatefoot, an immense foot which is all that remains of a statue of Sorshen that once towered over the city, and the Pillar Wall, a line of100-foot-tall pillars that once supported a grand processional. Castle Korvosa itself sits atop the Grand Mastaba-this cyclopean, flat-topped sandstone pyramid was Sorshen's palace and fortress, and the vaults deep beneath the pyramid were her arcane laboratories and crypt. Sorshen also commissioned numerous monumental statues in her image throughout Eurythnia, though only one of these, the Lady's Light, now survives. In Sorshen's day, this was a palace, treasure vault, and symbol of the power and beauty of the Runelord of Lust, but today, it stands above the swamps of the Mushfens, little more than a beacon for shipping. The Mushfens are also home to the Sunken Queen, a stone pyramid carved with a giant bas-relief image of the nude runelord, which holds one of Sorshen's greatest accomplishments-the Everdawn Pool, an artifact capable of manipulating the energies of life and death. Sorshen also hid numerous clones in her likeness throughout Thassilon-while most of these have long since been lost, some (such as the one below the Lady's Light) exist to this day, waiting for the right combination of events to live again. Given the correct conditions, an awakened Sorshen could well be able to commandeer one of these clones for her own use.

Relics of Lust: Sorshen created many spells and magic items that still exist, including Asheia, the Sword of Lust (Artifacts &. LeJJends); the Everdawn Pool (Pathfinder Adventure Path #12); the mirror efSorshen (Lost Kinn do ms); the rune of the mistress (Patlfinder Adventure Path #s); the sadist's lash (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the scintillatinJJ narment (More Manic of Thassilon); and the unconscious anenda spell (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition).

Xanderghul

Runelord of Pride

Domain: Cyrusian

Weapon of Rule: Lucerne hammer made of an unknown type of skymetal

The Runelord of Pride was Xanderghul, Satrap of Cyrusian and holder of the Peacock Throne. The strongest of the seven runelords, Xanderghul was one of only two runelords to rule his domain for the entirety of Thassilon's history (the other being Sorshen, the Runelord of Lust). Xanderghul was a high­ranking member of Azlant's aristocracy who saw the ancient empire as moribund and weak, and left with Xin to found a new kingdom in exile where he could rule in splendor and honest pride. Although he was one of seven runelords, Xanderghul believed his status as one of Xin's original confidantes made him first among equals. He was known by many titles, including Lord of Illusion and Master of the Unblinking Eye, and after Xin's death, Xanderghul proclaimed himself the Heir of First King Xin and Rightful Emperor of Thassilon. Later, he even put himself forward as a claimant to the throne of Azlant just before Earthfall laid low the first human empire.

A strikingly handsome man with a neatly trimmed beard, Xanderghul's severe and imperious features marked him as true descendant of ancient kings. He carried a feathered staff of lignum vitae, and his weapon of rule, a skymetal lucerne hammer, was said to have been forged by Xin himself Arrogant and supremely confident, Xanderghul was a master of mind, body, spirit, and the magic of pride-now called illusion. He was an expert diplomat who prided himself on being above the squabbling wars and political schemes of the other runelords. The great linnorm Fafnheir, the Father of All Linnorms, who even today claims the Grungir Forest as his own, was an adviser to Xanderghul, and the runelord used dragons-allied, tamed, or enslaved-as a symbol ofhis power and might. Xanderghul was a devotee of the mysterious Peacock Spirit, the only runelord to publicly acknowledge such a faith, and under his patronage, groups such as the Therassic Order and the Order of the Green Feather flourished.

Cyrusian was the largest of Thassilon's domains, as well as the most powerful, and after the abandonment of the great city of Xin after First King Xin's death, Cyrusian served as Thassilon's de facto capital until the empire's fall. Created as a paradise for Thassilon's best, brightest, and wealthiest citizens, Cyrusian also boasted greater monuments-all to the glory of Xanderghul­than any other domain. Cyrusian's central location gave Xanderghul immense influence over trade and communication throughout the empire, and its cities were by far the largest and most numerous of all of Thassilon's urban centers. Xanderghul cloaked his entire realm in illusions both for the enjoyment of its citizens and to protect it from invaders. Through all of its history, no other runelord dared invade Cyrusian, for none knew the true strength ofXanderghul's armies and defenses. Xanderghul's capital, Xin-Cyrusian, was Thassilon's largest city, guarded by legions ofbound angels, enslaved dragons, and giant slaves. Xanderghul ruled his domain from Citadel Arete, though accounts differ whether this palace was an impossibly high tower or a wondrous floating castle.

