Book of Bone and Ebony

has seen firsthand the horrors that the Labyrinth and
Oblivion have wrought upon her district, and she will not
see it happen to the rest of Stygia.
TRUSTED ADVISORS AND
WELCOME GUESTS
Whenever a Deathlord sets foot in Stygia, the Court of
the Dual Monarchy swirls around him. Courtiers and servants
flutter close to the ancient spectre, exchanging gossip
and staring in wonderment as the Monarchs themselves rise
to greet their valued friend. Niceties are exchanged as the
Deathlord offers some carefully pondered advice, perhaps,
or asks permission to commune with the Void. The selfimportant
elite of the necropolis stand back, witnessing all
and whispering audibly amongst one another that the
alliance between the Deathlords and the Monarchy is a
truly wondrous thing, an auspicious sign for the future.
It’s a sham.
The Deathlords grip the city with an unrelenting iron
fist. The Monarchy ignores their “advice” at its peril. As far
as the Deathlords are concerned, all of Stygia’s politics are
merely an amusing game. Though never outwardly acknowledged
as such, the word of these sorcerer-kings is law
within Stygia. The praise and compliments the Stygians
offer to the Malfeans’ chosen are feigned, are whispered
through gritted teeth and hide genuine resentment and
fear. The only reason the Deathlords do not rule Stygia
openly is that they are fractious, and each would rather see
the city ruled by a useful puppet than by one of his rivals.
Further, their open rule would terrify the citizenry, and
what use is an empty necropolis? Better to let those who
already know and understand Stygia manage the day-today
affairs of its governance. Until the day that a single
Deathlord rises above his peers and claims Stygia as the
capital of his dark empire, the Grand Necropolis remains
an occupied city-state in fact, if not in name.
Deep below the palace of the Dual Monarchy, in a
secret chamber built of nameless, dark stone quarried from
the Labyrinth itself, the Deathlords hold their rare and
secret congresses. The vast room is domed, and the stone
used in its construction drains all light, curtaining the edges
of the room in shadows. The trappings of the Abyssal castes
decorate the five corners of the chamber, once in memory
of the Deathlords’ former roles as Solars and now in honor
of their deathknights. Those who wish to address their
gathered comrades step forth into a shaft of sourceless white
light that illuminates a crimson circle in the center of the
room. Below the chamber, galleries overlook the Mouth of
the Void, allowing the Deathlords and their Abyssals to
contemplate its dark perfection in utter silence.
THE COURTIER OF SILK AND SHADOW
Deathlords have many petty and mercurial demands.
When one enters the city, a horde of retainers, warriors
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CHAPTER ONE • STYGIA
and champions inevitably accompany him, and each needs
personal accommodations worthy of such a powerful lord’s
servant. Those Deathlords who enjoy festivities often
throw lavish parties requiring enormous preparations and
a large drain on funds. Each visit from a Deathlord is a
logistical nightmare even for Stygia.
The Courtier of Silk and Shadow rises to meet these
demands. As the Chief Liaison of Stygia to the Deathlords,
the responsibility and authority to accommodate the needs
of the Deathlords, and to see that they are properly hosted
and entertained, falls on his shoulders. Though this seems a
relatively minor position, the Courtier is, in fact, the most
powerful ghost in the Palace of the Dual Monarchy. An
army of butlers, maids and servants follows his every command,
and he has free access to the coffers of Stygia. Because
the bureaucrats of the palace tremble at the very mention of
the Deathlords, none dare to challenge his requests, and as
a result, almost nothing limits his influence.
The Courtier is a striking and suave figure. Long, oiled
curls of hair fall about gray features, carefully moliated to
present the most handsome face possible. Always elegantly
dressed, he wears finely crafted silken robes, the cut and dark
colors of which vary from day to day, though they’re always
fashionable and intriguing, and his hands are adorned with
silver rings. The Courtier often smiles smoothly, but joy
never glimmers in the dark pits of his eyes. Despite his
playful demeanor, the ghostly liaison is intensely ambitious
and often openly conspires. His desire to see the Dual
Monarchy overthrown and replaced with a Deathlord is
barely secret, and he has formed alliances with Lord Stalwart
and, more recently, the Emissary of Righteous Victory.
He doesn’t go completely unchallenged, however, for Master
Amenti despises him. Both bureaucratic geniuses, their
conflict is subtle and intense, taking the form of red tape
rather than assassination... so far. Still, despite his power,
the Chief Liaison’s position is far from secure. The Deathlords
care little who fulfills their demands so long as their demands
are fulfilled. Without open, genuine support, the
Courtier has only guile and vague intimidation to achieve
his ends, but for now, that is enough.
THE FACES OF STYGIA
Like everything else in Stygia, the 13 districts are
deeply symbolic and ritually significant. While dividing
Stygia made sense from a logistical perspective, allowing
the city to be more easily governed, the true reasons
behind the divisions were occult in nature. Much of
Stygia’s design focuses prayer and Essence upon the
Calendar of Setesh like a lens, powering it and aiding it
in the regulation of the reality of the Underworld. The 13
districts act as filters for these flows of Essence. Each
district has a distinct character and represents a fundamental
aspect of the nature of the Underworld. Little
Shoe represents the fury of the oppressed, the foreigner