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The Master of Hule

by James Mishler

In a message dated 98-05-22 12:35:17 EDT, Marco wrote:

<< I've got a problem with the Master and his true ID. Basically, I cannot understand how the first Hosadus (who tricked Wogar into migrating to Sind and Atruaghin thus freeing Hule territory from its yoke back in BC 1270) can be the same person who now, 2200 years later, rules Hule as the Master. Now, consider this:

-snip-

Ideas anyone?>>

Well, the way I dealt with it in my campaign is what one can consider to be typically "Hulean". You see, the whole thing is one big LIE...

Way back when Wogar was tromping around in Hule, there actually existed a fellow by the name of Hosadus, and he actually formed the original "Great Hule" (related to the modern Hule as the RW Persian Empire of Xerxes the Great is related to modern Iran). He did not, however, actually lie to Wogar and the Beastmen about the Blue Knife (check out my Ancient Hulean History, available on Shawn Stanley's site). But he really existed, and went on to found a great empire and so forth. And then his own priesthood killed him and told the people of Hule that he had "ascended and gone on to join Bozdogan" (half- truth, half-lie).

Then Hule went through a whole series of political and religious evolutions and revolutions, but nothing so serious as to destroy completely the Hagiarchy. Until the barbarian invasions of the late 6th and early 7th centuries AC. Hule was really between a rock and a hard place, and they needed a miracle to survive. What they got was the "reincarnated" Hosadus.

The "reincarnated" Hosadus IMC is not, in fact, Hosadus, let alone a reincarnation. What he is, is something far more terrible... his real name is Zhigros Khasar, an ancient Taymoran Mummy, follower of Thanatos and ancient ally of Loki (Bozdogan)! Zhigros was one of the most powerful and ancient of the Taymoran Nosferatu that had been converted to the ways of Thanatos in the last century of the Taymoran Empire. He was of the second generation of Nosferatu, and had actually tutored the young mortal Lokar when he had travelled into the Empire in the 22nd century BC. Zhigros ruled one of the westernmost city-states of the Taymoran Empire when he rebelled against the Emperor, lost and was captured, tortured and Mummified (a horrifying process for a Nosferatu or Vampire to undergo). His tomb lay undisturbed until 572 AC, when it was discovered by Thyatian explorers in a the mountains of the Isle of Ierendi. Unfortunately, the explorers released Zhigros from his ancient slumber and freed him on the unsuspecting world...

Zhigros slowly drew a large number of followers to his side (some of which were descended, Nosferatu-wise, from his own progeny), and gathered a great army about himself (formed from the bodies of those that opposed him). He nearly succeeded in taking over the entire island, until the Thyatians invaded in 586 AC and put an end to his nascent kingdom (their overt excuse was a claim to the islands as a protectorate; little information about the incident entered the history books, though there are some few legends about the Battle of the Damned still circulating around the isles).

Zhigros himself was nearly destroyed, but the action brought him to the attention of his ancient apprentice, Loki, who knew that he could put Zhigros to good use... as the "reincarnated" Hosadus! And the rest, as they say, is history... though there is one note.

Zhigros was terribly, and permanently wounded during the last battle with the Thyatians. Therefore, in order to interact with the world at large, he must Magic Jar into other peoples bodies. He must, however, keep his true body safe, as it in many ways acts as a Liches' phylactery (note that this is a change from the original info in X5, in which Hosadus has an "Avatar"). The body that the "Master" inhabits is kept young and vibrant... though Undead, as the body of the "Master" is also a Nosferatu! If the "Avatar" is killed, Zhigros' spirit returns to his ancient body, which through grievously wounded, is still quite powerful. He will not battle using this body unless he has no other options, as the destruction of this body would result in his permanent death! And as he is now pursuing Immortality with Loki as his Patron, he would not take any chances...

So who, then, is the MODERN Hosadus in my campaign? Hosadus, of course, is not the TRUE Hosadus... yet another Lie, and one of the biggest perpetrated in all of Hule's history!