Xanderghul's Legacies: The city of Xin-Cyrusian and Xanderghul's Citadel Arete are lost somewhere in the Kotlar Mountains, but another of Cyrusian's great cities, Torandey, existed long after the fall of Thassilon, and today its ruins serve as the foundation for the Linnorm Kingdoms city of Jol. The ruins of another of Cyrusian's cities, Justnoque, still jut from the icy waters of the Steaming Sea, as do the remains of a northern Cyrusian outpost in the Howling Straits of Broken Bay called Udeomel, better known as simply the Sunken City. Elsewhere in the lands once claimed by Xanderghul are the Emerald Chambers, built in mocking homage to Xin-a shrine with a thousand doors, one of which reportedly serves as a portal to the First King's legendary treasure-and the Castle of the Green Feather, a floating fortress of the knights of the Order of the Green Feather, now crashed high in the Kodar Mountains but still home to cruel undead graveknights who eternally serve the enigmatic Peacock Spirit.

Relics of Pride: Among the many spells and magic items credited to Xanderghul are Baraket, the Sword of Pride (Artifacts &_ Le,gends); empty hands gloves (More Ma,gic ef Thassilon); the mantle of lordly command (More Ma,gic ef Thassilon); the raiment of command spell (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); and the rune of the inscrutable one (Patlifinder Adventure Path #s).

ZUTHA

Runelord of Gluttony

Domain: Gastash

Weapon ofR.ule: Life-draining scythe ofbone

The final Runelord of Gluttony was Zutha, the Lord of Gastash, an undead creature not unlike a lich, but even more powerful, horrible, and unique. His predecessor, R.unelord Goparlis, became obsessed with the theft of a masterpiece magical sword created by the necromancers of Runeforge. One of Goparlis's apprentices, Zutha took advantage of his master's distraction and betrayed the runelord, taking the mantle of Runelord of Gluttony for himself. Soon after his accession, Zutha exchanged the corpse of Goparlis for the service of the graveknight Ungarato and the sword Ungarato had stolen, which later came to bear the graveknight's name.

Zutha was a master of necromancy, which in those days was known as gluttony magic. He was morbidly obese, his flesh rotting in places, revealing the bones beneath. Nevertheless, Zutha's body was still capable of experiencing all the sensations of life, though the unliving flesh required constant renewal from stolen life energy. Unsurprisingly, Zutha was a gourmand of debauched vices and jaded tastes, importing exotic foods and meal­slaves from across the world, and it is said he never ate the same meal twice. For all his power and prestige, Zutha disdained most of the trappings of rule, dressing in little beyond ragged robes, though he favored a set of showy magic rings and ioun stones, linked in some way to create a powerful weapon that none have mastered since. The clever and canny Zutha used trade to play his peers against one another, leaving himself and his domain untouched. He avoided war by selling supplies to both sides, and any who turned against him soon found themselves running short on precious commodities.

Obsessed with immortality and afflicted with unnatural hungers, Zutha carried out many unspeakable experiments in the Flesh Pits beneath his capital of Xin- Gastash. Like his fellow runelords, Zutha realized the fate that would befall Thassilon and took steps to avoid sharing in it. Unlike his peers, however, Zutha's undead form required a phylactery called the Gluttonous Tome-a blasphemous codex crafted of leathered flesh, bound in bone, and inked in the blood of a thousand slaves. To prevent the destruction of the phylactery and his soul inside, Zutha arranged for the Gluttonous Tome to be divided into three different volumes, each a powerful artifact in its own right, which would be safely stored in three different locations in his domain. His servants did not prove so loyal after the disasters of Earthfall, however, and the three parts of the Gluttonous Tome were scattered across Avistan, where one or another of them has reappeared over time, only to vanish again.

The domain ofGastash was an abundant and fertile land, rich in copper and tin and blessed with plentiful harvests of wheat, rye, and wool, which the merchants of Gastash then sold on at considerable profit to less productive domains. The people of Gastash followed their runelord's lead and led lives of gluttony, but their safety was ever threatened by ankheg infestations, marauding bulettes, and bandits from other lands who envied Gastash's plenty. Zutha's capital, Xin- Gastash, offered myriad gluttonous pleasures for visitors and citizens alike to indulge in. The wealthy of Xin-Gastash arranged for the interment of their dead bodies in extravagant mausoleums or ossuaries, or paid exorbitant fees to continue living as intelligent undead such as liches or vampires. The dead of the lower classes, on the other hand, became fodder for experiments in Gastash's necromantic academies or were animated as mindless undead. Many of these formed the backbone of the sleepless undead army that manned the walls of Xin-Gastash.

Zutba's Legacies: Little remains today of Gastash under Zutha's rule, though the enormous marble staircase called Seraph's Ladder in the ore-hold of Belkzen is believed to date from his reign. Likewise, the Tbassilonian ruins known as the Black Squares of Ungevick are thought to be the remnant of a vast necromantic engine built by Zutha for some unknown purpose, and the many incorporeal undead that haunt the site lend credence to this claim.

R.elics of Gluttony: Zutha and his predecessors are known to have created numerous necromantic spells and magic items, many of which survive today, including the death wine spell (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the famine rod (More Ma11ic of Thassilon); the Gluttonous Tome (More Ma11ic of Thassilon); the rune ef obedience (Patlifinder Adventure Path #s); the runeslave cauldron (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition); the spherical boat of Zutha (Lost KinjJdoms); and UniJarato, the Sword of Gluttony (Artifacts 8/. Le11ends).