Avine-drapedgargoyleperchesontheclifftop,staring
downattheruinedcity.Ithasthefaceofadevil,withits
mouthagapeinasilentscream.Thegargoylesattackanyonewhofliesoverthecityortries
toclimbupordownthecliffs,buttheyignoreintruderswho
enterbytheriverortheravinetothesouthwest.Theyserve
Acererakandtakeordersfromhisundeadtombcustodian,
Withers(seechapter 5 ).
HistoryofOmu...........................................................................................................................................................................
ThetragichistoryofOmuiswritteninitsruins.Asthe
charactersexplore,usetheinformationprovidedheretobring
thecitytolife.
ForbiddenCity
OmuwasonceajewelinChult’scrown.Builtoverrichmineral
veins,thecitygarneredwealthinabundance.Omuanjewelry
wascovetedfarandwide,andthecity’smerchantsgrewfaton
commerce.ToenterOmu,itwassaid,wastoenterthegatesof
paradiseitself.Suchwealthbroughtgreed.Omu’shungerfor
slavesmadeherrulersdemandevergreatertributefromtheir
neighbors.Whentheirvassalscouldn’tpayinflesh,theypaid
inblood.Omu’sfearedlegionsmarchedacrossChult.
TheOmuans’greedandhubrisangeredthegodUbtao,
causinghimtoturnhisbackonOmutwohundredyears
ago—longbeforeheabandonedtherestofChult.Omu’s
clericslosttheirspells,andthecityfelltosicknessanddisease.
SlaveuprisingswrackedOmu,anditsnoblesfledindroves.
MapsshowingOmu’slocationweredestroyed,anditscoins
weremelteddownandreminted.Fallenfromgrace,Omu
becameknownastheForbiddenCity.
NineTricksterGods
WithUbtaogone,primalspiritsarosefromtherainforestto
bewitchthefewremainingOmuans.Theydisguised
themselvesasjunglecreaturesandpromisedgreatpowerin
returnfordevotion.Desperateforredemption,theOmuans
toredowntheirtempletoUbtaoandraisedshrinestothese
ninetrickstergods.
Thenewdeitiesweredivisiveandoftencruel.Tooweakto
grantmiraclestoeveryfollower,theyconcoctedelaborate
trialstowinnowtheclergy.Onholydays,themettleof
aspirantpriestswastestedintheirnineshrines,withdeadly
consequencesforfailure.Thetrialsprovidedentertainment
forthedegenerateOmuansandfedtheirweaklinggodswith
much-neededsacrifices.
Forninedecades,thecityfolklivedbythemantrasoftheir
trickstergods.Theybuiltstatuesintheirnamesandschemed
againsteachothertoasserttheirchosengod’sdominance.
Omu’sgloriouspastwaslost,butitspeopleendured.Such
mercydidnotlastlong.
FallofOmu
Omu’sbloodytrialsdrewtheattentionofAcererak,anarchlich
whowandersthecosmosinsearchofsoulstoharvest.
Acererak,whoisfondofdeathtraps,marveledatthetrials
concoctedbytheOmuans.Theyinspiredhimtocreatehisown
dungeonbelowthecity.
Alittleoveracenturyago,AcererakenteredOmuandslew
allninetrickstergods.HethenenslavedtheOmuansand
forcedthemtocarveoutatombfortheirdefeatedgods.When
thetombwascomplete,AcererakmurderedtheOmuansand
sealedtheminthetombwiththeirfalsegods.Thearchlich
resumedhisodysseyacrosstheplanes,contentthatthe
dungeonwouldfeedhisphylacterywiththesoulsofdead
adventurers.ThejunglereclaimedOmu,anditfellintoruin.RiseofRasNsi
Fiftyyearsago,abroodofyuan-tifromHisari(seechapter 2 )
slitheredintoOmuandmadeittheirnewhome.Theybuiltan
undergroundtemplebeneaththeoldpalaceandpatiently
waitedfortheirgod,DendartheNightSerpent,tocomeforth
andswallowtheworld.EarthquakesshookOmuandcracked
itopenlikeafig,causingtherivertoburstitsbanks.Chance
sparedtheyuan-titemplefromdestruction,butscoresof
yuan-tidied,includingtheirleader(ayuan-tiabomination).
TheevilwarlordRasNsi,whohadraisedanarmyof
undeadtowagewarontheholycityofMezro,onlytosuffera
terribledefeat,arrivedinOmushortlyaftertheyuan-ti.Ras
Nsiwormedhiswayintotheyuan-ti’sfavorandunderwenta
ritualtotransformintoamalison.Beforelong,hebecametheir
ruler.Today,beneaththecrackedandbrokenstreetsofOmu,
RasNsiholdsswayandplotstobringDendartheNight
Serpentintotheworld,sealingitsdoom.LegendoftheNineGods...........................................................................................................................................................
StoriesofOmu’sninetrickstergodsdiedwiththeOmuans
whoworshipedthem.Ascharactersexplorethegods’shrines,
theplayerspiecetogetherfragmentsofthefollowinglegend,
whichprovidescluesonhowtoentertheTomboftheNine
Gods.
Longago,thegodUbtaohardenedhisheartandvowedto
weepforthepeopleofOmunolonger.Therainsstopped,the
junglewitheredanddied,anddeathsweptthroughOmu.
Onemorning,awisezorboemergedfromherhollowtree
andspoketothedyingOmuans.ToconvinceUbtaooftheir
worth,shedecidedtocookhimastewmadefromalltheir
goodqualities.Catchingsuchvirtueswouldn’tbeeasy,soshe
askedawilyalmirajtohelpher.Thealmirajsnuck
recklessnessinthepot,whichshesawasavirtue,andUbtao
spatoutthestewwhenhetastedit.Fromthatdayon,Obo’laka
thezorboandI’jinthealmirajbecameterribleenemies.
Atnoon,abravekamadanhoppeddownfromherrock.
ShesawtheevilintheOmuans’heartsanddecidedtolanceit
likeatroublesomeboil.Thekamadanfashionedaholyspear,
butsheleftitbytheriverbankandacraftygrungstoleit.In
herrage,ShagambithekamadanforgotallabouttheOmuans
andchasedNangnangthegrungforeveracrossthesky.
Wheneveningcame,awilyeblissteppedfromhisreedhut.
Hedidn’tliketheOmuans,butwithoutthemhe’dhavenoone
toplayhistrickson.Theeblissentamarshfrogtoreasonwith
Ubtao,butthefrogwasangryanddecidedtowrestlethegod
instead.ThisamusedUbtao,sohegavethefrogtentaclesto
makeitstronger.WhenKubazanthefroghemothreturnedto
Papazotltheeblis,hechasedPapazotlintotheswampwithhis
newtentacles.
Thatnight,asu-monsterbrokeintoUbtao’spalaceand
stoleapailofwaterfortheOmuans.Whenthegodcame
runningtofindit,thesu-monsterhidthepailinajaculi’s
burrow.Ubtaoaskedthejungleanimalswherehiswaterwas
hidden,andMoathejaculiwastoohonesttolie.WhenWongo
thesu-monsterfoundouthowMoahadbetrayedhim,he
vowedtocatchthejaculiandeathimup.
Allthewhile,Unkhtheflailsnailliveddeepunderthe
earth.Thenoiseoftheotheranimalsfightingmadeherslither