What’s a death whistle, and did you just make that up?
For many readers, this passage from the prologue of Glimmerstone is their first exposure to a death whistle:
”She gazed at the full moon peeking through a narrow gap in the tent's gnoll-hide walls. Now or never. The small clay skull featured a tube protruding from the top of the head, attached to a gold chain threaded through a loop on the skull’s posterior—her death whistle. Though primitive and crude in its exterior design, the hollow interior was intricately crafted into two chambers. Air blown into the tube created a resonance of pure despair, a haunting, distorted scream of pain and agony, somehow both human and otherworldly. On its own, the shrill wail manifested a foreboding sense of doom in every ear it reached. Enhancing it with a fear spell made its impact utterly devastating.”
I’ve been asked many times about the whistle. Since it doesn’t appear in D&D, many thought I’d entirely made it up as a homebrew item. I did not. I came across it during my research and thought it would be a fantastic addition to the Red Queen’s persona and the history of Venn. The death whistle is a real thing, originating in the Aztec culture. Here’s a photo and a video of the disturbing sound it makes.
According to what few historical writings I’ve been able to find from those early days of Venn, these whistles were a common tool of warfare among the tribes in southern Siremiria over five hundred years ago. As the Red Queen swept across the land, she immediately recognized its intimidation value. Shamelessly appropriating the local culture, she went a step further. After subjugating the death whistle’s artisan from the first tribe that used it against her, she ordered the immediate execution of anyone with whistle-making skills in each subsequent tribe she conquered. I found more than thirty references to the use of death whistles in tribal skirmishes in the area before her arrival. By eradicating everyone associated with it, she ensured its signature intimidation in battle remained exclusive to her purpose. With her death, and that of the sole remaining artisan, at the hands of the gnoll hordes, a unique item that once played a part in the local culture and history vanished from Venn.
Until next time!
Bryn