Gilgamesh and the Golden Palace of Za-Hadrash - Thorbjorn's Pre-Adventure Library Research

The adventure Introduction may be read here

 Library Research on Gilgamesh

Two centuries ago, Keoland under the reign of Tavish II was embroiled in a brutal war to retain control of Ket, against an insurrection which had the backing of a combined Bakluni force from Tusmit, Ekbir and Zeif. Tavish II was not a kind or merciful King and ordered purges against the civilian populace, of areas under Keoish control that were suspected of harbouring partisans. Many religious leaders were seized and imprisoned.

A group of ostensibly Bakluni pilgrims at the time protested their innocence and claimed to not be Bakluni at all but travelers from another world who were in search of the rightful heir to the throne of Uruk, whose father had died and whose title had been seized by a usurper. This fanciful tale caught the ear of a prominent court wizard of the time, Nolarus Akyn, when paying a visit to Ket to appraise the war effort, and he decided to pay them a visit. To cut a long story short, after much careful questioning, examination, and magical assessment of their claims he became convinced of the truth of their words. The name of the absentee heir that they sought was one Gilgamesh son of Lugalbanda of the great city of Uruk (alleged to himself be a demigod who had ruled the city for twelve centuries before divinely ascending leaving the throne open to the usurper in his son’s absence).

Nolarus agreed to plead their case to his King and obtain their release, but he wanted something in return. A priestess among them called Beltis – who primarily served a goddess of love and war (a peculiar combination indeed, the author notes!) called Ishtar, though she paid respects to many other divinities of her world – would be required to remain as a hostage and serve the Keoish war effort, working closely with Nolarus and assisting him in his research. Geases would be laid upon her and marks of bondage to prevent her magical abscondment. Her kinsmen would be released and granted return of their possessions, and passage to a destination of their choosing. Beltis would be released at a later date after Keoland’s victory in the war was accomplished.

Beltis urged her companions to accept Nolarus’ offer. The dungeons of Tavish II were not a place to spend overlong in if it could be helped.

However, the war did not end swiftly, rumbling on for another fourteen years until Tavish II’s death in CY395. The succession was complicated by the refusal of the first candidate that was offered the position, to accept. The Duke of Gradsul, Luschan Sellark IV became Regent while the great houses squabbled over who to accept the poisoned chalice of the Lion Throne, and he negotiated a truce and withdrawal of Keoish forces from Ket.

By this time, however, Beltis had struck up a relationship with, and married, Nolarus. And such were her powers of persuasion that she had converted him to her faith. She had also managed to acquire some other converts, and with Nolarus’ permission, she sent home for missionary aid to spread the worship of her deities to this new world.

Later works will refer to the expansion of this cult within the Flanaess but omit the details of the original account in the 200 year old transcript of Nolarus’ original encounter, and do not mention Gilgamesh; describing them simply as missionaries of an obscure Bakluni faith with a relatively small but dedicated following.