Peril on the Purple Planet – Sanctum Secorum

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The carnelian cube of the title is a small red “dream stone” confiscated by archaeologist Arthur Cleveland Finch from Tiridat Ariminian, one of the workers on the dig he is supervising in Cappadocia. It bears an inscription in Etruscan that appears to identify its original possessor as Apollonius of Tyana, a wandering ascetic/philosopher/wonderworker who lived from 15-100AD. Supposedly, the stone allows the bearer to attain the world of his dreams. Arthur Finch is a man who *thinks* that he knows what he wants… until he has it. Once he has it, the task becomes how to get rid of it.

To sleep, perchance to …. create a new reality!

Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. Tonight, the Keepers of Mysteries boldly explore the dream world of The Carnelian Cube by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt.

Sanctum Secorum #37 – The Maker of Universes

July 13, 2018Written by Gatekeeper

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The story follows Robert Wolff, a man disenchanted with his life and his marriage. One day, while looking at a new house, Wolff discovers a strange horn in the basement. Blowing the horn, Wolff is transported to a strange new world, the World of Tiers. Wolff finds himself initially in an edenic paradise known as Okeanos. This region is the first level of the planet, which contains a number of tiers like a wedding cake, separated by vast mountain ranges. The entire planet is ruled over by a cruel and mysterious lord named Jadawin, who created it. Okeanos consists of a beach, an ocean, and a small forest and is populated by nymph-like humans who originated in and near ancient Greece. In this new world, Wolff regains his youth and vigor and falls in love with a local woman named Chryseis who lived in Troy at the time of the Trojan War.

Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. Tonight we discuss the Maker of Universes, the first book in Philip José Farmer’s World of Tiers series and pair it up with The Dread God Al-Khazadar.

Sanctum Secorum #16 – Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon

September 2, 2016Written by Gatekeeper

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“Harvey Selden goes down to Mars from an observation ship, and accepts an invitation to visit Firsa Mak’s house by his friend Bentham. He meets a martian woman, Lella, of a type he has not seen before. From there he is shanghaied into observing the Purple Priestess Mad Moon ritual and isn’t able to cope, but survives. The others want him to tell the Bureau, but he runs for Earth instead, into therapy. However, at the end a communique arrives from Lella, saying she is waiting for him at the next ritual.”

Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. In this episode we look at a work by the Queen of the Space Opera, Leigh Brackett. In addition, we have bonus content to bring to your DCC RPG table including a mini-adventure!

Sanctum Secorum #13 – Down to a Sunless Sea

June 3, 2016Written by Gatekeeper

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Brant’s life had been hard after the courts had sent him to the penal colony on Trivium Charontis on Mars. Since working his way to freedom, he had run guns to the High Clan princes, sold them liquor and forbidden tobacco, and peddled narcotics to the soft, timid Earthsider clerks. He had stolen, he had cheated at cards, he had killed a man more than once…
Now, fleeing from justice across the ancient dust oceans of Mars he had no way of knowing that he was running toward the most fantastic adventure and man had ever lived – toward refuge more absolute that any man had ever dreamed of – by the banks of secret rivers, in caverns yet unmeasured by man, on the shore of a sea the sun had never seen!

Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. In this episode we cast our gaze skyward to the Mars of Lin Carter’s Down to a Sunless Sea and to Harley Stroh’s Peril on the Purple Planet.

In addition, we have bonus content to bring to your game: items, monsters, and so much more…after the jump.

Episode #11 – Another Fine Myth

April 1, 2016Written by Gatekeeper

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Skeeve, a magician‘s apprentice and wannabe thief from the dimension Klah, tries to learn the basics of magic from Master Magician Garkin for several months but to no avail. Skeeve can do little more than float a feather or light a candle using magic. Wanting to convince Skeeve that being a thief is not as good as being a magician, Garkin summons a demon. During the summoning an assassin barges into the hut, and Garkin and the assassin kill each other. Skeeve is left alone with the demon. To Skeeve’s surprise the demon politely introduces himself as Aahz. Aahz explains that demon is slang for Dimension Traveler. He further explains that there are thousands of dimensions with different races in them, and that he is from the dimension of Perv, making Aahz a Pervect, while Skeeve is a Klahd. Aahz is a master magician like Garkin but loses his magical powers during the summoning ritual (due to a practical joke played on him by Garkin) and becomes stranded in Klah. Aahz volunteers to take Skeeve on as his apprentice and teach him magic. The pair then embark on a series of misadventures.

Welcome to the Sanctum Secorum podcast. In this episode, in honor of April 1st, we’ll take the opportunity to look at the lighter side of fantasy with Robert Asprin’s Another Fine Myth!

In addition, we have bonus content to bring to your game: classes, magic items and so much more…after the jump.

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Tag: Peril on the Purple Planet

Sanctum Secorum #43 – The Carnelian Cube

Sanctum Secorum #37 – The Maker of Universes

Sanctum Secorum #16 – Purple Priestess of the Mad Moon

Sanctum Secorum #13 – Down to a Sunless Sea

Episode #11 – Another Fine Myth

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